Been in Lithuania recently taking long walks in the woods with Zasko – the weather is cold, it has been snowing heavily but I feel alive.
There are bears in the woods (are there bears in Lithuania? Do bears sh*t in the woods?) but with my faithful gladiator beside me I know I will always be protected.
I’m continuing my philosophy to ‘Play Less, Win More’ and it is very going nicely thank you. I am looking ahead positively to the WPT events in Vienna and Bratislava and seeing that plenty of you have qualified every week.
The real question, however, is whether you would have really ‘qualified’ in the eyes of Tony G!
Only time at my table in Austria and Slovakia will prove if you have what it takes. Talking of someone who ‘qualified’ – congratulations to Andrew Robl for his deep run in the NBC Heads-Up Championship – how did you get in – just hang around the bike shed outside Caesars poker room waiting for someone not to show up?
Congratulations too to Erik Seidel on his win, what a run he is having and what a thoroughly good and funny guy he is. During the highroller at the Aussie Millions he said he would sell all his bracelets to me for charity – he is also a man that knows the role in life for man’s best friend. Legend.
What it takes to keep up with the kids
Join Kara Scott, Mike Sexton and me at WPT Vienna! Win your $7,000 package for free! – Tony G
While legends like Erik are showing they have more than what it takes to keep up with the kids (please note Mr Hellmuth) I have increasingly noticed the rise of the new generation of young players in Europe – kids, who in some cases, cannot play in the US yet because they aren’t old enough but are taking the online and live circuits by storm.
First of all there is Mad Marvin Rettenmaier, a German of true character. Normally most of these young players that come out of Germany are trained by German Shepherds and are purely boring mathematical players with no heart and commitment. I don’t care if your chances are 72.8% – I want to know if you have the balls to push all your chips in.
Anyway, Marvin, despite the art school scarf is a different creature. He has the Germanic mathematical game but he has heart, he is winning, he gets drunk, he loses his passport – he is also running good. Make the most of it Mad Marvin. I saw this video below of him when he took down a big tournament in France. He can sing too – get this boy on German Idol. In fact, fancy a singing contest in Vienna?
A poker player who can sing who actually has star potential? This guy is no Marcel Luske. He is also a bit of a laugh. The first time I met him he told me to get on my bike and then I heard about his behaviour at the end of the WPT Venice Main Event.
It was about 5am and the production team was desperate for it all to wrap up. They were doing the presentations and Mike Sexton was reaching ‘all your cards be live and pots be monsters’ time. Up pops Marvin, well oiled from finding the jagermeister in the staff bar out the back and shouts ‘GO MIKE SEXTON.’ Mike laughs, Marvin’s friends try and shepherd the German out of the room while the production crew are furious. GO MAD MARVIN!
Anyway that’s enough of me writing about new talent for the time being. Everybody knows I have an eye for new young talent, I am keen to give them a guiding hand. I am better at spotting the potential of up and coming females but next time I want to write about my son John Eames, Dominik Nitsche and the likes of Per Linde. Don’t ever say that I don’t have a forensic eye on the scene.
