Check
ERIC “RIZEN” LYNCH
NAME: Eric Lynch AGE: 27 RESIDENCE: Olathe, KS YEARS PLAYING POKER: 3 years (8 mths professionally) FAVORITE FORM OF POKER: NL Tourneys
I was sitting around at the house of my buddies Matt, Jesse, and Justin (all extremely talented cash game players), and we decide to put together a fantasy team of 20 players each for the WSOP Main Event. During the first rounds of the draft, the picks were exactly what would be expected: Ivey, Greenstein, Lindgren, Seidel, Harrington, etc. As the draft moved on, it became more fun, because now it was a game of who knows his players best. Previous Check profilees Nick Schulman, Darrell Dicken, David Baker, Rob Mizrachi, and Danny Alaei were all scooped up. Then, on one of Jesse’s picks, he makes a little pause before pulling the trigger on the name, and he lays it on us... Eric “Rizen” Lynch. Sighs filled the room. We all knew who Eric was and we all wanted him on our team.
Surprisingly, most pros today have no idea who Eric Lynch is. This won’t last. For those of you who don’t know Eric, I’ll give you the scoop. The 27-year-old Olathe, KS native came blazing onto the online poker scene about three years ago with impressive results. Eric credits his success to his ability to properly analyze and quickly adjust to table/player dynamics that occur throughout a tournament. Whether it’s understanding the different styles of play through various stages of tournaments or how the landscape of the table changes with the introduction of a new player, Eric’s got it down pat.
As for cashes, Eric most recently took 24th and $494K in the WSOP Main Event. But this kid is no one-hit wonder; in the past 12 months he’s won the PokerStars Million guarantee for $156k, took third for $105k in the $1,500 PLH event at the WSOP, first in the EmpirePoker $200k guarantee for $54k, first in the PartyPoker Friday special for $45k, and he took down the Paradise $150k Guarantee for $38k. Eric just began playing live tournaments, and at this pace, he’s definitely a player to watch for.
BRIAN “LXIXME” HANSEN
NAME: Brian Hansen AGE: 21 HOMETOWN: Norman, OK YEARS PLAYING POKER: 2.5 years (9 months professionally) FAVORITE FORM OF POKER: NL tourneys
One of the most enjoyable things about main events for me is trading small percentages with other players. It’s fun to support your friends, not to mention the great feeling you get when they cash big for the both of you.
The list of players I trade with, or have traded, I feel, are all exceptional players, including Nam Le, JC Tran, Kathy Leibert, Mike and Robbie Mizrachi, and Joe Cassidy among others. Most recently, I traded 2% with a relatively unknown 21-year-old, Brian Hansen, in the WSOP Main Event. Fortunately for me, Brian went on to place 42nd and picked up $250k in the process.
I’ve known Brian for about two years now, and I’ve closely watched his online ascent. Initially playing the small $20 and $30 tourneys on PartyPoker, Brian is now playing every size event online and most recently made his way to playing larger live tournaments. His game is solid and aggressive, but at the same time, Brian knows how to quickly shift gears if necessary. Give him a stack and he’s not afraid to use it. Give him a short stack and he knows how to hang in there.
In addition to his $250k WSOP Main Event finish, Brian recently chopped the Titan Poker Million Guarantee with Steve Paul-Ambrose, taking home $215k for himself. Brian currently resides in Norman, OK, and made the decision to play professionally about nine months ago. Given that he will now be putting more time into poker, you should see some impressive finishes on the horizon for the kid.
