Player Interview: Hevad Khan aka 'RainKhan'

He walked into the lounge of the Hilton where I was hurriedly writing notes, brushing down my Poker Verdict T-shirt and trying to get the stray hairs out of my eyes - and I felt like a true highly strung Londoner as he shook my hand and sat down looking entirely at ease.

You may remember Hevad Khan aka "RainKhan" most clearly as that bloke who posted a video of himself multi-tabling 28 sit ‘n’ gos (SNGs) at the same time – it is a legendary video in the poker world. Apparently, he made the vid for PokerStars who thought he was a bot and threatened to close his account, and only believed it was possible when the evidence was provided.

Now the website is sponsoring him and he is Team PokerStars' newest member. He's in London to play in his first EPT event this week after a stunning debut at the World Series of Poker.

His WSOP main event debut this year saw him come 6th (out of over 6,000) and take down $900,000 as well as endear the spectators to him with his entertaining personality.

What is brilliant about Khan is that he mixes a completely calm pre-tournament attitude with a very excitable and animated nature at the table (see pic).

Here’s what he had to say to Poker Verdict before his EPT London debut:

Lucy: I heard you met David (aka thekid08) and James (aka Slicker66) from Poker Verdict before?

Hevad: Yeah, I played with James on Sunday in the Holdem100 charity tournament and I played David at the Bellagio $1,000 nightly tournament in June - he beat me and went on to win!

Lucy: And you actually won the Holdem 100 on Sunday – so has it put you on good form for tomorrow at the EPT?

Hevad: Yes, I’m looking forward to it. If I get an easy table, I’ll play it well, and if I get a tough table I will have to focus a little more but I just want to go there and play. I roll better than the average player – I don’t win one pot then fold, fold, fold. I go on a run, and you always need a lot of luck. I don’t want to go in there and whine about bad beats – whatever happens at the end of the hand I will shake the other players hand and if I leave I leave, if he leaves, he leaves. I’m confident!

Lucy: You are known to be an animated player at the table – and I can see you playing online at home, flopping quads and celebrating at the screen. How do you contain your excitable nature when you play live?

Hevad: At the World Series I didn’t! People saw all that pent-up excitement explode. But I don’t care. A lot of people don’t appreciate my excitement, but screw them – this was my moment! But now I’ve been through all that hype and media mayhem in the World Series I can focus.

Lucy: Yeah – you are so laid back about it all. Is that how you make it work for you?

Hevad: Well, I can keep my manner and go with the flow. I’ve beaten the hell out ofen through misery and joy and winning and losing – so now it’s like clockwork for me myself; I’ve be. Just like a baker could make a loaf of bread in front of a thousand people and find it easy, I can play poker in a major tournament and it’s natural to me.

Lucy: In your World Series mian event debut you came 6th and won a hell of a lot of money. Seeing as you’ve progressed so quickly within poker where do you feel you are heading and what do you want to achieve?

Hevad: It all happened so fast it seems almost like it’s closed, right? But remember I final tabled – I didn’t come first. I still want to win a major tournament, a high stakes tournament. It felt like a massive win for me at the World Series, and it was, but I still want to come first. I want to prove myself and that I can bring results - that I’m not just some goof that got lucky.

Lucy: Well, the EPT is pretty big – I’m sure you’d count that as a major win, right?

Hevad: Absolutely. You know I’m thinking of staying in Europe for a while after London – and do the big tournaments whilst I’m here. Why stay at home watching TV when I could be travelling the world?

Lucy: Ok, so I’ve got to ask: is it true you’ve quit SNGs?

Hevad: Yes, I’ve quit. I don’t regret playing the Sit ‘n’ Gos though – they made me the player I am. I spent hours training and developed my skills. I am a very good final table player now as a result. I know exactly how to deal with each position and how to manipulate stacks.

Lucy: So monster stack or short stack?

Hevad: Hmm. I’d have to say monster stack – I hate gambling with a short stack, you have no control and get called a lot more. I can use the monster stack well – gamble in a different way.

Lucy: Good for when you are on your roll, right?

Hevad: Exactly!

Lucy: Cheers for your time and good luck tomorrow.

Hevad: Thanks!