Already a well-known and much feared player on the Internet, Grundy began to impose himself on the live scene last year, making the final table of the EPT Grand Final in Monte Carlo, and winning over $100,000 in the process. That win put him in the public eye and he soon had a sponsorship deal with Betfair. Later that year Grundy went on to win the Pot Limit Omaha event at the World Masters in London ($24,230), before finishing 2nd in the Swedish Poker Open ($94,355) and 12th in the Caribbean Poker Classic ($26,100). Then, in March this year, Grundy repeated his success at the EPT Grand Final, this time finishing 9th and picking up $67,451.

Grundy now hopes to take this form to the World Series of Poker, where he planning to play in at least eight events.

Whichpoker’s Malcolm Weir caught up with Ben and asked him about $40,000 swings, and what he’d do if a WSOP final table clashed with an England World Cup final.

Q. First of all, for those of our readers who don’t read your blog could you give them a quick idea about what games you play, what a typical week will net you, and what your best and worst online wins/losses have been.

A. I mainly play £10/£20 PL Omaha, and occasionally NL Hold’em, anything from £2/£5 up to £25/£50. I probably spend about 80% of the time playing Omaha. My best online win in a day is £47,000, and my worst is £53,000. In a typical week I aim to win over £10,000. Recently though, the swings have been bigger in both good and bad ways.

Q. Can you tell us a bit about how you first got into poker/gambling and when you first began to visit casinos regularly?

A. I started playing poker when I was around 10 years old. I live around the corner from Mansour Matloubi, and when he won nearly $1 million by winning the WSOP in 1990 I decided I wanted to be a poker player when I was older. I started playing in casinos as soon as I was 18 years old, and I played a few times a month all the way through university in Cardiff.

Q. Following on that theme when did you first begin to win regularly at poker, and do you remember your first significant win?

A. I was winning right from when I started. My first significant win came in the very first tournament I played. It was a £5 re-buy NL Hold’em game, and I won £180 for finishing 1st. That seemed amazing at the time.

Q. What did you stop doing (work wise) when you decided to become a full time pro? How tough was the decision?

A. I was working as an IT consultant for various companies. In one way it was a tough decision because it was well paid and I could do what I wanted in my free time, in another way it was an easy decision because I didn’t really enjoy it, and was confident I could make a living playing poker.

Q. You have been given (and adopted) the nickname the Milky Bar Kid because of your youthful looks. I wonder if you think this has helped you or hindered you in live games – or has it made little difference?

A. I think it helped me a few years ago. Not so much now. Before the Internet boom there weren’t so many young players around, so the older players underestimated you. Now there are so many good young players around, players realise that most of the young players are good.

Q. From reading back the earliest listed articles on your blog it seems that when you started playing online you were having mixed fortunes, and were playing a lot more live games. Clearly you have been enjoying good times online recently and I rarely read about your cash game exploits live anymore. Has the pendulum completely swung?

A. I think the problem when I started playing online was that it was never a priority. I’d play tired, after a few drinks or when I only had a few minutes to spare. I only started to see a real improvement in my online results when I was able to fully concentrate whenever I played, which only really happened after I gave up my job. I still do enjoy playing live, but the convenience and the fact I can win more online than in the live games available in London, is why I am playing nearly all my cash games online.

Q. On the same note, you used to write in your blog about how many fish there were online when you first started. Have you noticed that change as the number of online players has vastly increased? Do you think the tables you started off on are harder now than they were then?

A. I was playing lower stakes when I started off so the general standard is not as good as it is now. As the numbers of players have increased, it becomes more important to make notes on your opponents. When I was playing the same opponents every day it becomes easy to remember their style. With so many players around now, I try to write at least some useful information about how they like to play.

Q. What’s your view on tournaments Vs. cash? Which are you better at and why do you think that is?

A. This is a tricky one. Over the last 14 months as a professional I have won almost exactly the same at both. If I was pushed, and could only play one for the next five years, I would choose cash. I see cash games as my bread and butter; it’s possible to go months without doing well in tournaments.

Q. Do you still qualify for tournaments online or do you tend to put up the full fee?

A. I’m lucky enough to be sponsored by Betfair poker for tournaments.

Q. You wrote an article once about self-assessment. How would you score yourself?

Game Selection – 6/10
Emotional Control – 5/10
The Mathematics of Poker - 9/10
Keeping Records – 8/10
Psychological Skills – 8/10
NL Hold’em – 8/10
Single Table Tournaments – 7/10
Pot Limit Omaha – 9/10
Pot Limit Omaha Hi/Lo – 7/10
Multi Table tournaments – 8/10

A. I think those scores highlight the areas I need to look at the most: game selection and emotional control.

Q. Does playing with the same people week-in week-out (like at the Vic) increase you edge or weaken it do you think? Would you be better playing in a game where no-one knew you?

A. I think it’s hard to improve playing against the same people every week. I think the more opponents you can play the better. I do enjoy playing where no-one knows me. I’m sure regular opponents have probably picked up information on how I play certain hands. So playing strangers I wouldn’t have to worry that they have picked up patterns in my play.

Q. You and Bengt Sonnert (another BetFair sponsored player) were recently put head-to-dead in a ‘moral-fibre’ and ‘manhood’ test which ended all square with you both scoring an almost respectable 5.5/10. Do you two play much against each other online, and if so how’s the stats?

