Interview with TheTakeover

Liquidpoker:
Well, first of all, for anyone who doesn't know who TheTakeover
is could you give us your name, age, and location?

TheTakeover:
Nick Schulman, 21, Manhattan


Liquidpoker:
How long have you been playing poker for a living? How long have
you been playing it total?

TheTakeover:
3 years, about 2 for a living.

TheTakeover:
But the first year i was broke all the time


Liquidpoker:
You're very well known on Pokerstars as TheTakeover. Do you have
any other online AKAs you would be willing to tell the public?
Perhaps on other sites? Or do you play as TheTakeover everywhere?

TheTakeover:
Mostly TheTakeover, some other names.

TheTakeover:
Im oohpartypoka on party. It's a reference to their awful
commercials.


Liquidpoker:
You recently won(destroyed might be a better word) WPT-Foxwoods.
How'd that feel? Did you expect to do as well as you did?

TheTakeover:
No, I definetely never expected to win. I didnt even go there
for the tourney, I went mainly for the cash games.


Liquidpoker:
Well it definitely paid off that you went. Was this your first
big live event, or have you gone to others? If so, how'd you do?

TheTakeover:
That was my 2nd tournament, the 1st was the Borgata Open.

TheTakeover:
That was a trainwreck, I busted out in level 2 with one pair.


Liquidpoker:
You didn't go to WSOP last year. Is it because you weren't 21?
Do you plan on playing it this upcoming year?

TheTakeover:
Ya, i wasnt 21. I'm definitely going this year.

TheTakeover:
Although that tourney is nonsense.

Liquidpoker:
Good side games though, aren't there?

TheTakeover:
Im not sure, I've never been, but I would imagine, yes.


Liquidpoker:
Well, since you just recently turned 21, am I right in assuming
you've spent the majority of your career playing online? I think
I recall hearing something about you playing in live clubs in NY.
How often do you do that?

TheTakeover:
I play in the city quite a bit, though a lot of the clubs just
got raided.

Liquidpoker:
Could you explain what you mean by raided? Shut down?

TheTakeover:
Yea, by the cops. Poker, sadly, is illegal if not in a casino.


Liquidpoker:
What games/limits were you playing when you did go to the clubs?

TheTakeover:
Mostly 5-10 no limit, or 30-60 hose, but sometimes i play

300-600 hose.


Liquidpoker:
What games/limits do you play online these days? What sites?

TheTakeover:
I'm playing live a lot more nowadays, but on stars I still play
10-20 or the limit games(100/200 holdem, 75/150 Omaha hi/lo),
and I'm gonna get back on UltimateBet soon.


Liquidpoker:
You won the 700k Guarranteed Tournament on stars a couple months
ago. Have you had any other real big online tourney finishes?

TheTakeover:
Not really.

Liquidpoker:
Well do you have any memorable moments in your online career?
Perhaps an epic HU marathon or something?

TheTakeover:
I beat erik123 consistently playing the 5k hu's on Pokerstars.

That's about it.

Liquidpoker:
That's pretty impressive.


Liquidpoker:
Alright. I know alot of newer poker players are going to be
reading this, and inexperienced players love to complain about
bad luck. Can you remember your worst bad run? Perhaps to put
things into perspective for them.

TheTakeover:
Well.. It just comes with the territory, it's tough to put into
words.

TheTakeover:
Everything can just go wrong in poker for an extended period of
time.

TheTakeover:
But it always comes to an end.

Liquidpoker:
Sounds like you have a good mindset for handling bad luck.


Liquidpoker:
What do you think is your best game? Which is your favorite?

TheTakeover:
I used to like nl holdem the most, but now I probably enjoy the
other games a lot more.

TheTakeover:
My favorite game is probably stud 8, and although I guess I'm
most at home with nl holdem, I hope that will change to the mixed
games.

TheTakeover:
I feel pretty at home with hose, but not yet @ triple draw.


Liquidpoker:
What do you think is the best way for a new player to improve?
Are there any books you would recommend?

TheTakeover:
Supersystem for sure, probably anything by sklansky too. That's
about all I've read.


Liquidpoker:
Poker has really boomed these last couple years. Where do you
see poker in 5 years from now? Do you think the craze will die
down?

TheTakeover:
I guess it probably will, but who knows it might get bigger.
It's tough to say.

Liquidpoker:
Fair enough.


Liquidpoker:
The majority of poker professionals love all types of gambling.
Do you do any gambling outside of poker?

TheTakeover:
Not really, I used to do a little sports betting here and there
but I try not to these days.


Liquidpoker:
Your girlfriend was railing you for support at WPT foxwoods. How
long have you 2 been together? How'd she react when you won?

TheTakeover:
We've been together like 4 years now. Shes really happy about
all of it.


Liquidpoker:
OK, a couple final questions.

Liquidpoker:
If you had to pick one player who's game you have the most
respect for, who would it be?

TheTakeover:
Thats a tough one, because I havent really played with any of
these top guys.

TheTakeover:
A few of my friends I really respect online.

Liquidpoker:
Well then pick out of the people you have played with.

TheTakeover:
Prahlad(Mahatma, Spirit Rock) is probably the best no limit
player I've faced.

