25 Jun 10

Diamond Interview Series: Dawnfall26

Starting with this week we will bring you more interviews with our community's Diamond members, and the first one on the list is Dawnfall26, who is also a Fixed Limit hand judge. Read more about him in our newest addition to the Diamond Interview Series!

The Diamond Interview Series is back and the one to mark its return is Diamond member, Fixed Limit hand judge and all-around great guy Dawnfall26. I asked him to be the first for this new series mainly because his nickname is pretty awesome.

I started off on the wrong foot by mistaking his country from Slovenia to Slovakia (I'm sorry). As the interview progressed, I realized by his answers that he may, in fact, not be human, but a Fixed Limit machine (no, not the other FL robot) designed by the Slovenian Government to take full advantage of the PokerStrategy.com $50 starting capital.

I also caught him in one of his worse periods - apparently his system was virused he was sick and was taking medication, so he was constantly dumping infected files taking trips to the bathroom. He also mentioned he's into metal, which he probably meant literally.

You can give us feedback on the Diamond Interview Series in the comments, but you can also discuss about it in our forum:

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This interview was conducted by vhallee.

Dawnfall26 comes in peace

PokerStrategy.com: Hello, Dawnfall26, and welcome to the Diamond Interview Series v2.0! I hope you're happy you got selected as the first Diamond to kick off this project. Tell our readers more about yourself: name, age, location, when you're not at home, the usual.

Dawnfall26: Hello everybody! I'm a 23 year old self-proclaimed poker pro from Slovenia(not Slovakia! ). Besides poker, which takes about 4-5 hours daily, I'm very much into my guitar and I'm also active as a chess player, where I'm titled FM. Sure we must not exclude partying but I guess we don't have to mention that.

PokerStrategy.com: I'm not sure what FM stands for (furry monster? fast marmot? funk master?) but I'm really happy for your accomplishment. I think you joined us almost two years ago, right? Why don't you tell us more about your poker career since then?

[Dawnfall26 takes a bathroom break. I know he's lying.]

Dawnfall26: Furry monster, awesome, I like this one. Unfortunately, it's just Fide master (2 titles below grandmaster). But yea, about my poker career... I joined this site a little less than 2 years ago, when my friend gave a link to this site.

Since I already met quite a few people playing Fixed Limit, this is the one out of 3 choices that I went for. Sure, my beginnings were not that good; I managed to waste my starting capital and actually stopped playing for a few months. Then in January last year I decided to deposit something small (don't even remember the amount) and a miracle happened... I have hit a pretty nasty upswing which made me very interested in FL again.

I began studying any possible material I could get, watching any possible video and I also became active in the forums. I very quickly moved up to $2/$4, the limit I just couldn't beat anymore on iPoker. So I transferred my capital to PokerStars and that was the best decision I have ever made (poker-wise that is). I'm currently playing FL $5/$10 and $10/$20 and don't care too much about the number of the opponents as long as it's not HU.

Being active in the forums improves my game

You could say that I'm a robot. A robot programmed to win. YEEAAAAHHHH!

PokerStrategy.com: That's nice, and I guess our Fixed Limit players are also happy for your decision, since you're a hand judge as well. What kind of common leaks do you see in new players and what do you advise them when they choose this poker variant?

Dawnfall26: Well, being active in the forums also improves my own game, since I'm in constant use of the Equilator, even though hands are usually from much lower stakes.

I also make my own questions and just explore things (smiles). Common leaks with newcomers are probably the main reason why I play FL, so I'm not gonna reveal them now (laughs).

FL is a very structured game where decisions within one hand have to be logical, coherent and must form a meaning. Sure, that is also true for NL, but in FL most hands are played until the river so not doing this correctly will stand as a big obstacle in beating the game.

PokerStrategy.com: "Structured game", "logical", "coherent"... hmm, sounds like an answer that a cyborg would give. I should ask you to read a captcha to make I'm talking to a fellow human. Can you give us some insight into your daily poker routine? How many sessions? For how long? With or without music? Do you keep lucky charms (like dead rabbit's foot) next to you? What's 272 x 143?

[He uses the bathroom excuse again. I'm starting to think he's avoiding me.]

Dawnfall26: Interestingly enough, I don't really have a schedule - I play this game I actually with a very "chilled out" kinda attitude. Same thing applies when it comes to poker routines. I eat when I am hungry and I play poker when I feel like playing. Generally I don't listen to music while playing since I think my level of concentration goes down and about dead rabbit's foot... well I'm not a superstitious guy but I always wear a white shirt while playing (smiles)... and for 272 x 143, it says "Error."

PokerStrategy.com: Yeah, I figured it would give you an error message. Alright, D-1000 ("Come with me if you want to live from poker!"), since it's summer time: do you have any plans involving live poker? The time seems right but you'll need a human disguise.

Dawnfall26: Well, except for having occasional live games with my friends, I'm very unfamiliar with it. That is mostly because Slovenia is a small country where FL is not very popular in casinos. I'm probably going to play chess in Czech Republic in Pardubice OPEN in July and I might maybe meet some PokerStrategy.com members there. But they'll need to look for the Pluto disguise!