A. I don’t think I have ever played against him online. I mainly play Omaha and he plays Hold’em. Plus he plays mega stakes like $200/$400 No Limit. I don’t plan on playing that high quite yet.

Q. What’s the social life like on the circuit? Are most of your friends poker pros?

A. I’ve made some good friends on the circuit, which is good because I’m often away for a week or so. I wouldn’t say most of my friends are poker pros though, most have normal jobs!

Q. What’s your take on where the money is coming from in high stakes poker games? Is it rich folk who are learning their skills on high tables or players working their way up the limits? An outsider would be inclined to think most players playing at the high levels must all be there for a good reason – i.e.: they’re all good! But if that were the case it wouldn’t be worth playing there.

A. I’ve often wondered the same thing. I think most of the money must come from rich people who just play poker as a hobby, and don’t mind if they lose. There are some massive losers at the highest stakes online, so they can’t be relying on poker for a living.

ADVICE

Q. You used to write a lot about your problems with playing on tilt. It seems that you have got a measure of control over this although the odd -30k session still pops up. What are you thoughts on playing long sessions, like 20+ hours, and chasing losses; I notice you managed to pull back from -30K swings a few times but is continuing to play after such bad sessions really a good idea?

A. I still tilt far too easily, though not as badly as I used too. I think the maximum time I should play is about 5 hours in one session. After that I think it’s impossible to be at my best, whether I’m winning or losing. The problem is I just hate losing, so if I am down I will often carry on trying to turn things around which has led to some 20 hour sessions. Chasing losses is also something I wouldn’t recommend. I think I’ve been lucky in a way, because most of the time when I have been losing a lot, I’ve managed to turn it around.

Q. Most of our readers won’t be playing anything like the levels you have reached. What advice have you got for players trying to move their way up the levels from $0.25/$0.50, $0.50/$1, and $1/$2 to higher levels. For example what sort of bankroll should you have to play at what level?

A. One thing I’d say is that if you are making a good living and are happy at the level you are playing then you don’t have to move up levels. Players often assume that just because you are winning at one level, they should move up. I know a few players who have the bankroll to play much higher than they do, but choose to play smaller because they can make a stress free living, without risking so much money.

If you do decide to move up make sure you have been doing well at the level you were at for at least a month. Regarding bankroll, for NL Hold’em I’d say a minimum of 2000 x the big blind. So for a $1/$2 game you would need $4000. For Pot Limit Omaha the swings are greater, so I’d recommend more than 3000 x the big blind.

Q. What advice you give players regarding putting winnings into their bank rather than their bankroll?

A. Well I am not great at this. My bank account is my bankroll. I guess you should put a percentage of what you win in your bank account, and leave the rest in the bankroll. I should take my own advice!

Q. It’s natural when players have a losing session that they start to doubt themselves and be very self-critical. I for one know that when I have losing sessions I am extremely angry/disappointed. How did you deal with losing sessions when you first started to play and have you ever doubted, after particularly bad or sustained losing periods, whether you weren’t good enough to play?

A. I know what you mean. Sometimes I win every day for weeks and I feel invincible. Then I go on a run when I can’t win. I have been in a bad mood for days when things are going wrong. I never really doubt whether I can play though, I just keep telling myself that things will change as long I keep making the correct decisions.

Q. What’s your advice on playing medium aces from middle position in a cash game? For example you have Ah-8c middle position in a six handed cash game with no raise before you. Do you just chuck it, or is there value in playing such hands?

A. Most of the time I would chuck it away. The blinds in a cash game just aren’t worth stealing. If you get called and an Ace comes on the flop, you still don’t know where you stand, so the hand has little value. I would play medium aces if they were suited though.

WSOP

Q. Will this be your first visit to the WSOP?

A. I was there last year as well. I played the $10,000 PL Omaha and the $10,000 NL Hold’em main event. I was card dead in the Omaha but was doing ok in the Hold’em till I had KK v AA.

Q. What are your expectations and your hopes?

A. As I am playing around 8-10 events I expect to cash in at least two of them. Hopefully, I will make a final table. That’s my aim.

Q. What is your main reason for being at the WSOP, the money or the glory? What would you rather – win a WSOP bracelet and a total of $800,000 at the WSOP, or make four final tables finishing no higher than 3rd but netting you a total of $1.6 million?

A. That’s another tricky question. I would love to win the big Omaha tournament and would certainly be willing to win a bit less to be able to do that. I’d rather win the $1.6 million at the moment because my main aim over the next year is to buy a house in London. After I’ve done that, I would choose to win the bracelet.

Q. Are there any players you are particularly looking forward to playing against? Are there any players you are not?

A. I’ve been lucky enough to play plenty of the big names already. I’d like to play against Negreanu as he is someone I haven’t had the chance to face yet. I don’t fear facing any players, I just respect their game, and try not too clash to often.

Q. Which of the players you have played with or seen play in the past has impressed you the most and why?

A. Phil Ivey, Marcel Luske and Rob Hollink are probably the most difficult opponents I’ve faced. They are all very aggressive, and I think they are very good at reading their opponents.

Q. Have you thought about the World Cup and how it might clash with your WSOP events?

A. I think the final clashes with the big Omaha event. So if England have made it I will have to make sure that I’ve accumulated enough chips to sit out for 90 minutes!