09 Dec 11

Korn: It's Hard to Grasp How Massive PokerStrategy.com Has Become

Dominik 'Korn' Kofert has been living in Gibraltar and running PokerStrategy.com for almost five years. In the first part of our interview, the former StarCraft player talks about the beginnings of PokerStrategy.com, living on the Iberian Peninsula, his job as CEO and his poker career.

Dominik Korn Kofert

PokerStrategy.com: Korn, when you look back at the beginnings of PokerStrategy.com, how did you come up with the idea of founding a poker school back then?

Dominik Korn Kofert: It was really more of a coincidence. I studied Mathematics and Philosophy in England and quickly came into contact with poker through my e-sports background.

Many former StarCraft players switched to poker at the time. I really enjoyed it and I thought, I can show others how to play this game. That's how PokerStrategy.com came about.

It's still hard to grasp that it's become so massive now.

"I started out in my halls of residence"

PokerStrategy.com: You started out quite small with the poker school. How did it become so big?

Dominik Kofert: There was no breakthrough moment. I started out in my halls of residence, trained players and wrote articles myself. When I realised the thing had potential, I decided not to pursue a 'normal' career, but do everything professionally in Gibraltar.

PokerStrategy.com: Why did you come to the decision to open the PokerStrategy.com headquarters here?

Dominik Kofert: There are two main reasons: one was that the other big poker sites we work with had set up in Gibraltar. This enables us to cooperate on promotions for example, or suggest improvements for the software.

The second reason of course, is that there's much more legal security here than in Germany. The online poker sector is an important economic industry in Gibraltar and legislation isn't a political football. This means it's also possible to make long-term plans and develop a company in the way we have. We currently have 170 employees and it's important to have a certain degree of stability.

"In Gibraltar, British and Spanish cultures collide"

PokerStrategy.com: The British colony of Gibraltar on the Iberian peninsular has been your home for years. What's it like living there?

Dominik Kofert: Well, you imagine it's like England 50 years ago. That's true as well, it's not terribly modern and it's quite a small place with 28,000 inhabitants. You also notice the British and Spanish cultures colliding, the people speak both English and Spanish.

The cuisine is a mixture as well. I like it here a lot because of the variety. If things do get a bit claustrophobic, you can always head to Spain and do something there.

PokerStrategy.com: So it's a mix between fish and chips and paella?

Dominik Kofert: Yes, exactly. Yet at the same time it's a combination of a small town and a global location, because the locals live in Gibraltar but also lots of companies, which have set up here.

PokerStrategy.com: You're CEO of PokerStrategy.com. Can you take us through your daily life?

Dominik Kofert: It's quite mundane. I usually start work at about 10am. I don't live far from our headquarters, only about 1km. I do a number of different things in the office, go to meetings, surf around in the forum etc.

At 8pm I head home, but that doesn't mean the working day is over. I'm active in the forum in the evenings or answering any one of the roughly 200 mails I get a day.

"Ultimately, online poker is also an online strategy game"

Korn

PokerStrategy.com: Let's talk about your poker career. You used to play StarCraft professionally, why do so many e-sports players find their way into the poker world?

Dominik Kofert: I think it's simply because poker appeals to the same skill set. A successful e-sports player is somebody who is very ambitious and has the ability to make quick decisions.

If you have a good deal of self-control and discipline, you also have what it takes to be a successful poker player. During my StarCraft days, I said to myself: online poker is ultimately an online strategy game.

I have a limited amount of time to make the right decisions and I need to be cleverer than my opponent. The only difference from StarCraft is that, in poker, I can actually make money!

PokerStrategy.com: Do you still play poker at the moment and how do you fit it in?

Dominik Kofert: I do have the time, well, at least a certain amount of time. But I intentionally don't play. The problem is that I'd have to invest an awful lot of time if I were to start again properly. I think that's the problem with all activities: if you used to be good, you get irritated if you can't play in the big leagues anymore.

Sure, I still go to the casino for fun now and then, but I prefer to refrain from actual cash game grinding at the moment.

PokerStrategy.com: Many thanks for the interview, Korn.

by Tobias Frey