Annie RKH 6 Dec 2014

True Hero of Amateur Poker: Meet Unibet Open Finalist & RankingHero Last Longer Winner Paulo Rodrigues

Poker media and fans sometimes get so engrossed in the big winners and stars of the game that we tend to forget the ranks and file of live tournament poker - the amateurs with real day jobs who have to save up vacation days and money to play half a dozen tournaments each year; who are struggling to overcome more or less vocal family disapproval; who have to juggle relationships, work, and the all-consuming passion for poker...

All the more reasons to be really happy when one of our own gets the occasional break. A more important cash or final table in a tournament make the daily grind, sleep deprivation, and frustration worthwhile and are all the more rewarding when you have a community such as RankingHero to share it with.

Please give a warm welcome to our latest Last Longer winner - @Paulo Rodrigues, who took the RankingHero patch to the final table in Unibet Open and finished 6th!

Paulo, you come from Torres Vedras, Portugal. Please tell us a little bit more about yourself - how old are you, where do you live, how do you make your living?

Torres Vedras is a little town north of Lisboa, near the coast. I am 35 years old.
I work in marketing/communication at the airport at the moment. I have had this job for 8 years and I really enjoy it.

How big a part does poker play in your life?

Poker is a passion or a hobby or a good addiction, whatever you want to call it. I started poker around 2008 and have played since. Everyday I read, play or watch poker as I feel this is the way to improve your game.

Have you ever had any problems with family, work, friends or girlfriends because of poker?

I never had problems with my work but as I have conservative parents they really don’t like it as they see it as gambling and are afraid of addiction. They have slowly gotten used to the idea, also some positive results helps with that. Maintaining a relationship in combination with poker is a real challenge for me as many girls don’t accept it; they first say they do but as poker takes up a lot of time (if you have the drive to get better) it’s hard and we have all heard the phrase "are you playing again”. I therefore struggle a bit with balancing poker and a relationship.

Are you passionate about any other games?

I have always been competitive, whether it was soccer, tennis, basketball or just video games. Always wanting to get better and win.

Would you rather have Portugal win the WSOP Main Event or the FIFA World Cup?

I would love to have a small country like Portugal win the world cup, it would give the Portuguese so much joy and pride in a time when a lot of people struggle financially. Soccer is a big deal in Portugal.

Portugal winning the WSOP is less significant as poker is of course not so big as football and this would make less of an impact. Of course I will give it a shot in 2015 or 2016 as I am planning to play it.

What do you love and hate most about poker? Do you prefer online or live poker?

I love tournaments, I love to get far, to see players drop and managing to survive and get as far as possible. I definitely like live poker more than online. Unfortunately I don’t get to play a lot of live tournaments a year so I play online every Sunday. What I hate about poker - probably the river :) To be honest, there aren’t a lot of things I hate and I can’t think of any now.

Which is a stronger motivation to play - the thrill of competition or the money?

For sure the thrill, but the money gives you the extra motivation to play focused and to make the right decision every single time.

Do you have any regrets about how you played in the latest Unibet Open at @Aspers Casino - Westfield Stratford City? A specific hand from the final table that you wish you could replay or one that you are happy with? Which of the other finalists made the strongest impression on you?

I don’t have any regrets about my play, even after watching it on youtube and seeing the cards I made the right decisions and played focused. Of course we all regret playing the last hand but I can accept losing after getting all my chips in with the nuts. I think all finalists were equal and if you study the final table, the player with the best hands won in the end. I don’t feel that anyone outplayed the others. I thought there were 2 or 3 weaker players but the rest were equal.

Did it bother you to play at a TV table? Did it change anything in your game?

It didn’t bother me at all, I think it made me even play better and more focused.

You have five tournament cashes recorded in our database - the three biggest ones from Unibet Open events. What is it about the @Unibet Open tour that you like best?

Unibet Opens are fun and exciting. You always see the same players, which is nice. I've played 11 Unibet Opens and I will keep playing them. The staff is nice. The structure of the tournament is good and of course the Unibet parties are outstanding. I can recommend to all players to play a Unibet Open to experience it.

By the way, this is the second time you finish 6th in an Unibet Open - do you make a big deal of such things? Are you superstitious? Do you have any special ritual before or during a tournament?

This 6th place was totally different from my first Unibet Open final. In St. Maarten I was short-stacked and mainly focusing on the money jumps. Whereas in this final I was playing to win. I was long time second in chips and felt like I could really win it. Finishing twice in the 6th position is a pure coincidence.

Before a tournament I try to get a good rest so that I can be focused to play a long day and to reach the second day.

When did you first visit RankingHero? What is your impression of the site so far?

I didn’t know your site before I entered the Last Longer competition. So having two hostesses and this competition made me get to know your site. The site looks amazing. I see it as a combination of Facebook and HendonMob.

Which players would you put in your customized leaderboard on RankingHero?

I haven’t looked at this feature, but obviously it is fun to have some friends on it so that you can compete.

Would you share a playlist or album that you like to listen to while playing?

I don’t listen to music while playing. I have tried that but I feel that on long poker days it will make me more tired and I prefer to be focused on the table and socialize with other players

Have you thought about any New Year Poker Resolutions? What are your goals in poker for 2015?

I try to play a minimum of 5 or 6 live tournaments a year. The goals I have are to improve my ITM percentage and be profitable and enjoy the game.

Good luck and thank you, Paulo, for taking the time to answer our questions! I sincerely hope you will find among us lots of recognition, friends, and maybe even a poker-playing girlfriend who will not be nagging you with the eternal question "Are you playing again?"... :)