We’re back with another edition of tales from the virtual rail and this time we’ve been speaking to IAN_FRAZER who recently won a $13,000 package to the Premier League of Poker. When we caught up with IAN_FRAZER he let us in on a few stories including winning at Binions in Las Vegas, Englands chances in the Euro 2012 and his predictions for this years WSOP.
(PartyPoker:Dany Willis): Welcome back to the Party Poker team Ian and of course congratulations on your big win, first things first, I have a sneaky feeling HendonMob isn’t telling us the full story on your long Poker career, rumor is you got your lessons at Binions any truth there? How was that as an introduction to the game?
IAN_FRAZER: – Well everyone thinks I have been playing since dot, but not true I started playing serious in 2005 with very early success, but I did win my first games in Binions. I actually qualified twice for the main event in one day and quickly chopped the chips for cash and had it on the roulette wheel. What an experience that was. :o)
It’s not the First Time
DW: And this isn’t the first time you’ve made it to the Premier League, in 2010 you came back from being practically “card dead” you said to securing a seat. How was the overall experience of playing poker at that level?
IF: Don’t forget Dany, I have already played in 3 PPL’s the first was in its launch 2007 where I made the final and looked every bit a winner for ages until being the first player out after 9 hours of play doh!. Party has tweaked the format brilliantly since then that is why this is the most prestigious TV tournament on the calendar attracting the top players in the world. The PPL filmed in Vegas that you’re talking about was just unique this was probably the most enjoyable yet tense game of poker I had played to date. The whole concept of the Party Pro team meeting in Vegas and battling it out for a week through a league basis accumulating points so as to get the dream ticket of Premier League proper was just mind blowing. The winner got everything while the others absolutely nothing. I was the player at the end who went through but sadly to get pipped at the post by Roland in the HU stages to make the final. But hey from nought-pence to $80k aint bad eh?
DW: Winning Heat 5 must have been a great experience right?
IF: Well of course, I was completely made up with the win it gave me every chance of making the final 8. Although I had been playing very well all through the event It just never went for me at the right time and timing is essential. Phil Laak was running so good even he was thinking maybe he should go to church more often. I remember getting HU with Luke and we had a good little battle (it was very funny, I had only just picked up his side table where he’d kicked it up in the air :o) I love Luke’s game & antics he should never change he is an incredible player.
Vegas Baby, Vegas…
DW: You’ve had a lot of success on the live circuit and clearly seen a lot of the world where on the poker circuit is home for you outside of Croydon? : (Where’s your favorite place to play poker etc, any good wild stories? I’m sure Macau must be up there)
IF: Las Vegas baby……..lol. This is my favorite place in the world, I go 3 times a year for poker and attend at least 1 stag or boys jolly as well. It’s brilliant.
DW: And estimates are you’ve cashed well over a million dollars, but what’s been your favourite most memorable cash?
IF: Since I started I really only played in the TV studios I loved all that malarkey and because I was so successful at it I didn’t really do a lot else until 08/09. Although I won a 5 or 6 tourneys I was too picky and only wanted to go certain places and more for the jolly & the holiday than the poker. I did have a crack at the circuit in 2009/10 and had my worse years of earnings lol. I soon realized that trawling through massive fields just to get to a final table for everyone to want to cut up the prize money wasn’t really my cuppa tea, so I am back to recreational poker and guess what…………….yep I won two tourneys in Vegas and nicked a couple of satellites on Party Poker being the 5 Diamond World Classic & PPL.
Making it big in Macau
DW: We actually first met in Macau where you did pretty well, what was your take on Poker in Asia?
IF: Macau was sick, I absolutely loved it and to be fair I only went there for the jolly with a buddy. I thought that barring a handful of local players the standard was terrible. My buddy Trigger made the final table and he can’t play :o)
DW: You obviously travel a lot with Poker so if we were to have a sneaky look through your iPod what we find?
IF: My music is well bad! I have anything from Frank Sinatra to Snoop.
DW: Okay so if we felt like going up against IAN_FRAZER where could we find him? Mostly online or live and tell us what stakes and games do you normally play?
IF: I have no sponsor and travelling the world entering 10k buy ins is expensive, so I guess I will still do my 3 times a year to Vegas plus anything I can catch via on-line satellites.
DW: Hobbies and interests do you have outside of poker?
IF: Always been a football & tennis fan but in the last year I am hooked on Golf & NFL
Name Dropping
DW: You must have come up against a few formidable opponents in your time at the tables, who are some of your favorite professional poker players? Which players do you hope to play with?
IF: My favorites without doubt are as follows I am sure you can work out why. Devilfish – Greco – Schwartz – Tony G – Matasow – Helmuth
DW: Playing the fun hypothetical pretend game, You win big, I mean James Bond nemesis big, more money than makes sense big, what do you do with it all?
IF: Buy Chelsea FC and show that dumbass rusky how to do it. :o)
DW: What’s the one poker question you’d love for people to ask you but it never seems to pop up
IF: Is Timoshenko real
DW: What do you make of Warren Lush winning “Staff Person of the Year” at the European Poker Awards?
IF: What a geezer!……….loved by all well deserved.
DW: So how did you celebrate your victory winning a seat again?
IF: I was watching Celebrity Apprentice USA while playing the HU and I remember after winning the final hand pausing the sky and jumping up to oi oi Frazer in the Premier League. To be honest it was a bit of a relief because the runner up got nothing and it was a long old’ slog.
Euro2012 predictions
DW: Talking of victory what’s your predications for the Euro and England this summer? Who’s your money on?
IF: England are in so much trouble I couldn’t bet them with your money Dan.
DW: Back to Vegas, will we be seeing you there this summer? Any predictions?
IF: Oh god yes, gonna final table the seniors there so bad.
DW: Well good luck and see you in Vienna!
All Aboard for WPT Vienna
Vienna will be the center of the poker universe in early April, with the Premier League action leading right into WPT Vienna, which is looking to build on the success it saw in its first stop ever there last year.
PartyPoker online players can grab their $7,000 WPT Vienna trip packages in the weekly online finals that run every Sunday, offering the perfect way to get your very own taste of World Poker Tour action.