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| 15 Outs ... One Time! |
| It's Shronk Daddy. It's 15 questions. It's all the poker knowledge you can handle |
| Featuring : Justin Bonomo |
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| Newest member of Team Bodog, Justin Bonomo, has quickly earned much deserved respect in the world of live tournament poker. We got to sit down with him and chat about his new deal, as well as Magic, moms, mentors, mixed games, and (for the second week in a row here on 15 outs) some alternate-dimensional, voodoo math wizardry (ever heard of ICM Calculations?). |
Justin Shronk: Topical question to start – you recently signed with Bodog. First, what was it that attracted you to Bodog, and second, what does this mean for your poker career?
Justin Bonomo: I first became interested in Bodog when David Williams joined their team years ago. I've known David since I was about thirteen years old. I've always had this image in my head of Bodog being a very exclusive team, kind of inspired by Calvin Ayre and the playboy lifestyle.
As for my poker career, this is a huge step for me. It's basically a dream come true. So far I've loved being on the Bodog Team. The guys in charge treat me like a superstar. Whenever I want anything, all I have to do is ask and it's mine. |
JS: Even though you got your start largely on the Internet, you seem to have avoided the whole “math guy” stigma – is your game grounded more towards the math/theory side? Also, has your style changed since you started playing live and becoming more well-known?
JB: I am DEFINITELY a math guy. I've written tons of articles on ICM calculations, how to use Pokerstove percentages, and how to apply multiple-equation algebra to poker problems to solve for equity. You won't find many Internet players that spend as much time doing math problems for poker purely due to boredom and/or curiosity.
As for style, I've always prided myself as being someone without a style. Even before I started playing live, I was able to play loose and aggressive when I saw an opportunity to steal a lot of pots, or play tight and patiently when I found myself in an aggressive game and I could just sit back and wait for hands. I think having only one weapon at a poker table is a huge mistake.
(NOTE: Shronk had to look up what “ICM Calculations” were. If you also aren’t as smart as Justin, you can learn about it HERE) |
JS: You are one of a TON of highly successful tournament players that have their roots back in Magic: The Gathering. In fact, I’ve heard you say that you still consider Magic, “a better game than poker” and “more fun.” First, what skill sets from Magic translate over to poker? Second, explain why Magic is “better and more fun.”
JB: A big epiphany in my Magic career was due to the quote, "Think about what matters." It probably sounds meaningless, but when applied to the game it could show how important it is just knowing which aspects of the game to think about. Often you need to forget about some of the fundamentals and think of something outside the box such as, "Ok, if I don't win in the next two turns, I lose, so I can forget about the long game. If I make this play, there is one card I can draw to win, and if I make this play, I get an extra out." That type of critical thinking applies directly to poker. A similar thought process in poker would be, "I'm never folding this set, so if he has me beat, it's irrelevant. All I need to do is think about how I can get the most value from the hands that I do beat."
The reason I sometimes refer to Magic as a better game is mostly because there are so many more unique situations. You spend a lot more time in Magic thinking on your toes, and a lot less time going into autopilot, "I have AK, this is a raise, yawn." Part of this is due to the fact that they make hundreds of new cards every few months. |
JS: I noticed in your deep run at the Caesar’s WSOP Circuit event, your mom was sweating you online pretty hard in the PokerNews “Shoutbox” – was your family always supportive in you playing poker, and how important is it to have that family support?
JB: My family has been extremely supportive over the years, and this has meant a lot to me. One of my closest poker player friends was raised Muslim, and despite being extremely successful, his family feels that their religion requires them to feel ashamed of him. I think this is extremely sad and I can't imagine how bad it must feel for my friend to be shunned by his own parents.
My whole family loves watching my tournament coverage updates. My mom especially is my biggest fan. If I'm ever doing well in a tournament, she'll call my grandparents, the neighbors, etc. just to tell them how well I'm doing. And of course, whenever I make a final table, I always fly her out when she can come on such short notice. This profession would be a lot harder for me if I didn't have the support of my parents.
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JS: Jimmy Fricke told me he feels like it’s more important in learning poker to have peers rather than a mentor. Do you agree with that? Did you ever have a “mentor”? And who are your group of peers that you came up learning the game with?
