Cardplayer recently posted a very interesting and informative interview with Phil Galfond, who posts as JMan on the 2+2 Forums and plays as OMGClayAiken in the biggest NLHE games. There were a few points I found particularly noteworthy:
1. Phil was a student of the great Tommy Angelo, and it shows. When the interviewer, Shawn Green, asks about aspects of his game that need improvement, Phil doesn’t talk about bluffing too much or playing too many Kxs hands from out-of-position. Instead, he says that he only plays his A Game about 60% of the time, and that he would make a lot more money if he could achieve better focus.
2. Phil repeatedly took shots at big games for which he was not properly rolled, lost big, and had to move down and rebuild. Yet he managed and is now one of the best players in the world at any limit. I was fortunate enough to run hot after moving into some big games with an adequate bankroll and am still down in the dumps about the subsequent downswing. It’s very helpful to see players who have more than recovered from much worse.
3. Phil discusses a great eye-opening moment where he was discussing a hand with H@llingol and Durr. H@l had top pair with a weak kicker and was facing a big bet on the river. Phil thought it was a very close decision between calling and folding. “I would shove,” Durr suggested. A great player is always considering every option, not just the obvious ones.