2014 World Series of Poker Main Event Champion Martin Jacobson reveals all on an Ask Me Anything on PokerVIP including his use of performance enhancing substances, how much he took from that $10m paycheck, and much more.
The 2014 World Series of Poker (WSOP) Main Event champion, Martin Jacobson, has appeared on an Ask Me Anything (AMA) on PokerVIP.com. The Swedish star has been popping in and out of the site for a 72hr period that ends 23:59 March 30 (GMT).
The last time I checked in on an AMA, it was to learn more about Antonio Esfandiari on Reddit. Unfortunately, the former One Drop winner misunderstood the concept and didn’t realise that he had to answer the questions people were posting.
Jacobson is doing a much better job. I’m not sure if it will be all over by the time you read this, but you will never get a better chance to ask the usually shy and retired Swede some questions.
Let me catch you up on the highlights thus far:
When asked how he studies, Jacobson said he likes to spend his time watching videos on RunItOnce. He also said he prepares for tournaments by ‘ensuring he gets enough sleep, eats for performance (I love that), exercises, meditates, stretches and takes brain enhancing supplements.’
The brain enhancing supplement that Jacobson is referring to is a nootropic known as CILTEP. The Natural Stacks website states that CILTEP is ‘designed to initiate Long Term Potentiation, the underlying mechanism for achieving motivation, concentration, and memory.’
Renowned biohacker Abelard Lindsay created the supplement, and Jacobson said he believes the effects the supplements have on people are ‘individual’ and ‘special’. Jacobson advises people to try it and see if it helps while admitting that finding that ‘extra edge’ in modern day poker ‘even if it’s minimal’ is vital.
The question of motivation arose. Something you would expect after winning $10m in a single tournament. That’s not true. Jacobson put that one to bed by advising the forum that he only had 50% of his action, and that’s before he gave $250,000 to Raising for Effective Giving (REG).
Jacobson said that he has had motivational issues from time to time since the win until he reminded himself that he never got into this game for the money. About his affiliation to REG, he said he chose the effective altruists because he didn’t have the time to research the best causes and “so REG became a perfect fit since that’s basically what they do.” He also vows to continue donating 5% of his future winnings to charities backed by REG.
If anything is going to get his mojo going again, it’s going to be the Global Poker League (GPL). Jacobson has tweeted in the past his support for standing in the cube and is delighted to have been chosen to represent Marc-Andre Ladouceur’s Montreal Nationals in the inaugural event.
“I fucking love our team!” wrote Jacobson before continuing, “I honestly feel like we are the overall strongest team on paper right now, and it’s only going to get even more complete once our wildcard is announced.”
His use of the singular leads me to believe that Ladouceur will be choosing himself to represent to Nationals.
When asked who Jacobson believed his most dangerous opponents were on paper he responded that London and LA ‘looks pretty favourable when considering most matches will be heads-up.’
Last but not least Jacobson may have won the WSOP Main Event, but his first appearance in the world’s greatest poker tournament didn’t start off quite as well.
When responding to a question about how he managed to climb through the ranks, he explained how he used to play Step Tournaments, won a seat in the WSOP Main Event in 2008, travelled to Las Vegas under his own steam and busted in the third hand.
