November Nine Member Martin Jacobson Likes his Chances to Win WSOP Main Event
This is the first in a series of Gambling911.com interviews with the 2014 World Series of Poker Main Event final table members--the so-called "November Nine." Interviews with other "November Nine" members will run periodically until the WSOP Main Event resumes in three months.
Martin Jacobson, a a 27-year-old poker pro from Stockholm, Sweden, who now lives in London, England, isn't the chip-leader among the "November Nine."
Far from it.
In fact, he's just one spot from the bottom, with only the eighth-biggest stack at the final table--14,900,000 chips.
But don't, as they say, bet against him.
His track record is impressive.
Among the "November Nine," he's earned the most money from career WSOP tournaments--a total of $1,224,706 from cashes in 15 events.
He's also earned the most money overall among the "November Niners" for a career--a whopping $4,807,316.
In addition, he has the biggest single win among his final-table mates--he won $807,427 when he placed sixth at the One-Drop High-Roller Event at the 2013 WSOP.
So the experience is there.
So is the talent.
But as everyone knows, luck is also a big part of poker.
Will Martin Jacobson be able to capitalize on his experience and talent and add enough luck to overcome a massive chip deficit--the chip-leader has more than 38 million chips--and win the 2014 WSOP Main Event title?
Gambling911.com earlier this week caught up with the swanky Swede and asked him, among other things, how he's getting ready for final table play.
Here is a transcript of that interview:
Gambling 911: What has been the reaction from friends, relatives, co-workers and others to your making the November Nine?
Martin Jacobson: The support has been amazing and was a bit overwhelming at first. When all your focus has been dedicated to playing the best poker you possibly can and you are completely zoned in on one tournament for a week straight, it was hard to allow yourself to feel and let emotions flow again. I think the fact that the final is still undecided, and will be for the next three months, definitely adds to the difficulties of dropping the focus on the tournament. I don´t think the adrenaline rush will completely leave my body until it's all over.
G9: What was your overall WSOP experience like this year and did you get to meet any top pros or celebrities?
MJ: I played about 30 of the preliminary events leading up to the Main Event, without many results. Although I finished seventh in a WSOP $10,000 buy-in, six-handed tournament this year and won $66,000, it didn't cover my expenses for the whole summer, so I had a bit of pressure and some work to do entering the Main Event. My Main Event experience was obviously awesome, finishing Day 1 as the chip leader and then riding the wave for the full seven days all the way to the final table. I actually didn't have a losing level until Level 23 on Day 5 and I´m yet to be all-in with my tournament life on the line, so that is definitely a decent confident boost. It would be nice to be the first person to win the Main Event without ever being all-in.
G9: What will you be doing over the next three months to prepare for the WSOP Main Event final table, which resumes in November?
MJ: I´m actually working on a plan right now on how to prepare myself in the best possible way. While I don't want to reveal any details of the technical aspect, I can say that a big part of the plan will consist of mental and physical work, as well as optimal nutrition. I´m also travelling to the European Poker Tour's Barcelona event which should be fun and a good opportunity to keep my live game on par.
G9: How do you see your chances of winning the title, and who do you think will be your toughest opponents?
MJ: I really like my chances. With 27 live final tables, I got by far the most experience out of anyone, which I think will play a major part since there is a lot at stake. One of my strengths as a poker player has always been to not let the stakes affect my play in any way, so I expect that to give me a good advantage over guys, apart from Mark Newhouse, who have never been in a similar situation before. Tournament poker has exclusively been my bread and butter for six years now. This is what I do and what I do best so I feel very confident going in.
G9: To prepare for the final table, do you plan to extensively research all your opponents as to their styles of play and tendencies, or are you just going to concentrate on improving your own game?
MJ: As I mentioned earlier, I don't want to discuss what my tactical approach will be as I don´t want to give away any information to my opponents.
G9: Have you signed any endorsement or sponsorship deals? If so what, and if not, do you plan to?
MJ: No signings have been made yet, but with millions of viewers watching the WSOP on television, I'm definitely seeing this as a major opportunity to advertise something I would be proud to represent.
G9: Have you sought, or do you plan to seek, advice from fellow players who made Main Event final tables in the past? Who would you like to talk to if you could speak with anyone from poker?
MJ: I might talk to my good friend, Jonathan Duhamel, who won the WSOP Main Event a few years ago, and ask him if there is anything he wished he had done differently to prepare.
G9: What other forms of gambling do you enjoy? Do you like to bet on sports and if so, which ones?
MJ: I sports bet quite a bit, mostly on mixed martial arts. Sometimes on tennis. I prefer betting on sports where there's only two competitors, rather than sports where there are a lot more different outcomes and therefore a lot more variables and variance. I´m also a big fan of the sport, MMA, which helps when it comes to knowledge about different fighters and aspects that can decide a fight. Experience also plays a big part when it comes to finding value in certain lines and to know when to stay away. I follow a lot of different professional MMA sports bettors and compare their breakdown of fights to my personal ones to get a better grip of when there is value.
G9: What other pastimes or hobbies do you enjoy outside of gambling?
MJ: My biggest passion in life is physical training and nutrition. I experiment a lot when it comes to different forms of training and right now I´m all about functional training, which focuses a lot on full body movements to activate several muscle groups in one exercise. I've also started to incorporate more yoga and reiki meditation to find a nice balance between hard physical work and mindful body care. I also experiment a lot in the kitchen, after getting a lot of inspiration and finding interesting articles about different foods' health benefits online. As a former chef I used to be all about taste and presentation. Nowadays my focus has slid to where nutritional value and health benefit come first and taste and presentation are secondary, although I really don't think you need to compromise. I always strive to buy organic and locally produced food as I truly believe it makes a difference for the environment and the nutritional value of the food itself.
G9: What's one thing about you that your fans don't know and you can tell us now?
MJ: I´m a big animal lover.
By Tom Somach
Gambling911.com Staff Writer
