Team PokerStrategy.com Interviewed - Today With Allanon85

The interview was conducted by metaphysiker

The second Team PokerStrategy.com member we present to you is Daniel ' Allanon85' Drescher from Saal in Germany.

Allanon85 came to be known mainly for his win in the Sunday Million in October 2008, when he cashed with a prize money of over $180,000. Since then, he could be found at several EPT tournaments, where he has cashed three times until now. His best result thus far was an eleventh place at the EPT Prague, worth about €30,000.

With his experiences on the international stage of poker, Allanon85 is a real reinforcement for Team PokerStrategy.com, and after missing out closely on two final tables, time seems right for the big cash.

We talked to Allanon85 about his victory in the Million, his membership in Team PokerStrategy.com, the special appeal of tournament poker, his hopes for this WSOP and more.

Team PokerStrategy Interviewed - Today With Allanon85

PokerStrategy: Hi Allanon85! It's nice that you've found some time to answer our questions.

Allanon85: Hello, no problem, I like to.

PokerStrategy: With your victory in the Sunday Million at the latest, you have made yourself a name beyond the borders of our community. What has since changed in your life?

Allanon85: My win in the Sunday Million has indeed changed numerous things, it was an enormous boost for my bankroll and for my confidence, too. Since that day, I play a lot more big live tournaments like the EPTs or the CAPT in Austria - and now, the upcoming WSOP, too.

Well, and then I also bought a new car recently, a red VW Scirocco. As far as my flat is concerned, there is not much that has changed since my last interview. I'm still living at home with mommy and daddy.

PokerStrategy: A dream-car for you, or coincidence?

Allanon85: Well it's not really a dream-car, which would be an Audi R8, but that's still beyond my bankroll at this point. The new Scirocco simply appealed to me very much.

PokerStrategy: Meanwhile, you can make your living by playing poker, but can you tell us how it all came about?

Allanon85: It all started with poker on television. I watched some series and thought it was quite interesting. When I ran into some commercial of PokerStrategy.com and heard that they were offering a free starting capital, I signed up. With that money, I started playing Fixed Limit on the micro limits and switched to No Limit after a short time. I played NL cash games for about two years and then switched to tournament poker in the middle of last year. That's what things still look like today.

PokerStrategy: In cash games, you were able to climb from NL50 to NL1000 in just a few months, and then changed to tournament poker. What inspired you to switch?

Allanon85: Well the every-day cash game routine became somewhat worn out and I wanted to try something new. I already played some Majors on Sundays for some change of pace and it was a lot more fun. That's why I decided to completely switch to tournament poker.

PokerStrategy: What's the special appeal of tournament poker for you?

Allanon85: The special appeal probably is that you never know what you're in for at the end of the day. You can, especially on Sundays when you're playing many tournaments, land a lot of good results or be eliminated everywhere relatively early because nothing is going right. This might often be frustrating, but the feeling when you happen to win a tournament is that much more awesome. And you also win when you don't expect it.

PokerStrategy: Was this the case for your Sunday Million victory, and when did you know that you would take it home?

Allanon85: That's exactly how it was. It was one of these days where nothing was working out the way it should and I had to take my leave from most tournaments quite prematurely. Later that night, the Sunday Million was the only tournament where I still had chips and it was still in the relatively early stages. And yes, as these things turn out, the Million was going all the more smoothly - I could fight my way to the final table and could even win in the end. I didn't believe in the victory for a long time, as I was the shortstack at the beginning of the final table. But after some won flips and a huge pot with AJ vs AQ, I was suddenly chip leader. From that moment on, I knew that I could win.

PokerStrategy: You could say always expect the unexpected?

Allanon85: Yes, this was unexpected for sure, but I think that's always the case when it comes to tournament poker. Who could expect to win a tournament with 7,000 participants.

PokerStrategy: Talking about tournament with 7,000 players, I don't only think about the Million but the Main Event of the WSOP also comes to mind. What did you remember from the Main Event last year?

Allanon85: I don't really like that particular question. I will just say: KK vs AA.

PokerStrategy: But as an experience the WSOP was certainly worth the trip, in spite of your unfortunate elimination?

Allanon85: The WSOP was definitely worth the journey. Any poker enthusiast is exactly right at the WSOP. It's simply the biggest poker event of the year, and everyone who plays poker should see it at least once.

PokerStrategy: This year it will be something different again, as you are representing PokerStrategy.com at the WSOP 2009 in the first pro team of our community. How does this feel?

Allanon85: It's an honor to be part of Team PokerStrategy.com, and I hope that I can show my skill and bring home good results, starting at the WSOP.

PokerStrategy: And which expectations join you an your way to Vegas?

Allanon85: It all depends a lot on luck. I don't want to hold expectations that are over-the-top as you will only be disappointed later on, but it would be cool to reach my first final table in a live event. So far, I was eliminated really close to it twice already.

PokerStrategy: How did your surroundings react to the news that you're a real poker pro now?

Allanon85: My parents were quite skeptical, as usual, but I was able to convince them and they support me all the way. Most of my friends thought it was about time I found a sponsor anyway.

PokerStrategy: Well, I guess we showed up at the right moment, then.

Allanon85: I wouldn't have minded if you had shown up even earlier, but I'm also satisfied now, so yes.

