Boomslang: "Plain Normal Guys"

Our BlackMember and blogger has recently become a High Stakes video producer as well for the German community. In this interview, he tells us about the beginnings of his poker fascination in the state of Texas, and of life with kobeyard as a roommate amongst other things.

PokerStrategy: Hello boomslang! Please introduce yourself briefly!

boomslang: Hello, I am Roman, I'm 21 years old and currently live in the poker stronghold of Münster, Germany.

PokerStrategy: You are one of our BlackMembers. Furthermore, you are also the newest video producer at PokerStrategy. Please tell us a bit more about this!

boomslang: A little while ago, my very first poker video for PokerStrategy(.de) was released, where I play a cozy session of Limit Hold'em Mid Stakes - available as of Platinum.

However, I will mainly record videos for the FL Diamond area. You can expect new formats to some extent, like a session review of a previously played and published live session, the even more detailed combination of Platinum strategy articles and a live session, as well as a BRB video series for every stake. I am also considering making videos in English, and I am heading towards some sort of Edutainment with my homie innoko.

PokerStrategy: How did you get involved in this?

boomslang: For more than a year, I've been thinking about producing videos as well. However, due to problems with my PC, Camtasia (Video recording software) or downswings, it never happened. I like the challenge of creating didactically valuable videos and the productive aspect of doing something for future generations. 😉

PokerStrategy:
You spent your eleventh school year in Texas, and learned to play and love Texas Hold'em there. What sort of experiences did you have in the USA?

boomslang: Consistently good ones. Especially as a pubescent young'un, you become much more mature and independent thanks to such a trip. I was also very lucky with my host family who showed me many of the nicest spots of America in countless 'trips'.

However, for me it was important as well that I was already familiar with the topic of Texas Hold'em before 2004 - so before the big poker boom kicked off in Germany and the rest of Europe - and I had even played for real money about half a year before PokerStrategy was founded.

PokerStrategy: And how did you get in touch with PokerStrategy then?

boomslang: Due to my American stay, I was already infected with the poker virus. I yearned for the day when I'd become an 'adult' and a 'freeroll hunter' as soon as I turned 18, meaning that I created an account on almost every bigger poker site, and really had three to four crap shots up and running with my meticulous planning.

The money I won there was immediately invested into $11 SnG's or NL25 without a shadow of knowledge about BRM. Nonetheless, my poker account grew to undreamt-of heights with a lot of luck. At some points, I won more money in two weeks of upswings than I received at the same time from delivering newspapers and pocket money during the same period. However, in the following two days, half of the $200 might have been gone again.

While zapping around on TV, I once saw a commercial for an internet site which declared that it would turn people like me into good poker players... with the $5 came the ambition, and I started at $0.02/$0.04 and began to move up the long and stony way to the top.

PokerStrategy: Which variant do you prefer, and on which limits can people find you nowadays?

boomslang: As a 'trooper', I'm of course a devotee of the Limit Hold'em faction. Back then, there wasn't anything else! And I remained loyal to this elitist group. Naturally, I have also tried every other popular variant like SnG, MTT, NL Cash and Omaha. Even quite successfully, but based on my freeroll history, I'm probably a bit too impatient for MTT's, even though our great MTT coach nazgul has already tried to tame me a bit.

However, FL seems to be the most profitable variant for me. I play every table from  $20/$40 upwards which are fishy enough, up to the areas where you also end up gambling away a car within one to two hours.

PokerStrategy: What is your preferred platform and why?

boomslang: In early 2006, the most important PokerStrategy partner was PartyPoker.
So this was the platform on which I worked my way up the limits. Strangely enough, things always went clearly better there than on other platforms. I think it's also because Party does quite a lot to avoid the ratio of sharks to fishes becomes too large. Furthermore, I'm probably one of the few who has never had big problems with the software or the support team.

PokerStrategy: PokerStrategy has also its share in your success. What singles out PokerStrategy compared to other poker sites?

boomslang: Esentially, the versatility of the content. It's not only mainly the video area such as with Cardrunners, DeucesCraked or Stoxpoker, or mainly the forum area like on 2+2, but every area.

A forum for strategy discussions - a base for social networking - live videos, live coaching and access to high-quality private coaching is made available. At the same time, strong ambitions are stoked to dedicate a lot of time to poker in order to move up to a higher status.

PokerStrategy: According to your own statements, your potential poker times were midnight to 4 AM and 11 AM to 2 PM back then. Are you still such a night person?

boomslang: Well, back when I said this, I was still on civil service where I had to work four times a week from 3 PM to midnight. A perfect job to mainly take care of the Canadian fishes during the night. And not as swamped by good PokerStrategy TAG's who mostly sleep during that time. Meanwhile, I have a lot of different sleeping routines... my poor body. Red Bull has become an important ally over time... 😉

PokerStrategy: Currently, you have ambitious goals, as can be read in the forum and mainly in the (German) BlackMember Blog. What compelled you to impose such a workload on yourself?

boomslang: In large part, the inspiring way of siete777.
I thought, what Siete777 can do, so can I. But far from it! I'll post about my current state in the BM blog soon. I simply wanted to try to invest as much time into poker as a full time worker does. I couldn't even keep it up for three days... I definitely have to work on my motivation. In the future, I'll aim for smaller, more realistic goals.

