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Jenny here and have I been busier than ever but in a very good way. I’ve been looking forward in doing a series of interviews with Doyle Brunson’s “Brunson 10” since I got to meet several of them at the 2010 Punta Cana Poker Classic in the Dominican Republic. Starting off the hand picked pros is Steve Gross. This 24-year-old has won over $5 million and is still going. You can catch Steve aka gboro780 at DoylesRoom.com, which, by the way, has some great upcoming online poker satellites for the upcoming November Punta Cana Poker Classic.
JENNY: You were hand selected to join the family of the Brunson 10. How did you feel when you were selected? And what has it been like to play for such a poker legend?
STEVE: It was a great honor. I'd heard of Doyle starting a team of up and coming online guys and saw some of my friends chosen. When I got the call I knew this was something I wanted to do.
JENNY: How often are you playing online and in live tourneys?
STEVE: I play online 3-4 days a week and the occasional live tourney.
JENNY: Do you prefer online to live or vice versa?
STEVE: I prefer playing online. I just value being able to play from my living room, friends coming over to grind, my dogs, my favorite food and drinks within arms reach, you could go on and on. And you don't have to get on a flight to get home once you're out.
JENNY: What is a good time for someone to find you on DoylesRoom.com?
STEVE: I like to play the Doyle's Bounty tourney, Doyle's Sunday Major and some PLO and Heads Up Sit n Go's.
JENNY: Do you think you’d be playing poker today if the Internet had never been invented?
STEVE: I think I'd still be playing in some capacity but not for a living. Learning and moving up the ranks so quickly in college helped me make up my mind. It's something I wouldn't have been able to do at such a pace without playing online.
JENNY: What’s your game of choice?
STEVE: I like to play the big NLH rebuys.
JENNY: What are you up to right now? And what’s coming up for you in the future?
STEVE: Right now I'm moving into a new home in Vegas with 3 friends who also play poker. When I'm not playing, I spend most of my time with my girlfriend Mandi and my two dogs, Boz and Rita.
JENNY: What’s your ultimate goal at the moment when it comes to playing poker?
STEVE: I'd love to win my share of bracelets and achieve live success the way I have online but mainly I want to enjoy myself and the opportunities the game provides. I'd rather be really good and live a balanced life than be the best and only have poker to show for it.
JENNY: Are there any players out there that you haven’t played yet but would like to?
STEVE: There are tons. I've still yet to play with guys like Phil Ivey and Patrik Antonius who I've grown up admiring and modeling my game after.
JENNY: What key advice would you give someone who’s just getting their start in the game?
STEVE: I'd tell them to try to find their own game through trial and error and playing on their own money before jumping to the training sites and staking empires out there. Back in the day you had to learn the hard way and grind from the bottom up and I think that's the best route for many reasons.
- Jenny Woo, Gambling91.com Senior International Correspondent
