Pre EPT Monte Carlo Interview with Patrik Selin

Rebecca Liggero
Rebecca Liggero
April 25, 2010
8 Comments

Patrik_being_interviewed_2[1]Seeing as I was temporarily “stuck” in London due to volcanic ash, I decided to make the best of it and use the time to catch up with old friends, enjoy some fantastic meals, spend time with colleagues, and interview Patrik Selin, the Bodog Network CEO. I was able to catch Patrik over lunch just before his trip to EPT Monte Carlo where he is very much looking forward to playing poker with a €1,000 bounty on his head.

PatrikandBecZafferandoDuring our interview, I wanted to find out from Patrik himself what he expects to accomplish at the EPT, how it feels to have skilled poker players gunning after you, and his thoughts on the current poker scene. As an added bonus, Patrik is a man of fine taste and high class, so spending time with him is always a pleasure and always comes along with a wine-filled three course meal at a top London restaurant. Bottom line, I think its safe to say I will be doing a lot more interviews with Patrik Selin from now on…

Pre EPT Monte Carlo Interview with Patrik Selin, Bodog Network CEO

RL: With the 1K bounty you have put on yourself, many people will be gunning for you at EPT Monte Carlo, and does that add to the pressure?

PS: I think it’s going to be fun – some will know about it, some won’t, and some will hear about it from others when I join their table, but either way they will get a nice bonus when they knock me out.

RL: You have won big tournaments before – so how confident are you that you can get into the money here?

PS: You don’t buy-in unless you expect to win- just like buying a lottery ticket, you buy the ticket because you think you can win. That said this is a big tournament with all the big players so it will be tough and you always need an element of luck in this type of format. If I get that slice of luck, I think I have good chance of taking something back home. Statistically speaking, I’d say a 20% chance.

RL: EPT San Remo had record entries last week which suggests the poker scene is in good health. If this is the case, why are people saying the poker scene has peaked?

PS: Poker is now referred to as an industry and if you go to any gaming conference you will see more operators, software providers, networks and, of course, players than ever before. Its getting more competitive, that’s for sure, and the smaller companies will struggle to maintain their liquidity. However, the big companies are enjoying record success and it is inevitable that as the online industry grows so will the appetite for players to test their skills in a live environment, hence we are seeing records broken there too…and that is before you talk of new territories that are starting to discover the game as well. The figures certainly don’t point to a decline at all.

RL: Live tournament play demands a lot of patience, something I know you have plenty of – unless its bad food – so how do keep your focus?

PS: It’s natural for me – I don’t even have to think about it. I learnt to play on National Service in Northern Sweden, and believe me, there’s not much to do up there, so when you are playing you want to stay playing or its back to the tedium!

RL: Do you think having a bounty on your head could actually help you at EPT Monte Carlo?

PS: Of course the big stacks will attack me, they will call me with a wider range of hands and hopefully play looser than against another player so, yes, it could be beneficial – if so I might do it again in the WPT Grand Finale in Paris next month…

If you have any further information related to this story that you would like to share with us privately please click here.

Can't get enough CalvinAyre.com? Follow us on Twitter and Facebook, then you'll never miss out on the latest gaming industry news.

Share
Tags: Article, EPT Monaco, Patrik Selin
Views and opinions expressed are those of the Author and do not necessarily reflect those of CalvinAyre.com
  • http://CalvinAyre.com Calvin Ayre

    Patrik you rock….poker needs a CEO that has Poker Soul!

    c…..

  • http://www.facebook.com/people/Alicia-Ruhland/568217585 Alicia Ruhland

    Nice interview! Smart man!

  • SouljaM

    a thousand pounds for Mr. Selins Head? Will he be a good match against James Bond (Daniel Craig)?

  • http://calvinayre.com/2010/04/26/online-gaming-news-article/major-players-gather-as-ept-grand-final-begins-is-monaco/ Major players gather as EPT Grand Final begins is Monaco

    [...] border to try and prove that last week was no fluke. There are millions are for grabs including a €1,000 bounty stumped up by Bodog Poker CEO Patrik Selin for anyone who knocks him out of the tournament. Other [...]

  • usernamed

    Yeah – like this sort of thing – good to see some people still thinking rather than just counting their money. Go Patrik

  • usernamed

    Yeah – like this sort of thing – good to see some people still thinking rather than just counting their money. Go Patrik

  • http://calvinayre.com/2010/05/06/online-gaming-news-article/david-williams-not-with-bodog-any-more/ David Williams not with Bodog any more

    [...] not with Bodog any more Peter AmselThursday, May 06, 2010Just to set the record straight, we asked Patrik Selin, CEO of Bodog Poker, to explain why he hasn’t renewed the contracts of any of the male poker [...]

  • http://calvinayre.com/2010/05/06/poker/david-williams-not-with-bodog-any-more/ David Williams not with Bodog any more

    [...] any more Peter Amsel May 06, 2010 View commentsCommentsJust to set the record straight, we asked Patrik Selin, CEO of Bodog Poker, to explain why he hasn’t renewed the contracts of any of the male poker [...]