I ran really well in this tournament. I tried to pick my spots more in this one that I had in the past. I was lucky to win the big all in pots. The end of Day 2 felt good for me, because we were playing short-handed, which I am more comfortable with. This allowed me to play my game a bit more, and as the money approached, I was very comfortable.

The key hand for me was against Jonathan Duhamel: I called his opening raise with [Ah][Qh] from the small blind. The flop was J-5-7 with two hearts, and we got it all in on the flop after a series of raises. I knew he wouldn't make the last raise as quickly as he did with any kind of really big hand, so I felt I was in okay shape. I hit the heart on the turn, and it was the key hand that really helped me get the win.

I needed those chips because, of course, on the very next hand, I pick up [Kh][3h] on the button and face a three-bet from Galen Hall. I called, the flop came J-7-2 with 2 clubs and one heart. He lead out, I raised, and he quickly shoved. At that point, I thought "What the hell am I doing in this pot?"

I folded. Sometimes I can't hold on to my chips for very long.

I was so happy won, but I was so tired, and I had a feeling like I was ill. My whole body was aching. I really wanted to go out that night and celebrate. Maybe you saw my interview. I was so tired, during that interview. I don't even remember half the questions. I went back to my room and slept. I saved the celebration for later in the week.

When I woke up the next day, I started to feel really good, and the win started to sink in. The win feels great.

I hope it isn't my last.

Follow Viktor on Facebook
Follow Viktor on Twitter: @RealIsildur1

Some years ago, Im's boyfriend ran into Betrand "ElkY" Grospellier on the Starcraft circuit. ElkY casually mentioned how the gamer's talents could be translated to poker and profit. Im's boyfriend brought the story home. He started crushing online games and winning huge cash.

"I was very surprised and started to get interested in how it was possible," Im said. "I watched him play more and more and eventually learned hold'em. I started playing poker for the first time in my life on PokerStars."

Im, a dance artist, soon found she could translate her poise to the table. Within the past year, she's won APPT Cebu and took second in a Macau Poker Cup Red Dragon Main Event.

With all that in mind, it comes as little surprise that PokerStars snatched up the talent to be part of its elite stable of online players. Today PokerStars announced Im as the newest member of Team PokerStars Pro.

"I am very happy that since I have played majority of the time online that this will give me the opportunity to play on more offline events," Im said. "I look forward to traveling and playing in many major tournaments."

While Im already has an APPT championship under her belt, she is learning more about the game every day. She's still dating the same man who introduced her to her new career.

"If it wasn't for him I probably would have never known about poker and definitely not be in this position right now," Im said. "He still teaches me many things and does not hesitate to give advices on my plays."

Though she has been a PokerStars regular for some time now (and has an impressive resume of tournament cashes), you will find Im on PokerStars even more in the near future. Just look for her under the screen name "Vivian Im."

For more, see Vivian Im's Team PokerStars Pro profile.

Welcome to the Team, Vivian.

Just call him KidComeback.

Last week's SuperStar Showdown was nothing less than a disaster for Daniel Negreanu. A terrible run in all-in pots ended with all $150,000 of his challenge bankroll in Viktor "Isildur1" Blom's pockets after only 1,439 hands. What was supposed to be a two-part, 5,000-hand challenge looked to be over after only a few hours. But "KidPoker" wasn't finished with the 20 year-old Swedish wunderkind and was willing to put another $150k on the line for a rematch.

The rules were the same. Four tables of $50/$100 heads-up no-limit hold'em for 2,500 hands. And for a while there, the match unfolded in a shockingly similar fashion to last week's meeting. Blom played a dominating first half, claiming $120,000 of Negreanu's challenge bankroll within 1,300 hands. However, Negreanu turned it around in stunning fashion, mounting a comeback to finish $26,500 to the good and end Blom's five-game winning streak.

Blom leapt out to a fast start, winning close to $28,000 in the first 350 hands. Much of that sum came from two all-in pots-- in the first, Blom's pocket kings held against Negreanu's [As][Qc] and a few minutes later, Negreanu called Blom's three-bet shove on a [Tc][8c][6c] flop with [Kc][Ts] only to be shown pocket queens. Although Negreanu managed to win a bit back when Blom turned two pair against his set of sevens (which rivered quads for good measure), he was about to get involved in a hand that left most of the rail wondering if PokerStars really did have a "doom switch***."