PokerStrategy: In which tournaments can we expect to see you in Vegas?

Allanon85: At the moment, I'm registered for ten tournaments. My starting event will be Event #9, a $1,500 6-max Event on June 3rd. After that, I will also play the $5,000 NLH Event, the $2,500 NLH 6-max, four additional $1,500 NLH Events, the $10,000 Pot Limit Hold'em Championship, and the $10,000 Main Event, naturally. In case I'm able to squeeze in anything in-between, I will try to add more.

PokerStrategy: That's quite a big line-up of tournaments. Which event do you look forward to the most?

Allanon85: Of course I'm looking forward to the Main Event the most, it's simply the biggest poker tournament of the year. I will also particularly enjoy the 6-max tournaments, because they are not offered very often and I used to play a lot of 6-max cash games in my old days.

PokerStrategy: Do you do any special preparations for the various tournaments? The tournaments have quite some structural differences, after all.

Allanon85: Rather less, I will of course keep myself informed about the blind structures of the corresponding tournaments, but in general, my play mainly depends on the other players of the table.

PokerStrategy: Which player would you like to meet on the final table of the Main Event?

Allanon85: Myself. :D

PokerStrategy: And who else?

Allanon85: If I have to name someone I would want to meet on the final table, I would probably like to put Phil Hellmuth into his place. :P

PokerStrategy: Hey, you're in good company then. Your teammate Nazgul is already burning for Hellmuth.

Allanon85: Oh really, this wasn't arranged or something, though. :)

PokerStrategy: Let's change the topic. What does a normal day in your life as poker player look like?

Allanon85: It depends a lot on the day. As tournament player, you have to adjust to the poker rooms' schedules. I often start playing tournaments at 19:00, until I don't feel like it anymore. On Sundays, I mostly start with the Sunday Warm-up and play everything until the early morning hours. From time to time, it can happen that I go to bed at noon and get up at 18:00 the next day. That sleeping rhythm is not recommendable, though.

PokerStrategy: What do you do to compensate for these marathon sessions?

Allanon85: I play the next one on the following day.

PokerStrategy: OK, that's of course a possibility to deal with it, too. Would you share your three golden rules for tournament poker with us?

Allanon85: Patience, discipline and winning flips. ;)

PokerStrategy: I'm sure you've already experienced various bizarre, funny and interesting things in your time as a poker player. Is there a hand or a moment which is especially vivid in your memory?

Allanon85: Off the top of my head, I remember my pre-flop all-in on the final table of the Sunday Million, where I won a huge pot with AJ vs AQ and thus turned into the chip leader. That was probably the most important hand I've won in my poker career so far.

PokerStrategy: And probably the most lucrative suck-out you've handed out so far. How decisive do you think the notorious luck factor you need in order to win a tournament is?

Allanon85: In order to win a tournament, you certainly need a lot of luck. You don't necessarily have to hand out suck-outs, but you have to win the important flips or to have the setups in your favor. Once you play enough tournament and you have the required skill assets, this will be the case for everyone, though.

PokerStrategy: Do you remember any other key moments on your way to becoming a pro?

Allanon85: There also was my first big live event, the WSOP 2008, the win of the Sunday Million, my 11th place at the EPT Prague and - last but not least - my registration at PokerStrategy.com.

PokerStrategy: Which part of the PokerStrategy.com offer has helped you to improve your game the most?

Allanon85: The strategy articles can really be recommended to everyone.

PokerStrategy: You will also strengthen our video section in the future. Can you give us a sneak peek at what kind of content you're planning to publish?

Allanon85: As I am a MTT player, I will mostly offer MTT videos of all kinds. The exact videos I will produce will of course depend on the community's wishes.

PokerStrategy: Tell us some more about your private life. Which hobbies do you have next to poker?

Allanon85: Snowboarding, tennis, soccer, listening to music, watching movies and partying.

PokerStrategy: That's a lot of sports - a compensation for your marathon sessions, after all?

Allanon85: It sounds like more than it is, I only play soccer once in a while with some mates, not in a club or something. But yes, if it's needed, I get my compensation from a nice round of sports. It can also just be chilling out at a barbecue or stocking up on some sunshine at a sea.

PokerStrategy: Let's proceed to your nickname: Allanon also is the name of an online role-playing game, is that where your name comes from?

Allanon85: No, not really. I sometimes hear that Allanon is supposed to be some online game, but I've got the name from a book. It's called "The Sword Of Schannara", and Allanon is a druid.

PokerStrategy: Was there any special reason why you've picked the druid's name?

Allanon85: I liked the name, but that was the only reason there was to it.

PokerStrategy: A lot of our members come from the eSports scene. What's it like for you?

Allanon85: I used to play a lot of Broodwar and Warcraft 3. I never really made it to a real pro however, even though I played for Team Germany and the Clan pro-Gaming [pG] for quite a while. I also attended a lot of big LANs and events, so you might say I was a little pro.

PokerStrategy: We've reached the end of our little chat. Is there anything specific you want to add or do you want to greet someone?

Allanon85: I greet everyone who knows me and who spectates me from time to time. Good luck, we'll meet on the tables.

PokerStrategy: Thank you for the talk and we wish you all the best for Vegas!

Allanon85: No problem and thank you, too.