If there aren’t a few guys that are just giving their money away, I don’t play.
I practice very sound bankroll management principles, and I think my game selection skills are just about as good as anyone in the game. Q: How many times have you gone completely broke over the course of your poker career?Ī: I’m proud to say “zero” - in fact I’ve never had a losing year as a pro. I have a simple theory: change 10 river cards in any poker player’s tournament career and I would bet that they would be a losing tournament player for their career. Randomness, otherwise known as “variance” at the poker table is much bigger and more important than most poker players realize. to a caring family that was able to educate me instead of to a poor family in Zimbabwe? That was probably the biggest determining factor in my success, and one of the most random. Was it random that I was born in the U.S. Q: What percent of your success would you say is attributable to randomness?Ī: That really depends on what you mean by randomness. Thanks to Phil and to all of you (especially those whose money Phil has taken) for participating. This is a really good and smart Q&A (although he did neglect to mention a certain beat-down he once suffered). In his answers below, he discusses (among other things) variance, sunglasses, and why he’s not a gambler by nature, but rather “a strategic investor.” We recently solicited your questions for poker man Phil Gordon.