Negreanu opened for his standard raise to $300, Blom three-bet to $1,000 and Negreanu called. Blom led out for $1,200 on the [5h][4h][2h] flop, Negreanu raised to $3,100, Blom shoved and Negreanu called, turning up [Jh][8h] for the flopped flush. Blom showed pocket jacks. The board paired with the [5d] on the turn and in a gut-wrenching three-outer, tripped on the river with the [5s], the $27,700 pot going to Blom with fives full of jacks.

One hour into the match, Blom was not only winning the big pots, he was taking more than his fair share of the mid-sized pots as well, especially those that did not end in a showdown. Blom's natural aggression coupled with his signature move, the river overbet, was quite effective.

As Blom's winnings crept past the $40,000 mark, Negreanu picked up [Ac][Kh] and called Blom's preflop five-bet shove. A 3 to 1 favorite over Blom's [As][Qs], Negreanu's tilt-meter started pushing into the red zone as a queen hit the flop and his nemesis dragged the $20,100 pot.

"This is unreal," Negreanu wrote in the chat window.

Negreanu did his best to quell the bleeding, not only by throwing the river overbet right back at Blom, but with some good old-fashioned soul-reading. In a $12,000 pot, Negreanu called Blom's river bet holding an unimproved [Ac][Kc] after correctly deducing that Blom was betting a busted draw. A few minutes later, Negreanu called Blom's opening raise, then check-called his $500 lead bet on a [Ks][3h][2c] flop. Negreanu check-called another $1,400 when the [Jd] hit the turn, and checked a third time when the [As] fell on the river. Blom shoved, setting Negreanu in for his remaining $8,700 and this time KidPoker couldn't call quickly enough, having rivered Broadway with [Qs][Td]. Blom could only show [4d][6s]. Although Negreanu was still down overall, things were starting to look up for the four-time bracelet winner. But as we all know, in no-limit hold'em, everything can turn around on a dime.

Fifteen minutes and two preflop coolers later, Negreanu was down over $80,000. After five-bet shoving with pocket tens, he ran into Blom's pocket queens in a $22,500 pot, then made the same move with pocket jacks only to run into aces in a $41,900 pot. Negreanu was more than a little tilted.

"You run insane against me," he wrote.

"Yep its really insane," Blom replied.

Negreanu scarcely had time to recover before another hand sent him reeling. All the money went in on a [Ad][Jc][6d] flop, Blom making the final raise and Negreanu calling all-in. Although Negreanu flopped top two pair with [Ac][Js], Blom's [Kd][3d] turned a flush when the [Qd] hit. The river blanked with the [3s] and another Negreanu buy-in sailed into Blom's stack, the damage now totaling $89,350 after 975 hands.

A pretty reckless river call from Blom with bottom pair against a king-high flush yielded Negreanu a $39,500 pot and put a small dent in Blom's lead, but it only took Blom a few minutes to regain that lost ground... and then some. Negreanu dusted off another buy-in when his pocket kings ran into Blom's pocket aces in a preflop all-in, then got the last of his remaining chips on Table 4 in the middle with [As][Qc] against Blom's pocket threes. The board ran out so comically it... well, just see for yourself:

Down $119,600 in 1,279 hands, things were looking grim for KidPoker. His remaining $30,000 was spread across three tables, his $10k stacks dwarfed by Blom's virtual towers. Could Negreanu really go broke again? And in even fewer hands than last week's match?

The only thing Negreanu could do at this point was hope to double up while he still had enough chips left to do some damage. He did it on Table 2, pulling in a $17,600 pot when he made a better two pair than Blom, then did it again seconds later on Table 5 when his [Ac][8h] caught an ace on the flop against Blom's pocket nines. On Table 1, Blom tried to wrest control preflop, five-bet shoving for $27,550 over Negreanu's $2,400 four-bet. Holding [Jc][Ts], he clearly didn't want a call, but Negreanu happily pushed in $12,800 more with his pocket queens, which held up to win the $30,400 pot. Finally, just past the 1,500-hand mark, the money went in on a [Th][7s][6s] flop, Negreanu with [8d][9h] for the ten-high straight and Blom drawing to the same with [5s][9s]. No disasters on the turn or river and Blom suddenly found his lead cut in half.

