Biggie1982 is Heading to the PokerStrategy.com TV World Championship in London

German PokerStrategist Biggie1982 will be joining the PokerStrategy.com TV World Championship in December. He reached 16th place in a Poker Heaven Rake Race before prevailing in an MTT and snapping up a VIP package.

You probably recognise the name Erik biggie1982 Loschan from our news articles. For the past three years, the Constance born PokerStrategist has been providing our community with the latest news from the world wide poker community.

Now the political science student has pulled off a massive coup. After ending up in the Top20 in the August Poker Heaven Rake Race, he not only won 100 Euro prize money but also a ticket for a 20 player MTT, which he took down. PokerStrategists swapshop and robson1966 were also successful in their respective tournaments.

He was rewarded with a VIP package to the tune of $2,500 for the PokerStrategy.com TV World Championship, including flights, hotel costs, VIP tickets and spending money. Read the interview to find out what Biggie1982 has in store for the big TV event.

The Biggie1982 interview

Erik Loschan aka Biggie1982

PokerStrategy.com: Congratulations on winning a VIP package for the  PokerStrategy.com TV World Championship. Could you give us a quick outline of your poker career up to now?

biggie1982: My poker career started in 2006, with the free starting capital from PokerStrategy.com. Since then I've been playing NL short-handed, which has also paid for my studies. Tournaments are only on the plan for fun really.

PokerStrategy.com: This combination of cash games and tournaments has given you a VIP package. Let's start with the Poker Heaven Rake Race in August where you took 16th place. How long did you have to spend at the virtual tables to achieve that?

biggie1982: I couldn't tell you exactly anymore. To begin with, I aimed for a place in the top three, but it appears there were a few other people on holiday in August too (laughs). I was also in Dublin at the end of August for a week in the Unibet Open, during which, of course, I wasn't playing online. So you don't need to play a crazy amount.

PokerStrategy.com: How long have you been active at Poker Heaven?

biggie1982: I've been playing at Poker heaven since the start of August because I wanted to switch to a 'safe' provider and because I thought the TV World Championship promotion was pretty cool.

"Most live players would rather just slide under the table"

PokerStrategy.com: At the Poker Heaven Rake Race there was €100 prize money and a ticket for a 20 player MTT, where the winner took a VIP package. What were your expectations going into the tournament and how did it go?

biggie1982: I didn't really have great expectations from the start because MTTs and SNGs aren't exactly my strong point. But it was a freeroll, so what did I have to lose? My plan was also to end the tournament as quickly as possible because I promised to pick my girlfriend up from work. But that didn't really work, as a lot of players were sitting it out.

When there were only four players remaining and it started to get serious, my telephone rang and I had to leave. Afterwards, I could only look at my mobile when I stopped at a red light and was out blinded again and again. After what seemed like an eternity (we had to fill up too) I was back home and bottom of the pile with about 9BB against three players.

As I didn't have anything to lose and the two other players acted much too passively, it wasn't hard to claw my way back to the top. Finally, my aces held up against tens and now it's off to London!

Nervous in front of the cameras? Not Erik!

PokerStrategy.com: Thanks to your victory you'll soon be measuring up against 41 PokerStrategists from across the globe at the PokerStrategy.com TV World Championship. How are your skills in live games?

biggie1982: My live experience is limited to a Horst Koch non-cash tournament and three Unibet Opens each with a €1,500 buy-in, so something to build on. Otherwise the game is the same, live or online, except that live, most people are behind sunglasses and hoodies or would prefer to slide right under the table when things get tight.

PokerStrategy.com: Do you think your lack of live experience could be a disadvantage in the event?

biggie1982: As a poker player, you always need to adapt to new conditions. A certain amount of experience always helps, but I don't think it will be massively disadvantaged by it.

"Leaf through the old Harrington on Hold'em tomes"

PokerStrategy.com: As the name suggests, the event will be broadcast on TV and on Poker Channel Europe. At the start of next year, it will be on 75 cable channels across Europe, including Sky TV. Be honest now: how nervous are you at the moment? 

biggie1982: I'm rarely nervous and I'm not about to start getting nervous because of a couple of TV channels. The anticipation is enormous though! I'm really excited about getting to know the other players and the guys at PokerStrategy.com.

PokerStrategy.com: How do you prepare for a tournament?

biggie1982: Maybe I'll leaf through the old "Harrington on Hold'em" tomes (laughs). Seriously though, I'll certainly be watching a few videos and doing a couple of coaching sessions to polish my tournament game.

PokerStrategy.com: Along with PokerStrategist swordfish007 and a load of famous tournament players, we're also expecting a few MTT experts at the PokerStrategy.com TV World Championship. What do you think your chances are in this tournament?

biggie1982: Every tournament needs an outsider. I'm no MTT expert, but I'm also not a beginner. I'll be looking closely at my opponents and, unlike them, I'm under no pressure and can play freely. This kind of opponent is usually the most dangerous... it might even get me right to the top! Even if it's not enough for a tournament victory, we'll certainly have a good laugh in London.

PokerStrategy.com: Thanks for your time and good luck in the event!

Qualify today at 16:00 GMT in the $100 freeroll!

Good news everybody: there are still plenty of chances to grab one of the $2,500 VIP packages for the event! You can still qualify today for our $100 freerolls at Poker Heaven:

• Every freeroll winner qualifies for the monthly final
• The finals take place September 30th and November 1st
• The winner of the monthly final will receive a package

Upcoming freerolls:
2nd month: September 1st - 29th, 16:00 GMT
3rd month: October 1st - 31st, 16:00 GMT

Of course, you can always still take part in our September and October Rake Races at Poker Heaven, where you can also win VIP packages. You can find an overview of all the opportunities to be at this special event here.

Note: in order to be able to win a package, you need to register in this thread:
PokerStrategy.com TV World Championship registration thread

Which PokerStrategists have already qualified?

Below you can see all the PokerStrategists who have qualified in the Poker Heaven $10,000 depositor freeroll, as well as in the Poker Heaven Rake Race in August:

Nickname	Country	Qualified through Poker Heaven
znah		$10,000 depositor freeroll  | Go to interview
paradox2		$10,000 depositor freeroll  | Go to interview
etseratov		$10,000 depositor freeroll  | Go to interview
mattee		$10,000 depositor freeroll  | Go to interview
bach23		$10,000 depositor freeroll  | Go to interview
bumbi999		1st in August Rake Race
swordfish007		2nd in August Rake Race | Go to interview
mcsias		3rd in August Rake Race
swapshop		Rake Race in August & MTT
biggie1982		Rake Race in August & MTT | Go to interview
robson1966		Rake Race in August & MTT
sawyerns		$100 freeroll & monthly final in August