Player Interview: Buzzer

Name/Age/Location/Poker Name and why you chose it

Thomas “Buzzer” Bihl, aged 31, from Frankfurt/Germany.

I also do a bit of sports betting and on the day I opened my first poker account I had won a substantial bet as my team did hit a “buzzer beater”(scoring the deciding basket with time expiring). So I wanted to be “buzzer beater” which was rejected as being too long so I just chose “Buzzer”. That has also turned into my nickname.

What do you currently play now?

Mostly the big Sit`n`Gos (SNGs) and SIXPAKS on Betfair Poker.

When or what started you off in playing poker? How were your early
experiences in learning how to play?

In the years 2003/2004 I made a living off being a sports bettor, sports betting arbitrageur and was a heavy user of the Betfair betting exchange. In May 2004 I received a promotional email from them as they had just launched their poker room. You didn’t even have to open a separate account so I started to play a bit.

As I had close to zero poker knowledge I duly lost a bundle in my first two weeks. But as I noticed that some players seemed to play much better than others and that being a good player could be very lucrative I decided to give it a serious shot. I bought some poker literature (everything by Sklansky will get you off and running) and then it was simply playing a lot and getting experience that counted. Having a background in card playing/chess helped me, and I felt I had an immediate understanding of the game.

I turned into a pretty consistent SNG winner within three more weeks and in July 2004 after playing for only eight weeks I won a big Sunday multi-table tournament (MTT) with 1,600 runners, that paid out $63,000. There was no way back from there…

How did you start off your online bankroll?

I simply used parts of my sports betting account with Betfair, so that was not a problem.

So what factors/skills /attributes got you to that level?

Hard, relentless work and being a quick learner

How much money have you made from online poker in the last two years?

$275,000 from two big MTT wins and about $250,000 in SNG winnings

Which sites do you play on or is it exclusively Betfair?

I mostly play on Betfair Poker as I just feel comfortable there, and it is where I learned the game. They also sponsor me for offline tournaments nowadays too.

What are your golden rules for SNG play?

For all Buzzer’s top tips on how to play SIXPAKS, which are six-handed SNGs, you can go to Betfair Poker where there are two articles on the subject. Click here to read the first one.

Do you play offline, and if so, where/when did you play?

I do play offline and have had some success, cashing over $200,000 in the last two years, but due to the high buy-ins and travel costs this has not contributed to my bankroll. Having Betfair Poker supporting me will be a great help in 2007.

Has there ever been a time when things just weren't going right for you while playing poker? What was your worst run ever and what did you do to get through these times?

Interestingly, I have only had one losing month online since June 2004. The reason is I will simply play so many games (usually 1,000 SNGs per month) that the good and bad runs even out within the span of a month.

Live, it is a different story, with only a couple of big events per month you can easily go dry for half a year and that has happened to me. Through bad stretches I just try to stay positive, work even harder, and get it turned around, which it eventually will for a winning player.

Who is your favourite professional poker player and why?

I have always been impressed by Howard Lederer. Not only his poker skills, but also his demeanour on and off the tables. So, it was a great honour for me when he invited me to be a compensated speaker/coach in his Poker Camp in Baden/Austria in May 2006.

Which five adjectives best describe you?

Hard-working, relentless, reliable, ambitious, professional

What proportion of poker is luck and what proportion skill?

Short-term plenty of luck, long-term no luck.

What do you consider is your biggest accomplishment in poker?

Winning two big online MTTs with 1,600 runners for a combined $275,000

Do you have one memorable hand you would like to share?

I once got all my chips in having flopped the nut straight and despite getting an unbelievable three callers I had 87.7% pot equity and my hand held up to quadruple my stack in that live event in Barcelona.

Which online poker players do you consider to be the best? And why?

There are a lot of decent ones, so it is impossible to pick one or two.

What are some tips and tricks you can give out to the readers that might improve there games/build a bankroll? What do you suggest are the best ways to improve?

Stay within your bankroll, choose your games and opponents wisely, work hard, review your results and play on a regular basis.

Which one poker book/video, if any, revolutionised the way you play poker?

Sklansky writes good stuff for everyone from being a beginner to an advanced player and he certainly got me off on the right note. Having said that poker books are overrated and getting your own playing experience can’t be rated highly enough.

Do you want to say 'Hi' to anyone?