After a short break, Negreanu returned to the grind and insta-doubled his stack on Table 4. After calling Negreanu's preflop four-bet with [7h][9h], Blom shoved for $55,700 into the $4,400 pot when he hit middle pair on the [Tc][9c][4d] flop. Negreanu called off the $9,550 he had behind with [Kd][Kc] and the overpair held, shrinking Blom's lead to $55,000. Only a few hands later on the same table, Negreanu made another preflop four-bet and Blom came along with [Qd][Jh]. Blom hit top pair on the [Js][6c][5c] flop but just couldn't let it go, even when he encountered some serious resistance. Blom checked, Negreanu bet $3,100, Blom raised to $7,650, Negreanu shoved, and Blom called off his remaining $17,700. Negreanu revealed [Ah][As] and picked up the $56,300 monsterpotten. While that hand played out on Table 4, Negreanu was also busy doubling his stack on Table 5 when he picked off Blom's river bluff:

Less than an hour after being down 80% of his buy-in, Negreanu trailed Blom by only $7,800. But with 842 hands to go, this roller-coaster ride was far from over.

Blom regained a bit of traction when he took down back-to-back $20k pots on Table 5. In the first one, Negreanu tried to use Blom's own signature move against him, shoving for $23,550 on the river with the board reading [2c][5s][2h][3h][Js]. Although Negreanu had the best hand through the turn with [5h][9h], Blom called off the $5,800 he had behind having rivered top pair with [Qh][Jh]. On the next deal, Blom checked to the preflop raiser on the [Ac][Kh][9c] board. Negreanu bet $500, Blom raised to $1,600 and Negreanu called. The turn came the [2h] and Blom made it $2,650 to go. Negreanu looked him up and they went to the river which fell the [Kd]. Blom checked, Negreanu bet $5,800, and Blom came back over the top, moving all-in for $16,350. Negreanu let it go and Blom took down the $20,700 pot.

With Blom back in the lead by $20,000 and 600 hands remaining, the largest pot of the match unfolded. On a [Kc][Kd][3s] flop, Negreanu check-raised Blom's $500 bet to $1,800 and earned a call. The turn came the [8s] and Negreanu decided to fire again, betting $3,100. Blom called and the [Qd] hit the river. Negreanu bet $7,100 and Blom moved all-in for $34,700. With $17,450 behind, Negreanu went into the tank, using almost his entire time bank before deciding to look him up with [Ks][Js]. Negreanu's trips were no good, though, as Blom turned a boat with [Kh][8c]. In a situation where most players would just snap-call, you've got to hand it to Negreanu for actually taking the time to really think over that river bet.

Although Blom pulled out to a $46,650 lead after that pot, Negreanu went on another run over the next 20 minutes and closed the gap to $8,400. He even found a bit of "Isildur"-style run-good when he boated on the turn in this hand after Blom flopped a straight:

With 350 hands remaining, Negreanu pulled out to his first lead of the match. On a [As][7c][5s][6h] board, Blom moved all-in for $6,400 holding [7d][8d] for second pair and a straight draw and Negreanu called with [Ah][8h] for top pair. The [8c] on the river improved KidPoker to aces up, good for the $20k pot and a $9,150 overall lead. This was truly anybody's match now and like a basketball playoff game, it would all come down to the last few possessions.

The lead moved back and forth with nearly every hand until a massive cooler tipped the scales. This time, Blom was on the receiving end, getting his money in with a set of fours on a [Ts][9c][4d] flop only to run into Negreanu's set of tens. The $36,300 pot put Negreanu out front to the tune of $15,350, but Blom quickly caught back up when he flopped the nut flush and got full value on it when Negreanu rivered a straight. Back and forth, back and forth it went until the action was briefly paused on all four tables with only 38 hands to go. Negreanu took the time-out to make a little confession in the chat box.