TheTakeover:
I've watched Phil play, ( ivey ) hes pretty scary. Allen
Cunningham too. He's awesome.


Liquidpoker:
And now the final question.

Liquidpoker:
What's your favorite hand?

TheTakeover:
AA

TheTakeover:
Sorry to dissapoint everyone.


Liquidpoker:
Is there anything else you wanna say to the people reading this?

TheTakeover:
As far as poker advice goes I'd say take it one hand at a time.
I guess that's all.


Liquidpoker:
Well, thanks for the interview, and best of luck in the future to
you.

On November 29 2005 20:10 asdf2000 wrote: TheTakeover: AA

Who does not like it More interviews like that and more news from poker pro community , anyway good job so far

Good interview.

Anyone have a picture of him? Or video footage?

More pics of his girlfriend maybe?

Nice interview travis, keep'em coming!

also what does "hose" mean?

horse?

http://www.cardplayer.com/poker-tournaments/event.php?id=2757&screen=images

has pics

naw, hose is different than horse

hose is mixed games of:

Holdem, Omaha Hi/lo, Stud, and Stud Hi/lo


I have no clue what the "e" on hose stands for. Then again I have no clue what the "e" on horse stands for.

hm, i assume the "e" stands for eight or better.

i thought it was hold em, omaha, stud, stud 8, but travis is probably right


horse contains razz, hose doesnt

ooh hot gf

sexy name, yelana, i like it

On November 29 2005 21:17 BigBalls wrote: hm, i assume the "e" stands for eight or better. i thought it was hold em, omaha, stud, stud 8, but travis is probably right usually referred to as horse, but razz sucks ass

im not sure if you were just saying this and worded it weird but horse is different than hose in the fact that it contains razz

yeah i just worded it horribly

good interview.

Good interview! I hope to see many more of these.

Picture from www.cardplayer.com for those too lazy to go there .

Something really funny about that picture. It looks like hes about to conjure fire out of thin air or something.

Great one! Also I was always interested who is asdf2000 on stars. Did he play SC and what's his aka if ye.
How many years Nazgul play poker to this moment?
I play Limit little less 1 year Limit but can't move higher than 10/20. I feel i'm simply getting outplayed at theese limits.

to this moment i think nazgul has been playing a little over 2 years

I've been playing for like 25 months, myself.

I did play broodwar. I was mostly known as johnsears/kiddie-/liquid.venice

Just WOW! 2 powerful mind protoss gamers owns top PS stakes. I've had a few great games with you on TLTour ladders xDDD

nice, more info how he became good would be great :o

Poker is depressing game, i have been playing poker for two month and i am stuck to 5/10 cent tables, despite i play a lot. it's really annoying T.T

Good morning LP.net, and good work. Nice interview!

On November 29 2005 23:35 asdf2000 wrote: to this moment i think nazgul has been playing a little over 2 years I've been playing for like 25 months, myself. I did play broodwar. I was mostly known as johnsears/kiddie-/liquid.venice

Then weve played a few times ^^ cool

Nice
But make interviews with LP.net players too (i mean Nazgul,Rekrul,Travis and some others[=)

liquid.venice used ot be my b**** on wdt i remember lol... we used to play mad pxp

Yes the 'e' in hose stands for eight or better..

nice interview travis.. i do think takeover could have tried abit more with his answers.. but you see that a lot in interviews with known people..

good itw

Put asdf2000 as the interviewer instead of liquidpoker, it would look much better imo. Nice interview though.

Why would that be much better.. if some people just scout the title.. interview with takeover.. it's more clear as to whom is asking the questions I think..

Liquidpoker.net interviewed TheTakeover, not me.

I already knew the answer to most of the questions I asked him.

I want to see travis interview himself.

nice one

On November 30 2005 08:50 Mig wrote: I want to see travis interview himself.

i guarrantee that would be hilarious.

so make it [=

travis: What's the best experience you've had playing poker?
travis: Well this one time i shroomed, played a little 100/200, capped preflop, flop and turn with rags and got a guy to fold the river with a 3 bet bluff!

hardy har har

rofl

On November 30 2005 08:18 asdf2000 wrote: Liquidpoker.net interviewed TheTakeover, not me. I already knew the answer to most of the questions I asked him.

You're probably right, it was just a short interview covering the most important facts about him. I'll rephrase my request: I'd like longer and more in-depth interviews, where you don't know all the answers to the questions you ask and where it becomes more like a dialogue between the two of you. Then you put your name as the interviewer .

That wasn't possible with nick since I know him fairly well.

next time, ok.

Its cool that you guys are doing interviews. The guy didn't seem to have much of a personality though... still good read.

Interview with tillerman would be sweet since he's extremely successful and a well known gamer. He also seems more talkative from his blogs, so It could be more interesting.

I'm pretty sure this site is not supposed to pander to the gamer audience.

As far as gamers turned poker players Tillerman may be very successful, but as far as top poker players in the world are concerned he's nothing special.

At least that's my opinion.

If I do interviews I want it to be with top players. Interviewing thetakeover was actually pretty borderline in my eyes, but I guess recently winning a tourney for over 2mill made him a worthy interview.