The Well: Adam Junglen

[Adam Junglen]

A stranger is being shown around a village that he has just become part of. He is shown a well and his guide says "On any day except Tuesday, you can shout any question down that well and you'll be told the answer." The man seems pretty impressed, and so he shouts down, "Why not on Tuesday?" A voice from in the well shouts back, "Because on Tuesday, it's your day in the well."

In this forum, wells will be scheduled events where an esteemed member of our community will answer questions posed by the rest of us. Each thread in The Well will be initiated by a person who has accepted the invitation to answer questions directed at him/her.

Barry has given me the nod to start up a well. I did one on 2+2 almost 2 years ago and a lot has changed since then. I figured instead of doing another one on 2+2 I'd give the PokerRoad crowd their chance to ask me anything.

[Barry Greenstein]

Adam,

I don't know much about your life, but I assume you dropped out of school. You're only 21 and have had a lot of tournament success. Are you confident that this is the right path for you?

Barry

[Adam Junglen]

Originally Posted by Barry Greenstein

Adam,

I don't know much about your life, but I assume you dropped out of school.

I graduated HS, although I was on crutches during the graduation ceremony and didn't want to crutch down the aisle, so I haven't picked up my diploma.

When I was 16, 17, and 18 I started posting on 2p2 and became good friends with a lot of poker players who happened to be a year older than me. Ray Coburn (exitonly4), Jimmy Fricke, and Shaun Deeb stick out specifically as people who I felt I could relate to and they all dropped out of college.

When I was 17 I earned a computer network certification (they tell me it's the equivalent of an associates degree...I kinda doubt that) and when I was 18 I interned at Alltel Data Center as a network technician. Through high-school I was hired by the school to work on all the computers, troubleshoot any problems, etc. I thought I was on my way to going to some tech school until I interned and saw what I was getting myself into.

It was a small sample size, but I hated every moment of being in a cubicle, working for someone else. After seemingly wasting a couple years studying networking, and also still recovering from some surgeries, I had zero motivation to attend college.

You're only 21 and have had a lot of tournament success. Are you confident that this is the right path for you?

Barry

I'm about as confident as any 21 year old could be. I truly enjoy playing tournament poker (esp live). While I was in Vegas last month I stopped in LA on a weekend to visit some friends. They mentioned I was the only person to visit them from back home. Then I started thinking if poker wasn't in my life would I still find time to visit friends across the country?

That thought didn't go far though, I tried to imagine my life without poker, and I simply couldn't.

[99 Problems]

Adam,
Welcome to pokerroad.

I was reading the "15 outs" segment you did with Shronk about the amount of surgeries you've had to endure in your life. From the range of appendages that were listed I'm guessing these aren't injuries but rather caused by some sort of medical condition? Not sure if it is something you want to discuss I would take no offense if you choose to not discuss it in this forum. If you'd rather discuss poker.....for those of us not familiar with your game (in terms of NLH) what would you say is your general style, or whom does your game most emulate?

[BrentD22]

Starting out did you get good really quick or did you make big jumps in the understanding of the game. How did you learn the game/who taught you?

[Adam Junglen]

Originally Posted by 99 Problems

Adam,
Welcome to pokerroad.

I was reading the "15 outs" segment you did with Shronk about the amount of surgeries you've had to endure in your life. From the range of appendages that were listed I'm guessing these aren't injuries but rather caused by some sort of medical condition? Not sure if it is something you want to discuss I would take no offense if you choose to not discuss it in this forum.

You're fine.

I was born with club foot, and I'm pretty lucky to even be walking today. Had I not been adopted to a country with good medical services I doubt I'd be walking today. Right away when I came to America I had to have a handful of surgeries, my right leg (which is now in a disgusting landfill) being in worse condition than my left.

Amniotic Banding took two fingers on my left hand, and one on my right. Not really a big deal at all.

That's really where the bulk of the surgeries come from. Ears were ear tubes, but I had to have it done 3-4 times, wisdom teeth, and lasik.

By the time I was in 2nd grade I was so used to waking up from anesthesia I started saying funny things when I first woke up. "I forgot where we parked" always got a laugh.

If you'd rather discuss poker.....for those of us not familiar with your game (in terms of NLH) what would you say is your general style, or whom does your game most emulate?

I've never played against myself, but I'm guessing I'm generally aggressive. I might be giving myself too much credit, but I'd like to think I'm a mix of a good feel player (live) with a solid math/internet poker background. I've never heard anyone tell me "you play like this person."

[Adam Junglen]

Originally Posted by BrentD22

Starting out did you get good really quick or did you make big jumps in the understanding of the game.

The day I first played Hold'em I wanted to get really good at it. Friends at my school were organizing multiple tournaments each weekend, it was really fun. I did well in the home games, but broke even/lost at low stakes online ($5-$30 sngs/mtts) for awhile. I think by the time I was 17 I was a consistent winner at SNG's (8 tabling $22's) and started getting into MTT's.

How did you learn the game/who taught you?

I started really improving when I met with other great players at Turning Stone. I was lucky to not only meet and talk poker with other sick players, but I gained a lot of experience from playing at TS.

I grew up learning from a lot of 2+2ers. Ray, Gobbo, Shaun Deeb, ActionJeff, Aaron Been, Randallin, Stealthmunk, Timex, and SirWatts, and many many more people have helped contribute to my success.

[Noces]

Do you play cash? I know about your success and the stories about your tournament play. What about the cash games? Why do you prefer tournaments to cash games? Do you know how to play all the games?

[Adam Junglen]

Originally Posted by Noces

Do you play cash? I know about your success and the stories about your tournament play. What about the cash games? Why do you prefer tournaments to cash games?

I don't play cash much, just grew up playing SNG's which translated into MTT's. I've always enjoyed all the variables of tournament poker.

That's not to say I haven't played cash at all. I'd sit down in a good live game. It's all table selection, and I've heard of some really sick live games. Online cash (specifically NLH) is pretty tough, I have put in some PLO 6max hands though.

Do you know how to play all the games?

I mean, I know "how to play," all the games - just not nearly as well as I'd like. I prefer hold'em, omaha, 2-7NL (games with blinds and a button) to a game like stud.

[Mike Q]

Adam,

Thanks for doing this. You seem to be very finely balanced as a young player with an internet reputation who also seems to appreciate the live game. Knowing that there have been a number of fairly ridiculous rivalries between the online and live camps in the past, and between the young, new wave of players and the "old guard", I'd be curious how you would answer the following questions:

- Without references to "math" or "feel", what would you say really differentiates a standard live player from a standard internet player (if we can assume there is such a thing)?

- What do you feel you could teach the "old guard" about modern poker, and conversely, what do you think you could learn from them?

- While we're on the subject of silly rivalries, what are your perceptions of the difference between the American and European players, in your experience?