KidPoker: I was stuck like 120k at one point I think
Isildur1: yeah crazy =)
KidPoker: I broke lots of stuff in my room btw lol
KidPoker: smashed everything

Those final hands saw only one all-in confrontation, Blom three-bet shoving on a [Qd][4s][3h] flop with [Ad][2h] and Negreanu making the call with [As][Qh]. There was no miracle wheel on the turn or river, which safely fell the [4d] and the [6d] to give Negreanu the $20,000 pot.

As it turned out, KidPoker and Isildur1 played a couple of bonus hands, bringing the evening's total to 2,502 when the tables finally closed. And much to his surprise, the final tally was Negreanu +$26,500.

Isildur1: gg, nice comeback!
KidPoker: I won? wow sick! gg man thanks
KidPoker: I broke so much stuff in this room the first half
KidPoker: my assistant has lots of cleaning to do lol jkjk

Negreanu scurried off to grab a celebratory cocktail to unwind, but not before offering his opponent quite the compliment.

"Isildur is incredible. I hope to do a training lesson with him one day. He's the best."

The SuperStar Showdown will return in one week with the first installment of another 5,000-hand, two-part match. Blom's next opponent? None other than nosebleed-stakes cash game fixture Scott 'urnotindangr' Palmer. Join us next Sunday, April 3 for what should be a thrilling, heads-up master class.

***= The doomswitch does not exist. Really. It's not in Negreanu's bathroom, you paranoid sickos.

You read that right. One big blind. A ten-spot. €7.29. Dinner for two at Taco Bell. Considering Blom was up more than $10,000 at one point, Gulcsik's final result was nothing short of miraculous.

While the format of the SuperStar Showdown remained the same-- 2,500 hands of heads-up no-limit hold'em played across four tables-- the blinds were set at $5/$10 rather than the usual $50/$100. Gulcsik was staked $15,000 for the match; he'd keep whatever remained of his challenge bankroll at the end of the session plus any profits. There was also a special $10,000 bonus at stake for either player if they managed to win their opponent's entire $15k.

Gulcsik got off to a strong start, doubling up twice within the first twenty minutes. On Table 1, the money went in on a [Ad][4h][2d] flop, both players holding top pair with Gulcsik's [Ac][Qs] outkicking Blom's [Ah][Tc]. Then, on Table 3, Gulcsik check-raised the river on a [Qs][Th][6s][5c][5h] board with queens up, Blom paying him off with tens and fives. As these two felt each other out, it quickly became apparent that Blom was playing this one fast and loose, fearlessly building large pots preflop with holdings like small suited gappers. Here's a prime example, as Blom's aggressive preflop action slowed Gulcsik down despite decent board texture for his pocket tens:

Although Gulcsik held a $1,323 lead at the end of the first half-hour, Blom quickly began to assume control over the match and pulled even when he scored a double-up on Table 4. Holding pocket threes, Blom opened for his standard 3x raise to $30 and Gulcsik three-bet to $110 with [8d][9d]. Blom called, hitting bottom set on the [Kd][9s][3d] flop. Gulcsik led out for $125 with middle pair and a flush draw and Blom called. The turn was the [Th] and Gulcsik fired another $250. Blom looked him up. Gulcsik moved in for $515 when the [8c] on the river made him two pair and Blom called, taking down the $2,000 pot.

Near the 500-hand mark, Blom caught the first wave of a tsunami of run-good that propelled him to a substantial early-match lead. Following a $20 opening raise from Gulcsik, Blom three-bet to $80 holding [Ah][6d] and Gulcsik made the call with [Jd][9d]. Gulcsik hit top pair on the [Jh][5h][2s] flop, but played it a little coy, smooth-calling Blom's $100 lead bet. Blom got what Tony G would call an "ace from space" on the turn, the [Ac] falling to give him the advantage. Blom bet $220 and Gulcsik called. The [6s] on the river made Blom aces up and he got full value on his hand, setting Gulcsik all-in for $745 and earning a call. Five minutes later, Gulcsik caught the the bad end of a cooler. In a $2,800 pot, Gulcsik flopped top pair with [Qc][Js], but Blom had him outkicked with [Ks][Qs]. Then, Gulcsik got his money in good, three-bet shoving a [Th][7h][4s] flop holding [As][Ts]. Blom called with [Tc][5c] only to receive another blessed turn card, the [5s], to make him two pair. The river blanked with the [9h] and after 634 hands, Blom's lead grew to $5,076. With 25% of the hands complete, Blom had already laid claim to more than a third of Gulcsik's challenge bankroll.

