Previous Best of British Interviews...

#1: Kara Scott
#2: Adam York
#3: Jamie Brown

Name: Karl Mahrenholz
Position: 114th
Prize: $40,268
BoB Ranking: 7th

Snoopy: Obviously you were disappointed with your near miss in the Main Event, but how was your WSOP overall?

Karl Mahrenholz: Excluding the Main Event I guess it was disappointing not to get a deep run at a bracelet. I managed only one other cash in which I did have a stack going into Day Two but things didn't really work out. In the first Pot Limit Omaha event I lost a huge pot for around eight times the average to eventual winner Jason Mercier, all in with the nuts (top set of aces) and a straight draw, but failing to get passed his flush draw. I knew the winner of that pot would go very deep, so it was a bit gutting to miss out.

I managed to make it a profitable time though nonetheless with some good cashes outside the Rio. Being able to rail my good friends (James in the Main Event, JP winning his bracelet, Jeff coming second in the Pot Limit Omaha, and Praz’s seventh in the six-max) made it an awesome and extremely memorable trip. The best yet.

Snoopy: What are the dynamics of the team during an event? Do you text each other?

KM: In smaller events we'll keep an eye on each other during the event and chat about hands on the breaks, but at the WSOP texting does come into it much more when there are so many tables everywhere. We'll still meet up at the breaks though to an extent if possible. It's not at all distracting, there's nothing more exciting than making a deep run at an event with some of the other boys. It all adds to the adrenaline.

One of the most disappointing things about my exit from the Main Event was not still being in with James. Those six days were some of the most exciting ever.

Snoopy: Do you sell pieces of each other?

KM: Yes, we swap percentages in events that we all play, which included the Main Event.

Snoopy: Are you a serious team in Vegas?

KM: Very much so. Staying in a house away from the Strip and having time to reflect and chat together after each day's play was a great help. Obviously there are non-playing times in which you can all enjoy yourself and Vegas is a great place with lots to do.

Snoopy: You had an active start this year? Tell us about that.

KM: Despite the best intentions to play tight early on in the Main Event, I lost a lot of chips early trying to run a big bluff on someone who I guess I really shouldn't have. I hadn't taken enough time to profile the players to work out who could and who couldn't fold a hand. I soon found out that he couldn't. I still had chips to work with and waited patiently for some spots and managed to double up a couple of times to finish the day with just over starting stack.

Snoopy: Is this really the year's weakest field?

KM: My table draws were really bad this year. I never really found myself on a table with anyone who just couldn't play. Most of my tables were full of young Internet superstars. Chatting to other people in the breaks and at the end of the day, the value was certainly there... just not on any of my tables!

Snoopy: The bubble is a testing time. What were your experiences of that period?

KM: I had a comfortable stack on the bubble and so it wasn't really a problem for me. I wasn't able to take advantage of the bubble too much as there was a queue of aggressive players to my left waiting to three-bet at every opportunity, so during this period I was playing quite solid and straight forward. The bubble didn't seem to last too long. I had a couple of friends who were still in who don't play poker full time, and so I spent time checking on them to make sure they were OK and giving them advice on how they should be playing

Snoopy: Did you come up against any big names?

KM: Not many real big live pro “names” on my tables. I was sat next to [David] Benyamine on my final table on Day Six. He was playing surprisingly tight given his reputation. I think a lot of the big players actually do play very solid in the Main Event - everyone is super keen to do well and realise the structure is such that you can be very patient and wait for the good situations to come, and the bad players to give you their chips

Snoopy: What was your exit hand? Was it tough railing James after being eliminated?

KM: In the period leading up to my exit I simply couldn't win a hand. When I three-bet I ran into a hand and when I just called I got outdrawn by worse hands that would have folded to a raise preflop. I got dealt A-Q about 12 times and didn't win with it once.

In my final hand I squeezed with A-Q after a late position raise and a call from the button. When the first raiser moved in I knew I was beat but given the amount of money already in the pot I decided now was the time to go for a stack rather than trying just to ladder up the places. I missed against kings and that was that, 114th place. Immediately after my exit I went back to the house, but I was back the next day to make sure James made it through.

Snoopy: Can you tell us about the best hand you played during the tournament?

KM: Hmm, I can't really remember many hands in detail but I'm assuming I must have eventually ran a successful bluff. The most memorable hands were where I got my big double-ups that I had waited patiently for. I learnt my lesson after Day One and was playing a much more patient game.

One hand in particular sticks out. An aggressive player raised from early position and I just called behind with A-K suited. It was a particularly active table and the potential for a squeeze behind was high. The button did reraise and when the original raiser flat called I moved in. The button folded, and although the original raiser eventually called with queens, I felt like I'd found a way to leverage my chips well and there was a good chance I could have picked up a sizeable pot without a showdown. The fact that I won the race and picked up a pot to take me well above average makes it one of my favourite hands of the event.

Snoopy: What are your views of the tournament?

KM: Great event, the triple starting stack added even more play than in previous years. I can't think of anything significant that I would change, and look forward to getting back there next year!

Snoopy: How much of a relief was winning the Cardiff GUKPT? Is there competitiveness between team members?

KM: Cardiff was more of a relief because during that week I'd had a tough time online so needed a win to get out of it, more so than feeling any pressure to prove anything to anyone. I've run quite bad when deep in a lot of events and when my kings got cracked in a huge pot earlier on that final sending me down from the chip lead to 10 big blinds, I assumed it was a case of here we go again. That made the eventual win all the more satisfying.

There's no pressure between team members. A result for any of us is a result for us all in that it shows just how much we are learning and improving together. We all understand how poker works, everyone gets their time and we are lucky to be able to enjoy it five times over

Snoopy: What are your goals for the next 12 months?

KM: In the next 12 months, I'm hoping to help us progress together as a group and to continue to play my best and keep improving. As a group we've got lots more big results in us and the next 12 months should be an exciting time.

Karl Mahrenholz is a friend of Black Belt Poker and is a signed member with a profile page.