Simon Ravnsbæk was studying at an advanced business school and then he discovered poker. So what do you do when you find you’re getting better and better at poker?
This could work
Simon Ravnsbæk started with poker in 2005. Together with his friends he was drinking beer around the table, while cards flew through the air. Simon soon discovered that the game suited him remarkably well and capabilities stretched to more than home games, so it was not long before he was active online.
Since then it has been a great deal of live tournaments here we caught up with him at the WPT Venice and he’s had a lot of cashes, where the biggest one came last year during the WPT Vienna, where Simon could put $241,000 into his pocket for a third place in the Austrian capital.
But Simon is actually a cash game player, and when we managed to catch up with him he dived directly into it.
SR- I may not have the traditional entrance to the game with tournaments and freerolls. I went directly into the full ring cash games. It was 9- and 10-handed on PartyPoker at that time when the Americans still were there. It was insane juicy cash games, so I went fairly rapidly from 0.5/1 to 2/4, and wasn’t there also 3/6 at that time? And finally, I was up on 5/10.
Hard to find time for both school and poker
SR – The Problem was that I found out that the more time I spent at poker, the better it turned out for me. It meant less time for studying and the natural consequences of that, but today I am happy that I managed it anyway, and got my bachelor’s degree in 2008. It’s always nice to have something to fall back on.
Life as a professional poker player
SR- Yes, I have lived professionally as a pokerplayer since 2008. There are still many who look strange to me when I tell them what I do. And when you meet one, it’s very nice to be able to tell them that you actually have an education.
Choice of games over time
SR – Nowadays I switched to shorthanded (6 persons) and Heads Up cash game. I’ve had some sparring with my friend Jakob Tøstesen and as a result of that, the choice came down the two game types. It has also made me a better tournament player, so eventually I started to play tournaments every Sunday.
When you run deep in a tournament, the prices rise explosively eventually and it is here that the many hours at the small tables and heads up benefit you. That I am running good at the moment I ow to my experience from the cash game. In that sort of way, my entry to the game has been completely different than, for example. Frederik Brinks, who has only played tournaments.
Danish champion
– There is no doubt that the Danish championship probably feels like the biggest win I’ve had. Just that you know all the heads you played against and to be at the top of the podium at the end, it was a really great feeling. And then it’s probably the only chance I’ll ever get to call myself Danish champion at anything…
And although Simon has been around the world and played WSOP, EPT, Partouche Poker Tour, Master Classics and The Nations Cup, it’s still the two WPT final tables that have made the greatest impression.
SR – It was not until the final table at WPT Venice and Vienna it dawned on me how big it really is. A gigantic show. I grew up with Mike Sexton and Vince Van Patten on Danish television, and suddenly you are a part of it yourself. It was fantastic.
Life outside of poker
SR- Of course there is more to life than poker. But right now I am not thinking about what I could do instead. I think when that time comes, I’ll find out what I want. It’s also a question of what can be allowed or what abilities you have. I could imagine to start something myself, but will not refuse the possibility of more studying. It could be a good challenge.
I try at the same time to keep a good contact with friends outside the poker environment. When you are in the center of it, so things can be a little “gambling addiction like”, and it’s very good to have contact with the “normal” world.
Advice for beginners
SR – It’s hard to start today. I was lucky that I started at a time when the game was completely different. It has become incredibly easy to become skilled today, making it extremely difficult to make a living out of it. Anyone can very quickly get coaching, watch videos on the web or otherwise acquire knowledge. I didn’t have those opportunities, so the only advise I can give as I have used myself are hours … lots of hours in front of the screen. The more time you spent, the more experience you get.
BRM (Bank Roll Management)
SR – Of course you have to have it. However, I have not had an actual formula for it, since I basically have always been very conservative. It may sound a little sacred, but I’ve never gambled for money I couldn’t afford to lose and I have never gone broke – and it will not happen. Maybe it’s a matter of practice at keeping things down to earth?
Vegas and the WSOP
SR – I have doubts. Last year I was there a whole month and this is a very long time when you are in Vegas. Right now I do not think that I am leaving, but I also know that when the time is approaching, it starts to tingle in your fingers. Should I go, then it would only be around the main event.
Qualify to Vegas with PartyPoker
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