In another suckout of epic proportions, Blom hit a runner-runner straight to win a $2,300 pot after getting his money in with a dominated hand:

Blom grew his lead to $6,300 over the next 250 hands and padded it even further with this pot. While Blom was deep-stacked on every table, Gulcsik could only say the same about the $3,300 he held to start this hand on Table 1. Holding [Qh][Th], Gulcsik opened for $20 and Blom three-bet to $80 with pocket kings. Gulcsik called and they saw a [Ks][Jd][3c] flop. Blom led out for $100 with top set and Gulcsik called with his open-ended straight draw. The turn brought the [2d] and Blom fired again, making it $220 to go. Gulcsik went for the big ammo and shoved for $3,121 total, Blom calling all-in for $1,095. Gulcsik did not find any of his outs on the river and had his lone deep stack halved. With close to 1,000 hands in the books, Blom was up $8,871.

Although Gulcsik caught a whiff of run-good when his nut flush draw came in against Blom's set in a $2,200 pot, he quickly lost it back on Table 4 when his [As][Kd] did not improve against Blom's pocket sixes in a preflop all-in. Following that hand, Gulcsik's stack auto-reloaded to only $573, indicating that his entire challenge bankroll was active. Fortunately, Gulcsik was able to double that short stack relatively quickly when his [As][Qc] held up against Blom's [Kd][Td]. Blom did not let up in the least, however, and in this hand, picked a good spot for a river shove. He might have had the nuts, it might have been a bluff, but whatever it was, it got Gulcsik to give up his hand:

Two hours into the match, things went from bad to worse for Gulcsik. Holding [Qh][8h], Gulcsik opened for $20, Blom three-bet to $80 with [Ac][Kc], Gulcsik came back over the top for $230 and Blom called. The flop came down [Tc][3d][2d] and Blom check-called Gulcsik's $240 continuation bet. The turn was the [2c], giving Blom the nut flush draw. He checked it, and rather than firing a second bullet, Gulcsik shut down and checked behind. The [Qc] on the river made things interesting, however; Blom made the nut flush while Gulcsik hit top pair. Blom went for his signature river overbet, moving all-in for $3,115 and Gulcsik called off the $1,385 he had behind. After raking in that pot, Blom was up by $10,768...and they weren't even halfway through.

With only $4,232 left in his challenge bankroll, Gulcsik was forced to split one of his stacks to keep the action going on all four tables and the rail began started setting lines on how many more hands it would take for Blom to clean him out. Perhaps that lit the fire Gulcsik needed to get himself out of this hole because in the next 15 minutes he managed to recoup 40% of his losses. It started when Blom opened for a min-raise to $20 and Gulcsik made the call. Gulcsik checked the [Qc][9c][7s] flop over to Blom, who bet $40. Gulcsik raised to $140 and Blom called. The turn came the [6h] and Gulcsik led out for $260. Blom quickly called and they went to the river which fell the [8s]. Gulcsik bet $650, Blom shoved, and Gulcsik called off the $670 he had behind, turning up [Jd][Ts] for a queen-high straight. Blom could only show a ten-high straight with [Ks][Th] and Gulcsik raked in the $3,480 pot.

Over on Table 5, Gulcsik four-bet his pocket jacks before the flop and Blom looked him up with [4d][5d]. The flop came down [8s][5h][3d] and Blom tried to blast Gulcsik out of the pot, check-raising his $220 bet to $670. Gulcsik responded with a three-bet shove to $1,800 and Blom tossed in his last $140 to see what he was up against. The jacks held through the [3c] on the turn and the [2s] on the river to cut Blom's overall lead to $6,076 after 1,367 hands.

