Full-Ring Friends Series: 99Killed

Never thought I’d be posting a tale of a bike messenger turned poker pro on my blog, but now I can add that to my list of achievements. Thanks to 99killed for the interview, I learned a lot about him and it was very entertaining.

Tell me a bit about your poker story, how you came to be involved in online poker and what made you choose full-ring no limit games.
Just like everyone, saw no-limit on TV and began playing with friends. I was a bike messenger at the time and would shoplift every poker book Barnes & Noble kept on the shelves and would read them between runs. If i see dan harrington in person somewhere, I’m gonna ship him a hundo and a handshake. I eventually got laid off from that job and started 4tabling 50nl at the public library lol. (didnt have web access at home). Pokerroom no-download client ftw. With my unemployment compensation and those easy PokerRoom games, I guess that was the start.

As for FRNL, I just happen to steal more full-ring NL books lol.

I don’t really know much about you other than that you play for a living. Where are you from? What did you do before poker? Anything else we should know about you?
I live in the paradise that is Pittsburgh PA USA. 95F and humid in the summer and below freezing in the winter. Although, it is incredibly cheap to live here and I do love this city. Before online poker, as I said earlier, I bumped envelopes around town on my bicycle 4-5 years for a few bucks a run.

Where does the name 99killed come from?
99 was my rider number in the courier biz which is used like your first name. I saw a newspaper headline “99 KILLED” about a train crash or something in India the morning I signed up to stars and it seemed intimidating lol. I wish I could change it.

Who is that chick in your Stars avatar?
Darieth Chisholm, lead anchorwoman on Wpxi local news at 6pm. ‘News Coverage You Can Count On.’ I have a huge crush on her. I love her, but I recently retired that avatar after I found out she’s married.

What are some of the major breakthroughs and leaks that you have plugged in order to get the point of playing solid winning poker?
I used to be a huge nit, but recently nearly doubled my vpip/pfr to increase my wr. So far, its a work in progress, but I think I’m getting a handle on it and adjusting to villian’s adjustments faster. The swings are crazy though. Just signed up to a few training sites again too. Switching from PT2 to HEM is huge also.

How many hours a week do you generally put in at the tables?
30-50, i still enjoy playing and really don’t have any other time consuming interests right now. I’m super competitive so poker gives me the fix.

What are the best and worst aspects of being a poker player?
The best is the money and throwing away the alarm clock. The worst is the fact that I never get anything constructive done because I can always ‘do it tomorrow’. Absolutely the worst for me, the king of slacker procrastinators.

What are some of the hobbies and interests you have away from poker that keep you level?
I used to get really worked up about bad beats and doomswitches. I would buy ceramic angels from the dollar store just to smash after suck outs but xbox360 (CoD4) and marijuana are great for cooling down without breaking anything (including bones). I also follow NFL football, particularly my team the Pittsburgh Steelers who look like the team to beat this year. Here we go! I have 2 cats too that don’t seem to care how I’m running, they just want fed.

What do your family (both immediate and extended) think of your poker playing?
Well my dad gave me a hard time about getting a job until I started making more money than him. Now I buy dinner when we meet up.

You mostly play $100nl, but I occasionally see you are 200 and 400, what is your criteria for playing in the higher games?
Well 100nl is home because I feel I know the regulars pretty well and usually win there. I take shots when I’m feeling and playing good. I’ll be playing 200 a lot more in 09 imo.

As a PokerStars Supernova VIP what changes do you think could be made to the VIP program to improve it?
The new $4k for 250,000fpps was a great addition. The concierge service is awesome too. I’m not sure what they could realistically add right now besides doing something about that dumb SN VIP MTT. I’d rather have a few bucks for a burrito than waste my time with that. I wish i could fill up my bathtub with fpps and just lay there for awhile.

What would another site, like Full Tilt Poker, have to offer you in order to switch your play?
They would need extremely reliable software, huge rb, fast cashouts, and a huge player pool. Sounds like stars to me. I’m not switching any time soon.

Quick Quiz – Of All 2+2 SS Full Ring PokerStars regulars
Best avatar?
TheLife’s is gross in a way that words cant describe.

Best strategy poster?
Certainly not me.

Best trash talker?
I’m pretty good when I’m hammered drunk, but johnrambo off his meds after a beat or two is the best.

Best 24-tabler?
Belok, Speedle too. Joeingram played all fast for a month straight. Very very sick iirc.

Funniest?
IntenseDawg. After winning a flip vs me “u make too many moves kid” lol, what a dbag!

Friendliest?
Everyone at 2p2 is pretty helpful.

Weirdest?
The euros w the broken English crack me up.

Most under-rated?
Quite a few. I never hear anyone ever talk about eurobae. He seems to own me pretty hard. 1pokerboy is pretty solid, no one ever talks about him. I really don’t know how people diss weaktite either. Robertfripp adjusts well too.

Most over-rated?
I will never ever ever know how AceBong wins a dime. Most people **** on him anyway, but some think he is good. The luckboxes’ luckbox imo.

Who, if anyone, have you met in real life?
No one has visited my living room yet.

Most Tilty?
Sometimes it only takes a few 3bet/4bets to make someone crazy. I have this pro EL GRECO IX calling me down w ace or king hi a few times a day now this past week. Thank you for your $ if your reading this Greco!

Least Tilty?
I don’t notice.

Best table selection?
Not me, I get on every list. 12 deep? Make it 13!

Best short stacker(lol)?
There is this jackass Sarp Overtaman or something. I dont think I have a dollar of his. Of all the shorties, he pisses me off the most. f%$@ the shorties!

A quote from the movie Blow that i play my game by….
“Sometimes you’re flush and sometimes you’re bust, and when you’re up, it’s never as good as it seems, and when you’re down, you never think you’ll be up again, but life goes on.”