Player Interview: Bond18

SH: First of all, could you give us a brief introduction of how/when/why you got into the game?

Bond18: Ive written the long version of half of that story with the other half coming soon here.

A very abridged answer to your question is that I got into it with friends in high school because I had an interest in gambling, this would have been about 2002. I got so heavily into it because I really enjoyed the game and hated all the jobs I had so I just dreamed I could one day make a living at this. I figured if I just played a ton and studied a lot it'd sort itself out and I wouldnt have to work for any assholes anymore.

SH: What would a standard working day compromise for you in poker terms? Are there any online tournaments that you just wont miss?

Bond18: Well that depends which 6 months of the year it is, as the 2 hour day light savings jump makes a huge difference. Right now I basically wake up at noon which is the Full Tilt 150 65k and the PokerStars 100r and start there. Sometimes an hour earlier. I register for either 3 or 4 hours and just play out as many tournaments as possible, often getting as high as 15 tables. Im willing to miss any and every tournament. I havent consistently played Sunday majors in years because I dont like waking up early in the morning. One of the reasons I never come close to burning out is because I never force myself to work at times or in situations that are uncomfortable for me.

SH: Do you think the standard of MTT play from amateur players went up in 2008?

Bond18: I think with all the quality material and training sites out there the quality of amateur play goes up every year, but I still feel like enough new or hopeless money is floating around in the poker economy that I feel good about the next few years profitability unless something really crazy happens on the legislative side of things. I certainly think people are getting better though, you can feel that at all stakes that I play.

SH: Do you play cash games as well? If so, what games/stakes?

Bond18: Very rarely. I like to play .5/1 and 1/2 heads up no limit and get advice and coaching from Luckychewy and some other really smart cash players I know. Its more an interest of mine to learn instead of any intention of switching forms of poker. I think every tournament player could learn a ton spending some time playing and thinking about deep stacked heads up poker, particularly if you have someone as talented as Chewy to guide you.

SH: You seem to have lived and travelled to a lot more places than most poker players your age: are you happy in Australia at the moment or could you see yourself moving on again soon?

Bond18: Yes Ive done quite a bit of traveling, and I can honestly say Australia is easily the best place to live Ive ever been. Theyre just a great people, I mean fuck they have a holiday where they all take off work and go get drunk and gamble on a giant horse race. How good is that? Im in the process of trying to attain my permanent residency, which I am having to do through new means at the moment, but I seem to have a good lawyer who will sort it out for me. Once thats all sorted I could see living in another cool country like Singapore for a while just to see what its like. Living in new places is a great learning experience plus a huge opportunity to chase a totally different variety of tail, but I truly hope when its all said and done for me Im living in Australia.

SH: Why did you get into the coaching side of the game with Poker Savvy?

Bond18: I enjoy talking about and teaching the game so when they offered me a spot to do it I jumped at the chance. Shit, I was doing it for free anyway. I was offered a spot at three of the training sites at the same time but had some experience as a guest with Savvy and really liked the way they did business so I decided to stay with them and try to grow the site.

SH: I read in your blog that you were thinking of releasing a book and contacted some fantastic players to see if they would contribute. Have you had any feedback as of yet? What sort of player are you aiming the book at?

Bond18: Oh man, Im so stoked about this book. Ive gotten a yes answer from Luckychewy, Psyduck, AJKHoosier, Shaundeeb, Foucaut, Timex, Sirwatts and Aejones and zero nos so far. I was also recently contacted by Gary Wise (who I am a moron for not talking to in the first place) who wanted to be involved and I think hes a very smart guy and interesting writer so Im thrilled to have him involved. Im almost positive Lee Nelson and Greg Raymer will contribute when I get a chance to talk to them. I think this book is definitely for people at a more intermediate level in their understanding of poker, which I think its time for because books on the basics have been covered many times over (not that there isnt solid intermediate and advanced reading material out there such as Harrington on Holdem and Kill Everyone.) I also really want this to be an entertaining book on top of the education aspect by mixing in short stories and anecdotes between the strategy chapters to keep it from being dull.

