Lee Davy sits down with Oliver Price to talk about his recent decision to play the World Poker Tour Main Event in Cyprus, gauge his view on the re-entry tournament format, and much more.
A final table at the World Series of Poker, and a final table at a European Poker Tour Main Event, proof personified that Price is either at the top of his game or is running like a poker God.
Could he make it a Triple Crown of final tables?
For the longest time it seems as if he would.
Moments before our interview Price became the chip leader WPT Cyprus, with fewer than 30 players remaining, after Antonio Buonanno had gone a little crazy, with pocket kings, on [Jx] [8x] [7x], and Price was sat holding the nuts.
How did that feel?
“Of course, it felt pretty good. I had to double-check my cards to make sure I had it. I thought I would have had a sweat though. I thought, he must at least have a set, or at least top two, so when I saw kings I knew he was pretty much dead.”
I don’t see Price at many WPT events.
“This is only my third event. I played the LAPC, in March, and the Shooting Stars after that. There aren’t too many of them in Europe and I tend to play the bigger buy-ins. This one seemed in a nice location and I had a lot of friends coming over here.”
His friend is railing the interview, so I ask him to describe Price?
“He’s generally a nice guy, lazy but a great player.”
And what does Price do when he isn’t playing poker?
“I like to go out, travel and play a bit of guitar; football and a bit of squash.”
How does Price handle the swings?
“If you want to play poker professionally, you have to learn to deal with it. It’s a game that gives so much and asks for so little. Busting, and getting close, it’s something you have to learn to deal with. When the money gets big, there may be a bit of anxiety, but I’m relaxed today for example.”
What’s his view on re-entries?
“I don’t like to see re-entries in the Main Events, but on a personal level I do like the opportunity to re-enter when I have travelled so far. It does make the tournaments tougher, because it’s the regs re-entering and not the recreational players. But I’m not complaining.
“I’m not entirely sure it’s great for the game though. If I was a recreational player, who thought about it, I may not play. I know I only have one bullet, and the recreational players only have one bullet, whereas the rest of the pros have multiple bullets.”
What did you do before poker?
“I found poker pretty young. I was playing when I was 14 so it was always poker for me. I have never had a job, and I have never given it much thought.”
Do you think about a future outside of poker?
“It would be silly to give it up. I will push it as far as I can, or get fed up with it. I am always looking for other possibilities outside of poker so we’ll see.”
Does he work hard on his game?
“I am guilty of relaxing too much. When you have big results you can get a bit full of yourself and improving is not as important as it was. But the guys at the very top are always working at their game and getting better, which is why they are where they are.”
Price was eliminated in 11th place after a huge, chip lead pot, against Nicolas Chouity. It was QQ v AK – with Price holding the queens – the flop gave Price top set, but the turn handed Chouity Broadway and Price was eliminated just short of his third major final table of the year.
