Player Focus: MrSmokey1

By Jules Adamson

2 August 2007

MrSmokey1 aka Steve Billirakis is a terrific online player and took the WSOP by storm this year too...

Becoming the youngest player to win a WSOP bracelet is quite an achievement. With it often comes fame and, of course, fortune. Steve Billirakis, aka MrSmokey1, however, already possessed both before his historic achievement.

Leading up to the WSOP, he had already amassed over $450,000 of winnings in PokerStars tournaments alone. Records suggest he has won over $200k on other sites as well. This, at the tender age of just 21. One might have expected him to be over the moon at collecting not only a WSOP bracelet, but also a cheque for $536k. Amazingly, in his interview afterwards he had such an air of self-confidence in his abilities as if to suggest he expected to win a bracelet at such a young age.

It is not hard to understand why. His competitors not only hold him in high regard, but also consider him to be one of, if not the best online tournament player out there. BodogAri, another hugely successful online player, said in his blog that many believed MrSmokey1 to be the best all around player on the internet (cash, SnGs and tourneys). High praise indeed.

On the 2/2 poker forum users started a thread leading up to the WSOP as to who they thought would win a bracelet from the online brat pack. Needless to say MrSmokey1’s name was on it straight away.

He certainly doesn’t appear to be a flash in the pan either - his calmness at having won the WSOP bracelet was noticeable to all and, if anything, it appears he is getting better and better, as shown by a further four cashes at the WSOP.

Only a month before his historic win he took down perhaps the hardest tournament online: the Sunday night $215 rebuy on PokerStars for the princely sum of $57k. He has also racked up an impressive $170,000 in winnings in the equally tough $100 rebuy alone over the last two years. He may not give off much emotion, but inside, Steve Billirakis has been laughing all the way to the bank.