SH: What would you say your career highlight is to date?

Bond18: Binking $83,000 in a 5% swap with Sirwatts at the Bellagio Cup. It was my largest score ever (since I was in heavy make up when I won the 3k event at the Bellagio) and I am by no means exaggerating when I say that win could not have happened to a nicer or more deserving guy. Ive had a huge amount of respect for the game of Sirwatts for a long time despite his constant blanking out of live poker for such a considerable string before that win, though I do imagine that $83,000 was considerable motivation in my desire to see him win and the satisfaction after it.

SH: Its probably a hard/annoying question for you to answer but who are the tournament players you respect the most? Who do you really not want to see on your left at a final table?

Bond18: Theres a difference between the guys who I respect for who they are and the guys I respect for how they can play. I have huge respect for a tournament player like StevoL because he consistently crushes over high volume and grinds up his bankroll through preservation and smart investing and basically just makes a killing in the poker industry. I have huge respect for a guy like Assassinato because he writes well and is honest when he does it. I have respect for the guys who make a concentrated effort to give back to the community and still post strategy and thoughts on how to improve, guys like Foucault, Exitonly, Mlagoo, Shaundeeb and man just way too many to name. Ive been lucky enough to get to know a lot of smart and cool guys in my time online. As for who the most unpleasant on my left is, if I had to pick one guy its DJK123. He puts you in a lot of annoying spots and he balances his ranges extremely well.

SH: Do you have any ambitions outside of the game that you would like to achieve? What is Bond18 like away from the tables?

Bond18: I have very high ambitions for this book. Id really like to make something special and with the help of the guys above I think I have an opportunity to achieve that. After that Id like to continue trying to play this game smart and travel around the world writing about my adventures and experiences. I think now that Im single well start seeing some pretty ridiculous shit in there.

Away from the tables (though on them too) Im pretty social and easy going. I spend a large amount of time working out and playing sport these days and trying to eat healthy. Its pretty well known that when the mood strikes me I like to a huge night out or a big time smoke fest with my friends. Whenever I have spare time I like to get some video game play in. I try to organize social events at major tournament series (Drunken kickball classic Saturday January 17th people) and spend time sharing stories with my fellow players.

SH: You are a big contributor on the Two Plus Two forums: how big a role did it have in developing you as a player?

Bond18: Massive, fucking massive. I would be useless without them. I played for years and read every poker book I got a hold of. Id say I learned more in my first 6 months on 2+2 reading the strategy forums than I did in three years of reading books. The connections Ive made there to other thinking players have allowed me to vastly accelerate the learning process. I met every major player who was a factor in my development through them and their still home to the best strategy forums on the net, though some are better than others.

SH: Obviously you have written a number of strategy articles on the game: what has been the most important strategic element that evolved your game?

Bond18: Stack sizes, not close. Every time I teach someone about stack sizes and their importance finally sinks in they come up to me and say something like Whoa, I had no idea these things change everything. Nothing is more important in tournaments.

SH: And finally, what are your poker plans for 2009? Do you have any poker related New Years resolutions/ambitions you would like to achieve this year?

Bond18: Ill be playing at the Aussie Millions in January. Then the ANZPT event in Adelaide in February. Leading up to April there might be an APPT event which Id go to as theres a decent chance wed be doing a seminar there. During that time when no series is on Ill be grinding online. After that Im heading to Las Vegas in April for the WPT championship, then home to Wisconsin for a month since I havent properly visited home in about 2 years. Then its back to Vegas for the WSOP 2009 and Bellagio Cup. After that its back to Melbourne with occasional travel to APPT events. Ill try to get as much online volume in as possible, though I havent been close to my old volume lately. Ive gone from seven days a week to like four.

New years resolutions? Keep working out, keep trying to eat healthy when possible, keep grinding, keep saving my money. Write the book and get it organized and sorted before I leave in April.