Williams during his EPT victory in 2006.When we interviewed Jeff Williams back in 2007, he was fresh off an EPT Monte Carlo win for over $1million – but he has made even more from the game since then and has become a phenomenal force in all areas of Hold ‘Em.
The man known as ‘yellowsub86’ online has come a long way from playing $5 sit and gos in his basement just 3 years ago. He has enjoyed a hugely successful 2008 in which he had further live success as well as continuing to be one of the most respected online tournament & cash players in the game.
A lot of people were tipping Williams to have a break-through World Series and they were proved correct: after final tabling the WPT Bellagio Event (4th for $34,205) he entered the WSOP in high spirits. And in the $1,000 NLH Re-Buys, he fought through 765 players (and 2,258 re-loads) to finish 2nd for a cool $406,330.
This was one of the events ESPN chose to televise and the increased publicity has further enhanced Williams’ reputation to the public: check out the final stages below as he falls agonisingly short of a first bracelet:
Williams continues to make serious money in online MTTs and has had a vintage year in this domain, particularly during one week in August. On the 11th he took down the Absolute Poker $150k Weekly for $37,500 & final tabled the PokerStars $200 Re-Buys (4th for $20,059) within just a few hours. The Sunday after that he came 6th in the Sunday Second Chance for $12,750 while going on to take the $100 Re-Buys for $63,263 at the same time! His prizes on PokerStars & Full Tilt alone total over $1million and this doesn’t even take into account his cash game prowess, where he continues to be one of the top Stars ‘pwners’ on the high stakes tables. Rarely does a player have the skill to be a successful online tournament & cash player (Brian ‘tsarrast’ Rast springs to mind) but Williams is without a doubt in that bracket. Combining this with his live tournament successes, which now total over $1.5million, and the geeky looking Georgia native has fantastic sponsorship credentials and we wish him the best of luck for the future: not that he will need it.
Jeff Williams, a student at the University of Georgia, won the European Poker Tour Grand Final in Monte Carlo last year, taking home over $1 million.
He earned his seat in a $41 online qualifer at PokerStars and won the event after beating off 298 other players including three former world champions – Joe Hachem (2005), Greg Raymer (2004) and Carlos Mortensen (2001).
This is what he told Poker Verdict…
Name/Age/Location/Poker ID and why you chose it?
Jeff Williams, 20, Athens, Georgia, USA. My screen name is “yellowsub86”, which is my email address. It came from the Beatles song that was on the radio when I had to create one.
When or what started you off in playing poker? How were your early experiences in learning how to play?
My friends and I started off playing $5 buy-ins in my basement and it progressed from there until we were up to a $20 buy-in cash game. I made so much in that game I quit my job. They were good times. My style is a product of these wild games, where bluffing was encouraged and no-one ever folded a pair.
How did you start off your online bankroll?
I played play money on PokerStars for a while, and eventually had enough play chips to sell for real money. I would love to say that’s the last time I ever deposited online, but it wasn’t. I lost that $20, then lost another $50, then another and another. I finally made a huge $75 deposit, and never looked back after that.
How much money have you made from online poker in the last two years?
A good bit.
[Jeff’s stats reveal that apart from spinning a $41 investment on PokerStars into the $1 million win at the Monte Carlo EPT he has also racked up online tournament winnings of over $100k. His cash game earnings are said to dwarf his tournament winnings however.]
Which sites do you play on apart from PokerStars?
The majority of the time I play on Stars but I also play on UltimateBet, Full Tilt, Bodog and Prima.
Do you play Sit ‘n’ Gos (SNGs) and, if so, which ones are your favourites?
I enjoy medium stakes SNGs with $100-$300 buy-ins. Any higher and everyone is competent, any lower and you can’t make any real money.
What are your golden rules for MTT play?
Play tight early and in position, put people to decisions when they are weak, always go for the win and never play merely to cash.
Do you play offline, and if so, where/when did you play?
I have played a couple of live MTTs including Monte Carlo, as well as some live cash games, but I am more comfortable online.
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?
When I started playing Omaha I had a lot of money online and jumped into some of the highest stakes games on the internet. Things went badly, and I lost somewhere in the region of six figures, playing way over my head.
Who is your favorite professional poker player and why?
I really like Ivey, as well as Forrest. Both are very solid and have won millions from poker.
What proportion of poker is luck and what proportion skill?
In the short-term it’s 30% skill and 70% luck but in the long-term 10% luck and 90% skill.
What do you consider is your biggest accomplishment in poker?
Winning the Monte Carlo EPT.
Do you have one memorable hand you would like to share?
At our home game in Athens I was stuck and just wanted to leave. It was a $1/$2 no limit game and I was under the gun five-handed with $175. I just open-shoved blind and got ready to leave. The button called my $175, which was ok with me, as I just wanted to go home. The small blind then minimum re-raised to $350! Everyone was ooohing and ahhhhing until the big blind went all in! They all had like $900 stacks. The button thought and thought, and finally folded Q-Q. The SB snapcalled with A-A as did the BB who also had A-A! I tabled my 8-4o, and the board ran out Q-7-4-4-J. Ship it.
Which online poker players do you consider to be the best? And why?
I have great respect for “Genuis28”, as well as “hazards21” and “Empire2000”, all cash game ‘pwners’ on Stars.
What are some tips and tricks you can give out to the readers that might improve their games/build a bankroll?
If you always play within your bankroll, you can’t lose if you have some skill. Low limit SNGs are the best for starting out a bankroll, and once you have made a few dollars online (a couple of thousand), move to no limit cash games. I can’t imagine how much more I would have if I had just followed this advice.
What do you suggest is the best ways to improve?
Join a training site and watch the videos/read the articles. Also becoming active on a forum like 2 2 or PocketFives.com is smart for discussion.
Do you want to say ‘Hi’ to anyone?
Hey mom and dad =)
Top Female Players
Loading ...