The more Blom's profit shrunk, the more he seemed willing to gamble. After all, these aren't giant stakes for the "King of Swing." Witness this hand, the largest in the match thus far:

Only five hands later an even larger pot developed on the same table when Gulcsik picked up [Ac][As] and five-bet preflop. Blom called with [Kc][9s] and hit trips when the flop came [Kh][Ks][3s]. Gulcsik made a cautious play, check-calling Blom's $560 bet. However, Gulcsik got his own ace from space on the turn, the [Ah] falling to give him a full house. Gulcsik checked, Blom moved all-in for $1,435, and Gulcsik snap-called, the river blanking out with the [4s] to give him the $5,550 pot. Blom's overall lead was shaved to only $2,351.

Over the next stretch of hands Gulcsik was imbued with a bit more luck than he'd previously enjoyed, at least when it came to all-in confrontations. Gulcsik got his money in on the turn with two pair and was called by Blom with a straight only to boat up on the river. A few minutes later, Gulcsik five-bet shoved preflop with [Ah][Jd] and Blom called with [As][Kd], only to have a jack miraculously appear on the river. Before Gulcsik could really get on a roll, Blom decided to change gears. Translation? Gamboooool.

Blom ran well in the ensuing flurry of preflop all-ins. He called a six-bet shove with [8c][9c] against Gulcsik's [Ah][Qs] and rivered a nine to win a $4,720 pot. He called a four-bet shove holding [Ah][7d] against Gulcsik's pocket eights (the eights held for $2,250), and with the almighty [3s][7s], he stacked off against Gulcsik's [As][Jd], rivering a three on the [Kc][Kh][Qc][2c][3d] to felt his opponent. It was so ugly Blom apologized in the chat box.

Isildur1: ouch sry

Stacks were split. Tables were changed. The rail went beserk. Forum threads erupted. Three-seven suited, really? With 500 hands left to play, Blom was up by nearly $5,000 and Gulcsik's hopes of turning a profit were fading fast.

That's when all hell broke loose. Over the next 15 minutes, there were no fewer than 12 all-in pots. Nine were preflop all-ins and Gulcsik turned over the best hand each time. [Ad][Kh] against [Kc][5c]. Pocket nines against [5s][7s]. [Ad][Qc] against [As][7d]. Pocket eights against [Ks][6s]. Blom was unabashedly gambling and got as many chips as he could in the middle as fast as he could. Gulcsik won all but one of those nine preflop all-ins and when things finally settled down, Blom's lead was cut to $2,466.

The game tempo slowed down dramatically during the final 200 hands. Since Gulcsik would be able to keep whatever remained of his challenge bankroll at the end of the match, it was in his best interest to tighten up a bit and preserve what he had left. Blom, however, was still in a gambling mood and when he three-bet shoved for $1,065 over a $20 opening raise, Gulcsik made the call with [Ah][Qs]. Blom's pocket fours held up though the turn on a [Td][2c][5c][Jh] board, but the [Kc] spiked on the river to make Gulcsik's Broadway straight. Only moments later on the same table, Blom got another 100 big blinds in the middle. Gulcsik four-bet shoved and Blom called with [Ad][Td] only to run into pocket jacks. The fishhooks held and Gulcsik took it down.

In an ending that couldn't have been more perfectly scripted, Blom open-shoved on the final hand and Gulcsik folded. Little did either of them know that the $10 big blind that Blom stole would represent his entire profit for the 2,500-hand match. The fifth edition of the SuperStar Showdown ended in a draw and Gulcsik pocketed the $14,990 that remained in his challenge bankroll. Before departing the tables, Blom had some kind words for his opponent.

Isildur1: GG
DodgyFish72: gg
Isildur1: u played really good
DodgyFish72: thanks u 2
DodgyFish72: u r really a class guy

Attila "DodgyFish72" Gulcsik is a recreational poker player who works for a pharmaceutical company. He described Blom as a "very talented player" who adapts well to his opponents' styles and is capable of switching gears quickly. He was realistic about his chances in this match, stating "my main goal is to try and play well without making huge mistakes. It is obvious that I am a huge underdog as Viktor has significantly more experience being one of the best in the field of heads-up cashgames."

