Owen Robinson was one of the few Graders to play heads-up cash over the six-weeks, and in doing so racked up a phenomenal amount of hands. Although heads-up is renowned for it’s volatility, Owen finished the Grading as the biggest winner by some way, despite his EV graph suggesting he should have won over twice as much as he did. Nik highlighted him as an intelligent and thoughtful player, a compliment that his soon-to-be-released video sessions will surely justify.
27-years of age from Wexford Town in the south east of Ireland, Owen is a part-time poker player who, until recently, worked an office job at the local council. Due to government wage bill cuts, he’s currently undertaking a voluntary subsided career break for three years in order to pursue other ventures. As well as trying to make his way in the poker world, Owen plans on getting an M.A. and travelling part of the world.
Snoopy: How did you get into poker and what attracted you to the game?
Owen Robinson: I got in to poker via a similar route to most - I'd imagine, as part of a home game mid week as an excuse to meet up with the lads for a few beers. It was, and still is, a great way to have fun and socialise. I watched it on telly, I deposited online and my interest grew from there.
I am competitive, and that aspect is definitely what attracted me. The personalities were very engaging too, you would get to root for a certain player, and I still think that aspect is huge in selling the game. The further you delve, the more you learn about the depth and complexity to the game, and the more it draws you in. I have always played cards, always played games, so I think it just appealed to my personality.
By the way, I have to give a shout to the MBSOP players (Main Boys Series Of Poker), that's the weekly game. We're such chumps, we started to play for imaginary bracelets and have interviews with the winners, it’s always in good fun.
Snoopy: What is your experience so far? Are you a tournament or cash player?
OR: The vast majority of my experience is online, although I play regularly enough in the Quay Casino in Wexford too. I started out playing SNGs for 50 cents or $1, and made five $10 deposits. At some point on the fifth one, I won a $2 MTT for like $300 and that set me on my way. I eventually migrated to cash games and moved up stakes gradually. That bankroll was run up to a healthy sum and my regular game would have been multitabling $1/2, comfortable at $2/4, and I have taken a few unsuccessful shots at $5/10, but we live and learn.
Recently, I have switched to playing heads-up cash, starting at $0.25/0.50, and currently playing $0.50/1. I feel confident that I have the beating of $1/2 too, and it is a matter of running up a ‘roll where I can play that comfortably and cope with the variance. I believe strongly in working your way up through the limits as the best way to learn and improve, although I know and understand the argument for playing bigger right away. I love playing tournaments too, and have a decent record, but I definitely see myself as a cash player.
Snoopy: What are your goals in the poker world? Will you always play poker?
OR: My immediate goals in poker are: to improve and move up the limits at heads-up cash, to play tilt free sessions, and to be professional in my approach generally. I would also like to take up Pot Limit Omaha seriously as I feel like that is a game that could be very profitable once you have gotten to grips with it.
I'd like to improve to a point where I could be confident that if I needed to depend on poker as an income, that I would be good enough to do that. It has been a solid supplementary income for some time and I am proud of that. I think that setting yourself goals of winning a WSOP title or whatever can't come until you take on the challenge of improving and that is the only aspect that you have control over. Having said that, obviously I would love to have that kind of success one day. I would also love to get lucky and have some success in the next few tournaments for Black Belt Poker and repay the faith shown in me by Neil, Nik, and the team.
I will definitely always play poker, I love the game, and it gives me a lot of joy and satisfaction to do well. You can always play those home games and love that. My granny is an octogenarian and still plays bridge four nights a week, so you don't have to win the Main Event to enjoy playing cards.
Snoopy: If you could steal the skill of one famous poker player, who would you choose and what skill would you steal to strengthen your own game?
OR: Well, the poker player I admire most is, without doubt, the late, great Chip Reese. Doyle says that he just had some qualities that no one else had, so whatever that was, I'd like to have. He is universally admired and respected by his peers because he conducted himself with class and dignity at all times at the table. He consistently beat the biggest games in the world for decades, which shows professionalism, dedication, determination, and control. He was also a family man that created a loving and stable environment for his kids to grow up in. The point is that he was well rounded in poker terms, and in life in general, and I suppose that is something that I would like to emulate.