PokerStrategy: You've already mentioned siete777. He also brought you closer to the topic poker on a philosophical basis. What significance does poker have for you?

boomslang: Hopefully not too much. At first, I only planned for it to be nice hobby with the option of increasing the holiday savings a bit. However, to see it like this, and especially with the current financial dimensions, is at times really difficult.

PokerStrategy: In poker, you have already reached many goals. Is there still a certain goal, however, which you want to achieve during your poker career no matter what?

Boomslang at the Spring Festival 2007

boomslang: (Ponders a bit)
A final table at the WSOP $10k Limit Event would be nice. Apart from that, I'd like to keep on beating the rake in Limit poker for another two to three years.

PokerStrategy: It seems that you have found real friends at PokerStrategy with schnibl0r or steven-dev, with whom you've already painted Vegas red. Does success bring people together?

boomslang: I guess it does. I'm really getting along fine with both of them. However, we also share certain character traits which you simply have to bring along as a poker player; they make us talk the same language, so to speak. We all have a certain level of discipline, a more or less common background in online gaming.

PokerStrategy: What recommendations would you give to a new player when he asks you what traits one has to have, or acquire, to become a very successful poker player?

boomslang: Analytical thinking. Mathematical talent. Unrestrained will. To not have a problem with sitting in front of the PC for an extended amount of time. Discipline in regard to BRM. And the main motto: Never think you've learned everything!

PokerStrategy: Some time ago, you posted two interesting threads in the (German) forum about dealing with heavy losses. How do you handle bad phases nowadays, and how has your relation towards money evolved?

boomslang: Naturally, an intact social environment is important, although it is difficult to find people who can understand the ups and downs of playing poker. A balance with sports and other hobbies is also important.

My relation towards money has 'unfortunately' barely changed at all. I don't even own my own car yet - I guess I do tend towards being a penny-pincher. In the earlier days, you were praised if you still had some of your monthly pocket money left after two weeks... Furthermore, I also realize that the poker boom could collapse, and so I prefer to put some money away.

PokerStrategy:
You have already been to two BlackMember parties. How was meeting other pros, and do you look forward to the next meeting?

boomslang: It was an absolute highlight! Especially the BM present and the meal. I have never eaten so well in my life, and I'm definitely not a picky guy.

The parties are also an excellent opportunity to meet other comrade-in-arms every three months and chat with them about current, poker-related things.

PokerStrategy: Let's get to your hobbies. In general, you're very interested in sports. What sports do you play during your free time?

boomslang: When I was younger, I played a lot of football. However, due to injuries, the amount of time spent on it has decreased more and more. Now I try my luck in less contact-heavy sports like tennis, table tennis, beach volleyball or skiing. This winter as well, a bunch of Blacks and Diamonds will rush down the slopes. Many thanks to face1 for organizing such great events.

PokerStrategy: You live together with kobeyard in a shared flat in Münster. Please tell us a bit more about your daily routines!

boomslang: Yeah well, it's pretty much the same as it is in any male student flat. After all, we're just plain normal guys as well... we have no maid. Thus it often ends with dust in the living room, dirt in the bath, vinegar flies in the kitchen and stacked yellow bags on the balcony battling it out for supremacy. 😉

Unfortunately, we have only watched each other play poker for one hour once since we've been roommates, honestly. There's a lot more potential.

PokerStrategy: We're also interested in your job-related and private plans. How do you see your future?

boomslang: It looks like I'm going to abandon my current studies, as I am in the process of re-orienting myself. The first subject of study was picked rather on the spur of the moment. I won't make that mistake again if I am going to sign up for another area. Maybe I will only get a solid education and aim for self-employment. That intrigues me much more than being abused by employers.

Privately, I think it's going to boil down to the usual. A small family with two kids doesn't sound wrong as long as I find the right woman. However, I'm rather shy in my search for her, but that's coming along.

PokerStrategy: Do you have a few nice, final words for our members perhaps?

boomslang: Yes, in my opinion, there are two big traps into which an aspiring poker talent shouldn't stumble: First, to not pay heed to the Alpha and Omega of poker, the BRM. Even the best player of the world will go broke with a 10 stack / 100 BB BRM with a high probability. Poker is, after all, a game of luck in the short term!

Second, you should never kid yourself and think you have reached a level on which you no longer need to learn anything in poker. Nobody has ever reached this point. The game itself changes so much within the shortest amount of time, so you are always forced to even question the logic of the absolute basics such as the continuation bet on the flop. If you don't work on your game anymore, you will get your comeuppance soon enough by only beating your home limits with a smaller winrate.

Good luck at the tables and stay HEALTHY! Even with all the poker money in the world, you can't buy health.

PokerStrategy: Many thanks for this interesting interview, boomslang!
We wish you the best of luck, and look forward to further videos from you!

boomslang: Thanks once again to the PokerStrategy.com Interview Team for the great teamwork.