WSOP 2009: Team PokerStrategy.com Interviewed - Today with Nazgul

The interview was conducted by metaphysiker

The first Team PokerStrategy.com member we present to you is Tim 'Nazgul' Kahlmeyer from the beautiful Schleswig Holstein in Germany.

He has just recently finished on a fourth place in the Sunday Million and is widely known amongst the community for his multitude of successes. As a coach and video producer, the 28-year-old has long been a indispensable part of our strategy section - how could we not nominate him for the team?

Together, we talked about his membership in the first Team PokerStrategy.com, how he has become part of our community, his goals for the WSOP, his fourth place in the Sunday Million, Vanessa Rousso and much more.

Team PokerStrategy Interviewed -  Today With Nazgul

PokerStrategy: Hi Nazgul! It's great that we managed to get you on the virtual mike and congratulations for your membership in Team PokerStrategy.com.

Nazgul: Hi, and many thanks, too. :)

PokerStrategy: As a coach and video producer, you are known as an expert of your field on PokerStrategy.com.  How did you get involved with poker?

Nazgul: Puh, that's quite funny. My best friend Eric aka daimii had heard from some people that our mate Steven-dev was "making millions" - on PokerStrategy.com that was. After getting absorbed with the matter for some more time, he finally came up with the great idea to not just sign himself up on PokerStrategy.com, but to sign me up, too. I only began with the quiz half a year later, though.

The rest basically unfolded on its own. I discussed on the forum a lot, studied the strategy articles, watched videos and attended coachings.

I particularly devoured the Morgoth videos and I guess they gave my play the final touch.

Nowadays, as far as the MTT section is concerned, I'm discussing hands in two small private German Skype chats and in the Omaha area, I debate with two Americans and an Australian, which helps to continuously improve my game.

PokerStrategy: A born-and-bred PokerStrategist so to speak. How did your rise  through the limits go?

Nazgul: Simply very, very good. I started with NL SSS initially and turned the $50 into $80 over the course of the two or three first days. I then sat down at an NL100 table and lost everything.

After that blunder, Steven had to ship me another $50, and they say you learn from your mistakes. It then continued better. I followed the BRM and played FL. In the first twelve months I moved right up to $10/$20. I also started playing MTTs in parallel, which didn't really work out at the beginning. After some of Morgoth's vids this changed rapidly, though, and after being able to win a $22 Rebuy back-to-back, I finally dared to approach the Majors.

In May 2008 I then had a great month which started with the seventh place in the 750K on FTP. Just a week later, I came in third in the 300K on iPoker and another week later I finished fifth in the Sunday Million. To top it all off I won the Highroller Event in the following week.

PokerStrategy: How did you become coach?

Nazgul: In June 2008, I was already playing Omaha avidly, but unfortunately, there was no content on PokerStrategy.com. After my request, they told me that they simply didn't have anyone to do it, but that the interest was there. The rest then fell into place very fast.

PokerStrategy: You will now represent PokerStrategy.com at the WSOP. Quite a steep career, in two years you went from 50 bucks to poker pro. Did you already realize this?

Nazgul: Realizing it already works quite well, I think. It's just a nice feeling - the fact that PokerStrategy.com picked me amongst all the others - and it  naturally makes me very proud, too. It's simply an awesome feeling and the anticipation is already huge!

PokerStrategy: Have you played in a WSOP before?

Nazgul: No. Unfortunately, the final exams of my studies stopped me from attending the last WSOP.

PokerStrategy: What about other live experiences?

Nazgul: I have already played in a few small and medium tournaments before, of course. The biggest one was a $5,500 event, the Aruba Classic, where i finished 14th out of 788 starters. The end was not a happy one, though, when I  was in a blind battle and busted with AQs vs AJo pre-flop all-in in a pot for the chip lead.

PokerStrategy: Let's hope that your hands hold during the WSOP. What are your goals for Vegas?

Nazgul: Uiii, well the goals are of course very high, I would like to take a bracelet the most, since I'm still missing a Major win in a big MTT, that would be particularly nice!

PokerStrategy: Well, of course that's what we wish for you, too. In which tournaments can we expect to see you?

Nazgul: Out off the top of my head, I can say that I play in various No Limit Hold'em $1,500 Events. I will certainly also play the Pot Limit Hold'em $10,000 Championship Event, the NL $5,000 6-max Event, the Pot Limit Omaha $10,000, $5,000 and $2,500 Events, and - of course - the $10,000 Main Event.

PokerStrategy: Sounds like an interesting trip. Which Event are you looking forward to the most?

Nazgul: I have to go with the Main Event - after all, the structure is just ultra-deep, which should be very favorable. But the $5,000 6-max is also great, because I simply love 6-max. And I love the Pot Limit Omaha anyway, so all in all it's almost too much joy for too many Events ;).

PokerStrategy: Do you do any special preparations for the various tournaments? A WSOP Championship Event with over 6,000 participants naturally plays differently from a $5,000 NLH Event or a $1,500 Event.

Nazgul: I think any particular preparation for the Events isn't easy at all. Of course the game is more aggressive in a 6-max Event than in a full-ring Event, and Omaha in a MTT is something different altogether, but all things considered I will just try to put my usual play into practice.

PokerStrategy: You are also very successful when it comes to putting your play into practice online. The fourth place in the Million was your seventh final table in a Major in the past 12 months, and your second in the Million. How do you explain your high constancy in big tournaments?

Nazgul: Uhh, that's a good question. I know that some people from our community just call it "lucking the opponents into oblivion", while it can't be as simple as that.