This time, even though David didn't defeat Goliath, it sure feels like he won.

My Mom got out of the hospital in early December, so that was good. I'm not sure if I explained what the issue was in my last blog, but she had a rupture in her small intestine caused by some other medication she was taking. It was quite serious, and things could have gotten pretty ugly, but she's doing better now.

I was also glad she was recovering in time for me to be able to attend my favorite charity event of the year - Jacob Zalewski's All-in for CP tournament to benefit the One Step Closer Foundation. Jacob's a really cool and amazing kid. He is afflicted with Cerebral Palsy, and every year he manages to get together a charity tournament that rivals the Ante up for Africa that the WSOP puts on. This year's tourney was no different. It was held at the Venetian, and they pulled out all the stops: private planes, red carpet, and celebrities galore. I got to meet Sean Astin - "Rudy" himself, as well as a bunch of other celebs like Mekhi Pfiffer, Jeremy London, and Cheryl Hines from Curb Your Enthusiasm.
The best part was that I got to bring Trish this year, and I think she enjoyed herself as well. Of course, I didn't win, which is a good thing - but I was happy to dust off several rebuys to help Jacob's amazing cause.

Besides, when I got back to Michigan, I had the keys to my new house waiting for me! I got the keys the night I got back from Vegas, and I moved in the day after Christmas - and managed to get enough done so that I could have a New Year's Eve party a few days later. Nothing like getting a new house and immediately trashing it! Other than the fact that I don't get very good cell service in the house - I'm loving it.

Part of my New Year's resolution is to start grinding the Sundays on PokerStars again, so I did a little of that on the 2nd.

There is just so much money to be won in those Sundays!

It's not all glamour

Along with the life as a professional poker player also come worries. Last week was the trip to Barcelona for the European Poker Tour tournament in Barcelona. All I had to do is show up. PokerStars had taken care of the five-star hotel and the deposit. I've won--in tournaments alone--more than seven million (Danish kroner). From the outside, it must look as though there isn't much to complain about. There isn't, actually, but it's still not all fun and games.

That is why it's fantastic that I now can vent through the PokerStars Blog. Maybe I'll be able to make some people understand before they quit their day job. Maybe I can help people understand that despite what it looks like, there are some less glamorous sides of the life as a professional poker player.

Saving for the bad times

I envy those who have a steady income they receive every first of the month. It allows them to actually make a budget for the year. They can also estimate how much they will have the following year.

Because I have no steady monthly income, whenever I have a big win, I always put aside a lot of the money for the bad times. For example, when I score in London for £630.000, I celebrated by upgrading my girlfriend's car. The rest of money? I put it aside.

If you were an ordinary worker and had a certain income for the next 26 years, you could have taken the family on a round-the-world trip, bought the newest Porsche, or done just about anything you want.

Of course, I realize that if I were an ordinary working man, I wouldn't be able to decide my own working hours. As a poker player, I play when I want. I'm grateful for that and I'm still very happy about my choice.

Mood swings

I write all of the above to explain that it's one thing to win gigantic tournament when you actually need to support yourself and a family. It's another thing when you just play as a hobby and the money already is set aside.

Fortunately, since I began my career, I haven't approached the abyss (read: lost all my pennies), but that doesn't mean that I haven't experience trip after trip where I've done nothing but lose.

Indeed, there have been downturns. You just don't hear much about them. They affect me the same as they would someone with a traditional job. It's hard on my girlfriend, too. The hard times also affect the ome team's mood in the "team" at home. Dad changes from the dwarf Happy to Grumpy in less than twenty-four hours.

Of course, over the years you get more and more used to it, but I still haven't found myself extremely happy after losing a lot of money.As a professional poker player you are also in the peculiar situation that it can cost money to go to work.

Still fun to play after ten years

I must again emphasize that this is a work I have chosen for myself, and I'm still happy about it. I still love the game poker.

After ten years I still don't think of it as going to work when I play an EPT, even though I've done it approximately 100 times.I still love the countless challenges of the game, and recently I caught myself playing fifty hours online on PokerStars, which isn't required of me.

