Sit-N-Go with...Joe 'Hoodini10' Udine
Hello Joe! We all know you by your online name “Hoodini10”. First off, tell us how the WSOP went for you.
I kept the WSOP more low-key this year than last year. Last year I rented a house for the summer with a few friends and sort of overexposed my roll to a lot of events at the WSOP. This year I knew I had to be home mid-June for my brother’s graduation from Penn State, so I made two separate trips. I went out and played a $2k and $1,500 6-max at the WSOP, then fl ew back out for the Main Event. In between I played the Borgata Summer Open which featured a $5k Main Event. It attracted a great fi eld and it’s also close to where I live in Philly. I played well all summer, but nothing major to talk about happened. The WSOP was really exciting because my close friend Chris “SLOPPYKLOD” Klodnicki made a deep run in the Main Event. He solidifi ed himself as a force to be reckoned with. It was great to see him have success because we sort of play a similar style. We’ve talked through countless situations together. Hopefully I’ll get my big break soon as well!
Yes, Chris Klodnicki did have an incredible WSOP. How do you guys know each other so well?
We grew up together in Voorhees, NJ and both went to Eastern High School. We also played baseball together for a few years during childhood. We played smaller home games recreationally throughout high school and then both started taking the game more seriously in college. He had already read some books and taught me how to think about the game in different ways. It just took off from there. After graduating from college, he qualifi ed for the WSOP. I had just returned from Europe, where I was doing some backpacking. Chris staked me in a $1k Bellagio Cup Event, which I chopped for $70k. That was the start of my poker career. Afterwards, things picked up online and I took down the fi rst event of FTOPS 1. It solidifi ed my roll to make poker a living.
You said you guys play similar styles, what is your style exactly?
CAPABLE! After having ample experience in this game, you need to have all styles available to you at anytime. I don’t like classifying my play as loose-aggressive, nitty, or anything like that. Basically, I like to gather as much information as I can in each situation and just adapt and allow it to refl ect in my play at that particular table. There are so many ways to approach the game and each situation is different. As a tourney player you need to take into account your position in the tourney and its structure, as well as the surrounding players. That is why I love playing tournaments and the deep thinking involved in certain spots.
When making the transition from online to live poker, what are the biggest differences you have found so far and what do you do to adjust?
Essentially there are no differences in the actual game – it’s still poker. Live poker brings along more variables to deal with obviously. Some are easier to account for than others. My approach is to just imagine myself playing an online tourney. Most of my experience is in dealing with betting patterns, and the many different infl ection points that are present throughout a tournament. Live poker can add so much more to your game as you feed off of what the other players give you at the table. I’m not big on live tells yet. This is mostly due to my lack of experience in the live arena. I do believe there is value in them if you are good at it. You can see your opponent and hear him talk about the game, his life, and where he’s coming from. This can add a lot of value to your game plan at each particular table. Many people give so much away and you need to stay focused and pay attention. This is a big positive about live poker. The variables that are more diffi cult to deal with are handling your surroundings well and creating an atmosphere where you can remain on your game. Also, you have to stay focused for multiple days while grinding at a live event. It takes more discipline and patience to be successful in the live arena. At the same time I believe online poker is just training for the live arena. There is greater success both fi nancially and professionally by playing live.
Yes indeed, but you must love just being able to play poker from your house.
Of course! Online poker gives people a chance to succeed in this great game. Many wouldn’t be exposed to the tournament arena unless they had access to a casino where a big live circuit was taking place. For this reason, I hope the U.S. government regulates online poker to keep tournament poker strong and moving into the future.
Do you have any advice for newbies on bankroll management?