I think there is a lot to take into account: I might be able to adjust my game to the various phases well, and due to the bad player pool I even get value out of my monsters when I'm nitting around, I probably also have the patience to keep quiet for a while, I don't force myself into any moves, and of course I also have the luck which incontestably plays a role in such big tournaments. I also think that there is a big strength in my game in the very late phase.

PokerStrategy: On the forum, you've expressed yourself rather deceived over your elimination from the Sunday Million, and you are known for being a "winner-type" - someone who wants to win by all means. Did the frustration from the missed victory evaporate yet?

Nazgul: Yes and no. Of course it's great to be able to take $80,000 home. You don't even win this sum for the first place in some of the other Majors. Still, I would like to finally win one of these tournaments, the final table in the night to the 18th May also only really had two good players with Hazamichi and Weeeminer, and in the end it was a really deciding flip that I lost and which was thus missing in order to finally realize my dream!

PokerStrategy: Can you quickly give us a brief summary of the final table?

Nazgul: Oh well, the final table already didn't start well - with an ugly debut, so to say. The later winner Hazamichi was the shortstack with 2.5 million chips. I had around 11 million and started out as second chip leader. In the very first hand I already opened from the hi-jack with 55, Hazamichi shoved and I called against his AK. He hit and my stack was down to 8.5 million.

After this, I won with 99 vs A6 and TT vs 77, which put me back up to 20 million chips. I could then take another 3 million with KK vs 97 and with this hand, I took back the position of the second chip leader. At that point, a deal which would have secured around $140k for me was already in the making, plus an additional $30k in case I would win. But weeminer was too greedy and wanted more than the $160 he was entitled to according to ICM.

The play thus resumed and weeminer open-raised from the BU, the fish shoved and I was in the BB with JJ and had both of them covered. I thus called because I thought I was looking good against his range. He had AQ, the board came 434T rainbow and he hit his queen on the river for a 40 million pot. After this, Hazamichi had 24 million, weeminer had 12 million and I had 6 million chips. Oh well, after this I pushed first-in  quite loosely and ended up running into AA with my KT. I couldn't suck out even though I flopped an OESD and turned a flush draw.

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

Nazgul: It has become more regulated now, fortunately, but there was a time where I was doing nothing but vegetating for a month or two. Meanwhile, I go jogging right after getting up for a while, then shopping, I cook something fresh, and then I poker fully motivated for one to three hours. After that, I do some more sports from time to time, simply undertake something with friends or, if there is nothing else to do, I play another round of poker. :)

PokerStrategy: It will of course be hard to keep this up in Las Vegas. But which player would you like to meet the most on the final table of the Main Event?

Nazgul: On the final table of the Main Event, I would like to meet Phil Hellmuth the most.

PokerStrategy: Why Phil Hellmuth in particular?

Nazgul: It would simply be a dream to suck out on him - and afterward, I would ask him for an autograph...

PokerStrategy: Who else is your "favorite pro"?

Nazgul: Well, I would certainly enjoy Vanessa Rousso, or is this a serious question? :D
No, but seriously, talking about their approach to the game, I particularly like durrrr, Steven-dev and Ragen.

PokerStrategy: Steven and Ragen will certainly be happy to hear that. In order to squeeze some content into the interview: which are your three golden rules for tournament beginners?

Nazgul: 1.) Watch videos by Morgoth 2.) Tight is right. 3.) Open-raise less in the late stages, but re-steal more instead.

PokerStrategy: Being an Omaha expert, I will have to ask you for your three tips for any Omaha beginner, too.

Nazgul: Well, first of all, you should start on the small stakes to get a feeling for the game. From then on: double-suited hands don't have a 3-bet obligation and position is the most important aspect of the entire game - button = nuts!

PokerStrategy: You've already talked about some of your hobbies, what else do your do in your free time next to poker?

Nazgul: On one side, I also write my Bachelor thesis at the moment, and other than that, as mentioned, I do a lot of sports. Jogging, Soccer, Tennis are all fun. I also like to read a lot and spending my evenings with friends. Oh, and in the future I will enjoy traveling. :)

PokerStrategy: A question about your nick. The Nazgul are the ring spirits from the Lord Of The Rings fantasy novel. Is that where your inspiration came from?

Nazgul: I like the illustration of the Nazgul in the books, and also in the movie. I chose the nick for different reason, though. I was a big fan of LiquidNazgul[pG], a Dutch SCBW gamer, he always had innovative and unconventional strategies in his game - and was very successful with it!

PokerStrategy: Have you been active in the eSports field yourself?

Nazgul: Yes, I played Warcraft 3 at 57th, PcN and later at DkH and ToT. That's how I know Steven-Dev or mTw-Davin, for instance.

PokerStrategy: So you were a real eGamer?

Nazgul: Let's say semi. ;)

PokerStrategy: How do you explain the fact that so many eGamers play poker successfully? Is it mainly the ability to learn and apply strategies, or is it rather the typical gamer-workaholic who can absorb himself completely with the game?

Nazgul: I would like to claim that the former is true, but I think that it's probably the latter. The ability to nerd around the whole day is simply in the eGamer's nature and one of the most important advantages to learn quickly and effectively.

PokerStrategy: Anything else you want to add?

Nazgul: Can I send out some greetings?

PokerStrategy: Sure.

Nazgul: Cool, well then I greet my home round: daiMii, Axxxl, Knuffelbenno, Hinne, Lenny, Nico, Benny, Garfie, Steven-dev and anyone else I have forgotten. I also greet all of my Skype contacts, especially the group chats where I always bum around with the likes of Abnoe, panny, Thorsten77, mTw-davin, starFabi, Tini, Dani, benny, Jan, Nasr etc., and other people I have forgotten at this point.

PokerStrategy: We thank you for your time and wish you all the best for Vegas!

Nazgul: Yes, I thank you for the chat and the felecitations, too.