Player Focus: Patrik Antonius

When Daniel Negreanu said of Patrik Antonius, “dude is too pretty to be good at poker”, he was speaking from experience. Not of how good looking Antonius is – we all know that just by looking at the former model as he sits at the poker table – but of how talented the 26-year-old Finn is when is comes to playing cards.

Antonius came up against Negreanu online but without realising who Negreanu (who was playing under the screen name “KidPoker”) was. It wasn’t long before Negreanu had taken Antonius, a relatively rookie at the tables at the time, for $90,000.

* * * * * * * ADVERTISEMENT * * * * * * *

Poker Verdict Private Tournaments and Freerolls:
Over $5,000 Added prize money every month

Poker Verdict Special Offers:
Claim over $1,500 in free poker chips

* * * * * * * ADVERTISEMENT * * * * * * *

Antonius offered more than a glimpse of the genius that would became his hallmark, however, in the way in which he responded to that particular setback. Far from being overawed or allowing his head to drop, Antonius was sure he could overcome his mystery opponent next time round. And so it proved – in 10 online rematches, Antonius triumphed nine times for around $400k.

In a style that has since become his hallmark, Antonius merely explained that he felt confident about facing "KidPoker" again after the initial setback because he thought he had a "pretty big edge over him." As he explained to Bluff Magazine: "I had a really good feeling for where I stood on most hands, and he would steam a little bit when I put some beats on him," he said.

An insatiable desire to learn, improve and adapt has been a feature of Antonius’ short but illustrious poker career. When his chances to become a top-class tennis player were cut short by injury, Antonius began seeking a new outlet for his competitive instincts. After wandering into a casino in 1998, he tried his hand a poker and found he had the right skills to make a success of the game. He honed his game organically – in other words, by working his way up through the buy-ins online rather than reading books – and was able to turn pro in 2002.

Antonius - who plays under various aliases including "Luigi66369", "-Antonius-" and "I_Knockout_U" - is best known as a high-stakes cash game specialist, regularly playing the $200/$400 no limit games online. As a pro he’s quit his homeland and moved to Las Vegas, found a fiancée and bought a property he’s currently renovating. He’s the youngest player to ever regularly participate in the 'Big Game', the world-famous high-stakes cash game held at the Bellagio.

Although he built his reputation online – and has a huge following among railbirds who like to study his performances – Antonius has also enjoyed considerable success in offline tournaments. In 2005 he won the Scandinavian Open in Stockholm ($66,261 prize money) and came third at the EPT Barcelona event to claim $145,068. Just three weeks after his triumph in the Catalan capital, Antonius added victory in the Baden Baden EPT event to cement his position among the best newcomers in the game.

As he explains on his MySpace page, he landed the $343,366 first prize in Baden Baden even though he arrived for the tournament five hours late, by which time half his chips had been blinded off. On the back of those outstanding performances in Europe it was little surprise to see Antonius voted Newcomer of the Year in the European Poker Award at the end of 2005.

His biggest single tournament money haul to date came in December 2005 when he claimed $1,046,470 Further for coming second at the WPT Five-Diamond World Poker Classic in Las Vegas in December 2005. He cashed in five events at the WSOP last year, including winning more than $200,000 for making the final table of the prestigious $50,000 H.O.R.S.E. event – a feat he says is one of his proudest to date.

In an illuminating article he wrote for All In Magazine, Antonius honestly and lucidly explained some of the mistakes he’s made at the tables and revealed some of the factors he considers to be vital if you want to become a winning player over the long-term online. One element that comes up time and again in his thoughts is about the importance of being in top physical and mental shape before playing.

He explains: "I could have saved maybe $1 million or $2 million over the years if I wouldn’t have played when my back has been bothering me, or when I’ve had a cold, or when I’ve just been otherwise pissed off or steaming. Instincts are very important in this game, and you have to be in really good shape physically so you can use them. The better your body feels, the sharper your head will be as well.

"And where that really becomes important is when it comes to bad beats. Everyone gets bad beats, everyone gets unlucky. And I really feel that if I’m not in good shape, or I haven’t slept well or been eating well or been working out enough, and I take some bad beats, I reach my boiling point sooner. On days when you do everything well, when you’ve been eating well and sleeping well and working out well, you can take more bad beats and not start steaming. And of course, when you’re steaming, that’s the point at which you should quit the game because it’s going to be tough to play well."

He clearly has a wise head on those young shoulders.

View Patrik Anotonius' PVi Profile here


THE OTHER TOP ONLINE PLAYERS

Top US Players

Top Swedish Players

Top German Players

Top Italian Players

Top Norwegian Players

Top Canadian Players

Top UK Players

Top Female Players

Top French Players

Go to Poker Verdict's Player Profile Archive