JB: I think it's a lot more reasonable to have peers. Personally, I have learned such a wide array of things from my friends. Over the years I developed a habit of leeching onto a group of friends for a month or two, learning everything I possibly could, and then shifting to a new group of friends, while keeping a huge database that I could use as a think-tank at my disposal. Because of this, I have developed not as a player that has an algorithm for repeatable success, but as one that is familiar with so many different situations and lines of thought that I can adapt and learn very quickly in virtually any situation. It's also made the tournament circuit a lot more fun for me, because I have dozens of friends to party with in whatever city I currently happen to be in.
I've never really had a mentor, but I do have a few friends that have been very successful at teaching/coaching other players up the ranks. I'd say if you have a mentor, that's wonderful, but it's not really reasonable to rely on one, or hope to find one. It's much more reasonable to establish a group of friends that you can learn from and teach at the same time. |
JS: Do you play a lot of cash games, and if not, is that something you’re going to start doing more of?
JB: Over the years I've spent a lot of time as a cash game player, and a lot of time as a tournament player. With the WSOP coming up, my current focus is mostly on tournaments, although I'm sure I'll be found playing some cash games at the Bellagio. Both cash and tournaments have their own benefits, and it's nice to be able to choose either one. |
JS: You went the deepest out of the “young guys” in the $50k HORSE event last year. How long had you been playing mixed games, and is that something you’ll be doing more of?
JB: I've been dabbling around in mixed games for years. I learned most of ‘em just by playing $30/$60 cash games online. They didn't have mixed games, so I learned them all one by one. I've been playing a lot of mixed cash games recently, and I really hope I can use some of those skills to win a bracelet in HORSE. That would mean a lot more to me than a normal bracelet because it requires a lot of skill across many different games. |
JS: Do you see mixed games becoming more and more popular as there are more and more of these young prodigies that are virtually unbeatable long-term at NLHE?
JB: I think the popularity of NLHE is still growing strong, especially in other countries. I don't foresee mixed games coming anywhere near as popular as NL in the near future. |
JS: If you had to quit poker for the rest of your life, but got to back five people – who would they be and why?
JB: Phil Ivey, Barry Greenstein, Patrik Antonius, because they are all sick good. I would also pick a couple of cash game grinders, like Lee Markholt, that put in bajillions of hours and have very consistent results. |
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JS: Ok, so this year’s final table delay is all the talk, where do you stand on it?
JB: As a poker player, I am a big fan of anything that can increase the popularity of poker, but I am a bit worried that something could go wrong. I hope Harrah's makes sure every possible scenario is accounted for, and that there are no scandals like a no-show at the final table. It will be very interesting to see the impact it has on the ratings to say the least. |
JS: Name a player (or players) you hate playing against, and why?
JB: I hate playing against the guy to my left, no matter who he is, but I love playing against the guy to my right. Position, position, position. I can't imagine ever being afraid to play against anyone in the world if I always had position on him. |
JS: Who is the best NLHE tournament player right now?
JB: I think JC Tran might be the best tournament player in the world. If you ever play with him, you will be amazed at some of the calls he's able to get when he wants a call, and some of the folds he gets when he wants a fold. He also has a pretty good idea on what level his opponent is thinking on at all times. |
JS: Where do you see poker in five years?
JB: In five years, poker is going to become much less of an American past time, and much more of a worldwide competition. The popularity of poker is in the hands of Asia and South America right now. |
JS: Ok, gimme some names of some newly-twenty-one guys I’ve never heard of to look out for at this WSOP.
JB: There used to be a time when many of the best players in the world had been complete unknowns, but that day and age is over. People have come to realize that the best up-and-coming players are on the Internet, and they have since gotten the attention they deserved (at least among the active poker playing community as opposed to the TV watching community). I could tell you about guys like “West Menlo” (Isaac Baron), “Ozzy 87” (Aurangzeb “Ozzy” Sheikh), “Durrr” (Tom Dwan), etc. but you've probably heard of all of them. |
JS: So, now you’re on a team with Jean-Robert Bellande (an “alliance,” in Survivor speak) – are you guys going to vote out David Williams first because he is good at challenges? Or Evelyn because she carries favor with the jury?
JB: I'm definitely trying to vote off Evy. When it's down to two, the previous competitors vote for the winner, and how could you not vote for a face that cute? Hopefully I can get heads up with Jean-Robert. That way I'll win the vote for sure. His strategy of slacking off the first week so that people would notice the minimal amount of work he would start doing later wasn't exactly the best strategy I've ever heard. |
Well, after all that ICM Calculation talk, I’m going to decide to trust Justin in any game strategy situation. Evy, the tribe has spoken. |
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