Cornholio and TerrorBlade contributed to my FL knowledge

That's the asshole that broke  into my house asking for a Diamond interview and some money

PokerStrategy.com: Ok it's obvious you're not familiar with the human culture, since Pluto is a Disney's cartoon dog (unless you meant that dwarf pseudo-planet, but even so…), but going to a chess championship dressed as a dog sounds hilarious nevertheless, so good luck with that.

Which poker pros do you like (if you are programmed to have this type of emotion) the most and which ones do you hate? Do you have any role model in our community (people like Cornholio but definitely not TerrorBlade) or outside of it?

Dawnfall26: Well, being a dog all you have to do is "woof woof" (it's easy to manipulate people). I like them both since they both contributed to my poker knowledge by watching their videos.

Also, TerrorBlade is a guy I have to (but not really want to) have sitting at my table, so I guess I don't like him, (laughs). In general I don't have any poker heroes (probably since there are basically no big names for FL), but I don't ever mind to listen to new ideas from whomever they might come from. But if you are asking who is my favourite from the BIG ONES, I probably go with Ivey, but I'm really a noob with other poker variants so that might not mean a lot.

[Another bathroom break. I hear electric sounds in the background, confirming my suspicion that he's at least part machine. Also, I had a microphone planted at his place.]

PokerStrategy.com: Ivey? You mean that guy next to Cornholio? Yeah I heard of him. Try to use your imagination now (if you have this feature installed) and tell us: what would you do if you won $1 million tomorrow? Obvious stuff like cars and houses? Go to the closest strip bar and experience what male humans call "awesome"? Donate it to people you never met before? Direct bank transfer to me?

Dawnfall26: About that strip bar, my girlfriend would probably kill me but it sounds intriguing nevertheless. Hmmm... $1mio dollars, actually I would probably go for the very safe way, start investing (even I know very little about that now) and try to make a stable income, and then... I would probably travel a lot, trying to see the world; I guess that would be cool for me. But first, let's just wait for that sack of money to drop from the sky.

Goddamn I like rollercoasters

Dawnfall26 enjoying a game of paintball with fellow Fixed Limit players

PokerStrategy.com: The safe approach, eh? You could say it was a logical approach? (bad robot pun indented) Anyway, let's go a bit off-topic: you mentioned you're into (inside?) guitar - tell us more. Also, what other things do you enjoy doing when not playing poker?

[Yet another bathroom break. I swear, I think he's doing that on purpose.]

Dawnfall26: Non-poker related time usually consists of spending time with my girlfriend or drinking beer with my friends. Yes I also play my Schecter C-7 FR Hellraiser guitar which is just awesome but it's all just for the soul of my BoRg machine.

I also don't mind playing some decent computer games and since everybody is talking so much about StarCraft 2 on the forums I might try even that one... and goddamn I like rollercoasters.

PokerStrategy.com: I already have a StarCraft 2 challenge against TerrorBlade and if you want, you can be the next victim challenger. Hellraiser guitar sounds awesome and I would like to invite you for my next Guitar Hero session. As for rollercoasters, there's nothing I can possibly add to that statement. By the way, I like your nickname - what does it stand for?

Dawnfall26: I know Dawnfall26 sounds cool, it's my own invention, yay. There is however no real deep meaning to it except that it maybe sounds a bit darker. I accept your guitar hero session even though I only practiced it on the computer version (laughs). StarCraft 2 however, will probably demand a bit more practice (at least against you two).

PokerStrategy.com: Just so you know - according to a particular search engine, Dawnfall26 is a Turkish metal band, which is probably as hilarious as French rap. Where do you see yourself in 5 years? What are your long term goals with poker?

[You've gotta be kidding me...]

Dawnfall26: I don't like making plans since they too often let you down. But I can say what I will aim for and what would be nice if succeeded. I definitely intend to reach at least $30/$60 FL and beat the game there. Where I will go from there is still a mystery to me, maybe FL high stakes or I will try to learn some other poker variant (most probably NL since Omaha is just WTF?!?)

PokerStrategy.com: Sounds good and I salute your goal of becoming a poker pro and metalhead at the same time. That being said, is there anything else you would like to add before we end this interview? Shout-outs to other members, other advices for FL beginners, threats to sue me if I publish this, you know... stuff.

Dawnfall26: Oh yea, I'll sue you... extra moniez (smiles). Well I guess I have to finish this in that "not-1000-times-worn-out" style: Trust in yourself, listen to your heart and don't let them get to you, just don't (smiles). But ok, seriously... Since the popularity of Limit Hold'em is declining, I hope this interview will inspire others to keep trying it, as it's a very fine game but definitely not an easy one to master.

PokerStrategy.com: Wise words, D-1000. Thank you very much for your time and now I'll let you recharge your batteries. Good luck with your FL $30/$60 goal and stay awesome!

Dawnfall26: Thanks, same to you all!

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