Sure. I have enough experience with it as I previously mentioned because of my over-exposure to bigger live events last year. It’s hard to give general advice on how to manage someone’s fi nances. It all depends on that person’s goals and abilities in poker. The most important thing for someone who has decided to pursue poker as a profession is to separate their living expenses from their poker bankroll as they get going. Once the bankroll surpasses a certain point to where they are comfortable with managing things, you can then adjust your risk to what you feel is appropriate to achieve your goals. If you just want a conservative approach for MTT players, I’d say have 100 buy-ins for the level you are planning to play regularly. This should be enough to handle the variance and build thereafter. Also, many newbies may not be accustomed with staking deals or swapping percentages in tournaments. My only advice on this is to make sure you conduct this type of business with people you know you can trust. You should make sure everything is mapped out so both parties are on the same page and in a position to have a successful relationship.
Here is an example: say you are an average player who won the PokerStars Sunday Million for $200k. Should you cash out a decent amount to show for your earnings, or do you keep it all in there and play with it.
Again, this will all depend on the individual’s goals for himself or herself in poker at the moment of the win. If you plan on pursuing tournament poker after a win like this, make sure you account for outside expenses (travel, rent, mortgage, etc.). Part of being successful in this game is knowing what you need to be prepared for. You need to work hard to keep getting better and learn more. If you have the right mindset, anything is possible.
Can’t you write off your traveling expenses if you fi le to become a professional?
Yes, but it won’t get written off until you actually fi le for taxes. Meaning, you still need to have that money on the side to use. There’s a lot of overhead involved with traveling to live events. If you don’t manage your money right it could seriously cut into your profi ts. Well, hopefully you’re winning a lot more than that, but still.
Alright, we all know you have made a lot of money playing poker, what is the best toy you have bought for yourself?
Ha-ha. If I had a best toy, it would be a sick car. I live in the city now, so I got rid of my previous one. I really don’t know. I just like to surround myself with nice things. I love to live and eat well too. My girlfriend, Alexis, could probably answer this question better than me – too many trips to Gucci for me!.
What is the best and worst aspect of being a poker player?
I’ve been playing poker for two years professionally since graduating from UPenn. I can only answer from my experience. Everyone in the poker world isn’t going to have the same answer to this of course, depending on who they are. I was very serious about sports throughout childhood, high school, and college (where I went to play baseball). Poker is an arena that allows you to be as competitive as you want, depending on how much work you put into it. When people say it’s “a hard way to make an easy living,” they speak the truth. There is no easy way to become a successful poker player. You will inevitably run into bumps along the way, but only the strong minded will persevere in this game. That is why I love it so much. I studied game theory as part of my Economics degree at UPenn. I get to utilize this along with other deep-seeded thoughts and strategies that I have learned along the way through playing, reading, and adapting. It allows me to never become bored with poker. Also, poker affords me the opportunity and means to travel the world and maintain the lifestyle that I chose. I answer to nobody about my fi nances, etc., but myself. The downside to all this is that in order to be successful in pursuing this type of ‘entrepreneurial’ lifestyle, you need to train yourself to be very disciplined, patient, and balanced. Nobody can teach you those kinds of things in a book or on a training website. It is through hard-earned experience and dedication that the success will come. Also, you need to put forth a good effort to maintain healthy social interactions with your family and friends away from poker
When you are not playing poker, what are you doing in your spare time?
I really enjoy spending time with friends, traveling, playing golf, playing sports, and working out. I basically love being active. I also want to make more of an effort to read lots of books in my spare time. Learn more about investing and trading, which is what I’d probably be doing if I wasn’t pursuing poker.
If you could bust anyone or take their whole bankroll, whose would it be?
If I could take anybody’s bankroll it would have to be Bill Gates because he just has way too much money. If it had to be a poker player, I’d probably say Phil Hellmuth. It’s not because he has the most money necessarily, but because it would probably be the most entertaining. Ha-ha.
You just won the WSOP Main Event and you became famous overnight. You’re in the VIP section with your entourage. Tell us, who’s the hottie on your lap at Tao?
Alexis (my girlfriend) won’t like this answer, but it would have to be Scarlet Johansson. She is simply amazing!
Well Joe, it’s been a very insightful interview with you and it was fun. We wish you the best of luck!
Thanks a lot, I enjoyed it!