Snoopy: Tell us something about yourself that we don't already know...
OR: I used to work as a tour guide in a heritage park, where my job was to dress up as an ancient Celt and take groups around the park, talking about the recreated monuments on display. Ringforts, longships, stone tombs, monasteries, the whole lot. It was a great job; you were outdoors all day, got plenty of exercise and got to meet and talk to lots of different people. I am a sociable person, so it was great, and given my appearance, it was the part I was born to play.
Snoopy: What was your overall experience of the Grading?
OR: The experience was fantastic. It was tough, but I feel like I learned a lot. Trying to be disciplined about the hours that you play is difficult, and does take a lot out of you, particularly when you are trying to deal with things in your everyday life as well. Building a network of poker peers is something that I think will be really valuable and I would like to continue to build on that so I can have people that I can trust and rely on for opinion and advice. It hit home the need and importance for working on your game outside of the hours that you are playing. I would recommend it to anyone that is in any way serious about poker because you get a lot out of it, and get to meet some great people.
Snoopy: A lot of people struggle at $0.25/0.50. How did you find it and what were your observations?
OR: I think the big thing about $0.25/0.50 is that you are likely to get called down by opponents and so it is important to keep your discipline and not try to run too many huge bluffs or complex plays. ABC poker is the most successful style at lower limits. There is no point cursing someone for calling you down light, it is incumbent on you to identify that this is the kind of player that will do that and play accordingly. I think that holds true right up the limits - solid poker will always have a huge part to play, hand rankings never go out the window, and a flush always beats a straight. Knowing when, and against whom to deviate away from is increasingly important as you move up.
Snoopy: Were you confident heading in? How about at the end?
OR: I was confident that I was good enough going in, but not necessarily that I would make it. You have to do a lot of things well, and it is a long six weeks. I had tough points, and crises of confidence along the way, but I do honestly feel that I am good enough and worthy of the challenge. At the end, I felt that I could have improved in every single area, but was happy that I had given it a decent shot. I would actually love to do it again, and I think most people would say they would do certain things differently, but I was happy with it.
Snoopy: What do you think the Grading revealed about your game?
OR: I still need to improve, I still need to be more disciplined. It revealed the value of discussing hands with other people, which is something I want to do more frequently, and the importance of properly getting to grips with my HUD [Heads-Up Display] and getting the most out of it which is something I have only superficially tackled and aim to utilise to a greater extent.
Snoopy: What was the toughest challenge in the Grading?
OR: For me, it was the hours, because I was playing heads-up, it put huge strain on me and meant I had to forego a lot of my time to make a dent in it. In conjunction with that, it is hard for the people around you to see you putting in the grind and sometimes being irritable or stressed, etc, but in the end it was all worth it. I want to thank my girlfriend, Triona, and everyone else for putting up with me.
Snoopy: Have you been to the Irish Open before? Do you have any strategies heading in?
OR: I haven't played the Irish Open before but I did play the Irish Winter Festival, which is about half the buy-in, a year or so ago. I was actually at Liam Flood's table, as I was at the London Live, and I am two for two in last longers with 'the Gentleman'.
My only real strategy is to get to know my table and identify who is doing what, and play accordingly. There will be good and bad players at each table and I'll try to play more hands with the bad ones. Don't be nervous, and don't give in.
Snoopy: What's more important to you - the Irish Open title or the money? What would you do with the money if you won?
OR: I'll have to ask Neil what he reckons the title is worth monetarily in terms of the ancillary benefits that come with being Irish Open Champion because I reckon if you were smart that could be worth just as much as the actual prize money in the long term. The money for sure is key but I'd take less money to win the title and I will play to win, however much good that'll do me. There would be a huge party if I won, and I would look after the people around me.
Owen's articles:
Advocating a Switch: An Introduction to Heads-Up No Limit