Maxim: So, you done us [poker fumes eminating] with three threes on the river, how do you feel?
Nick Moran: [Long, joyous laughter] I feel like a man who hasn’t got much money but has still got more than you! You have been flushed out of the tournament!
The funny thing is, I’ve done all this poker school with Skalie [the resident professional], cos he’s really good and he won a £1million in Vegas a couple of years back so he does know what he’s doing. Me, however, when I get round the table I forget everything that he has taught me and just go, “I feel lucky. ALL IN! It’s gonna be a four!” It’s like I always say: the most dangerous thing about poker is knowing the rules. [Laughs]
Maxim: How do you know when someone’s good?
NM: There was a very funny point this evening that I think is worth mentioning. I was going to go all in with a journalist sitting at the other end of the table and someone said ask him who he writes for. He writes for Poker Player. I fold!
It what Skalie says, it’s not about the cards you’ve got, it’s about the bet. And I did that initially tonight: All in, bang, I’ve won. All in, bang, I’ve won. By the time everybody had got up to speed, I’d pulled a few people’s pants down.
But, jokes aside, it’s all about the poker schools which Ladbrokes do so well, it’s all about POSITION and CONTROL. Raise the bet, force people to raise the bet, be jolly, be bold, and nine times out of ten you can do alright.
Maxim: Do you consider yourself good at poker now then?
NM: I can have a party game, but I’m not proper good. The good thing about Ladbrokes and what we’re all here for tonight is, there is a lot of pre-requisites before I will whore myself out corporately – the sensible thing about Ladbrokes is the way they treat the punter. You’re almost not allowed to lose lots of money - the winner gets a booty from all the chips that people put in. The chips are just chips, they’re not pound notes.
You’re not actually allowed to play at certain level until you’ve played and learnt from the lessons that are online. And this is important for beginners. You only get one per week.
You don’t skulk up to your missus and tell her you have to get a smaller flat. It’s about control and fun and restriction and discipline, so it puts the fun back into it.
Nick Moran’s Top Five Poker Tips
1) Three of the most important factors of poker in this are - Control (being aggressive and betting during the hand) your Position (your proximity to the dealer, acting last is a huge advantage) and finally your Cards themselves.
2) Try and avoid what is called “limping in” (calling) too often. Your call will likely be raised and you will be faced with a decision on calling for yet more chips. Its better to raise than call – as it will provide you with the information you require.
3) Be patient when playing in tournaments. Remember, you cannot win a tournament in the first couple of levels but you can certainly lose it.
4) Start playing STT’s (Sit n Go’s) for low stakes in order to get used to online poker. It’s a very good starting point if you want to perfect the basics of No Limit Texas Holdem
5) When playing online, only play at the tables that are affordable to you. The higher the stakes, the better the players.
We had an excellent night. Thanks to Nick and Ladbrokespoker.com
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