True, it doesn't happen every week, and there will be weeks I don't play at all. Still, it's pretty clear, I find the game endlessly entertaining.

Exposed to home robbery

A big negative which hit home last week is this: I assume a much greater risk of bumping into robbers. My chances of that are considerably bigger than my neighbor who works in Silvan. It as a fact driven home when that friend was robbed in his home for 2,000 Danish Kroner.

It's a very unpleasant thing to worry about, when you are gone a lot and the girlfriend is home alone with two children. There's not so much I can do about it, except what I've already done. I've installed lots of lights and alarms, but potential robbers aren't aware of that before they break in. There is nothing in the house worth stealing. I don't have any cash in the house. Why should I?

The last couple of years I haven't played live in Denmark for the simple reason that the games are much smaller than the ones I normally play. When I travel, it would be insane to travel with cash when I can transfer money to any casino I want.

The problem is that robbers don't know that unless they read this blog or some of the other forty-seven times I've had the chance to express it. All in all it's just one of the negatives that come along with being a pro. Still, I wouldn't trade it with anybody. It's great living, especially when it's going so good.

You will get my money

I sincerely hope that my family will be spared of a home robbery, and that the robbers only come when I'm home alone. Then they'll get the 800(Danish Kroner) I have in my pocket. My girlfriend has even less on her. So if you meet those boys, please pass it along...

by Barry Greenstein

Events 18-41: The WSOP 2010

Buy-ins: $186,000

Airfare: 400

Room and Board: $9,000

Cashout: $51,000

2010 Cumulative Profit -$422,400

WSOP Summary: I came close in many events, but didn't play well enough or run well enough as we got close to the money. I had been looking forward to the WSOP and came away very disappointed. Now I'm back to grinding the cash games. Maybe I'll have a good WCOOP in September.

The EPT season is now over and with Monte Carlo Grand Final behind us, it's time for some serious online poker focus. Yesterday the tournament highlight of spring started: SCOOP. First up was the No-Limit Hold'em 6 max and No-Limit Hold'em two-day tournament.

Let's start with saying that neither of them was a success on my part! I was really looking forward to playing the Event #2 $2000 buy-in and at my first table I was in good company with both Team Pro Johannes Strassman and my close friend and Team Pro William Thorson. It did not start out too good for me and I was crippled early after a blind war with kings vs aces. Soon after I was out of this great tourney, which was a big disappointment. Luckliy there are many chances left as SCOOP just kicked off and will continue until May 16th.

The good thing about SCOOP is that it offers tournaments in all ranges so there is something for everyone. My goal is to play most of the Ppt-Limit Omaha and No-Limit events in all levels.

I am too inexperienced in other types of games, so I think I'll pass on those. The $25 500 Heads Up event is really tempting, but the bankroll does not allow it these days, to be honest. However if somebody has $25,000 they don't know what to do with, I can give you a tip on a good investment.

Over to my own ambitions for the SCOOP:

Some final tables would be nice, but even nicer if I can a bracelet! To achieve all these very ambitious goals, I definitely need to be in good shape. My preparations will consist of sleep and tennis during the day, and then online poker in the evening.

Last but not least, good luck to all of you in this years Spring Championship of Online Poker. I'll see you around the table at PokerStars.

by Barry Greenstein

I won my first two matches (against Vanessa Rousso and Sammy Farha) in the NBC heads up. Most of the favorites had gotten knocked out early, but I couldn't beat Jerry Yang in the third round! At least I lost to a nice guy.

I made day 2 in the Shooting Star, but never was a threat.

In the APPT Manila, I misread the color of my opponent's chips which probably cost me a big pot.

9. NBC Heads Up
Buy-in:$20,000
Airfare: $300
Room and Board: $0
Cashout: $25,000
Cumulative Profit:-$165,100

10. Bay101 Shooting Star
Buy-in: $8,500
Airfare: $300
Room and Board: $400
Cashout: $0
Cumulative profit: -$174,300

11. APPT Manila
Buy-in: $2,700
Airfare: $1000
Room and Board: $400
Cashout: $0
Cumulative profit: -$178,400