Continued from Part Two…
Telly Addicts
Ian Frazer is most frequently known as ‘The Raiser’ due to his fearless, unrelenting style, but it is perhaps his secondary moniker of ‘Mr. TV’ that is most telling. Having burst onto the scene in late ’05 / early ’06, Ian was famed for his back-to-back titles when he won the 888.com Pacific Poker Open and the Party Poker European Open for a combined $625,000. Unfortunately, his results away from the camera were less meaty, and he quickly developed a reputation of being someone who is “good on TV”.
This label seems to have plagued Ian like a third leg, and over the last few years he’s done his utmost to shake off that unwanted legacy. But with triumph comes jealousy, and the more events Ian falls short in, the quicker people are to cast stones and claim him unworthy of his success. The truth is, however, that Ian was deserving. Like any event, luck is a factor, but Ian came to the those initial TV comps with what Neil Channing would describe as a “firm set of balls”, and the courage to make moves and apply pressure on those more timid. He may have not been aware of the intricacies of the game, but his sheer guts alone were enough to carry him through.
These days, Ian’s game has evolved into one slightly more calculated, and despite an on-off love affair with poker, he is facing 2010 head-on with the intention of taking down a major event. He wasn’t directly invited to the Premier League IV, but due to his sponsorship – earned, we might add, by his previous results and strong personality – was a part of the Party Pro qualifications involving the likes of Mike Sexton and Felipe Ramos. After a dogged performance that showcased his determination to succeed, Ian bettered his fellow Party Pros to earn the final spot in the dirty dozen. Ian might be one of the underdogs of the event, but with his experience as Mr. TV, his matured game, and that good ol’ testicular fortitude, London’s favourite silver fox might just be a dark horse for snatching gold.
Snoopy: I understand you were forced to go the long way round this year…
Ian Frazer: Yes, this year is slightly different, ten world class pros were invited with two seats still to play for: one going to an online qualifier and the other to one of Party’s Team Pros. All six of Team Party Pros had to play three heats to accumulate points which were transferred into chips for the final table. I came second, third and fifth to enter the final with 300,000 in chips. The leader had 400,000 and last place 200,000, so I was in decent shape.
I was very confident going into the final and thought that my experience in this structure would counteract the chip difference. I had picked up some brilliant tells during the heats on three of the players and I knew this was going to be a massive advantage in the final if I just managed to stick around long enough, which is exactly what I did until three-handed where I turned the heat up a bit. It was perfect.
Snoopy: What does it mean to qualify for the Premier League? How high up on the poker calendar is this event for you?
IF: Well, I managed to qualify, and I am now in The Premier League, luvly jubbly. I had played in the first two Premier Leagues but did not deserve an invite last year or this, but hey, they have left the door slightly ajar and I’m in. What a great story for me. This tournament is so prestigious and with the invites being extremely hard to get I am over the moon.
Party Poker had run qualifying tourneys online to get down to 16 winning players, then shipped them all out to Vegas to play in a mini Premier League resulting in one winner getting the $100,000 seat, how great is that? One of these guys is getting the chance of a lifetime. Party have also promised a one year contract for one of the 16 to become a part of Party’s Team Pros. I think this will create a massive online interest for next year’s tourney,
The Premier League Poker Tournament is without doubt the highlight of the year in TV poker and a must for the armchair viewer.
Snoopy: What are your thoughts and experiences of Phil Hellmuth and Tony G?
IF: I really like both these players and, to be honest, if I was hosting a TV tourney they would be the first two names on the list. Phil is the biggest ego in poker, and why not, he is the nearest we have to an ‘A’ list celebrity in the poker world, and he knows it. The mixture of his antics and outer space play at the table are different class and always makes for brilliant TV.
Tony, meanwhile, was famous for his trash talk and the well-advertised blow out at Ralph Perry, but I think he brings a lot more to the game than that (heart & commitment, lol). He is a brilliant player who plays the Premier League format perfectly. Oh, and he knows exactly how to wind Phil up which is what everyone wants to see.
Snoopy: How do you rate Roland's chances and what do you think his strengths are?
IF: Roland has a brilliant chance to win, I have played in and watched a few of his latest TV short-handed games and he doesn’t play bad cards anymore. This was what always used to get him into so much trouble; he would have to three-barrel to get out of jail in a hand. His patience in the last Premier league was unbelievable, so I think he’s developed as a player and now knows what’s needed to win this event!
Snoopy: Do you know much about the new blood: Vanessa Rousso and Yevgeniy Timoshenko?
IF: I have never played with Vanessa but I am looking forward to it, she has a great game and must be respected. Yevgeniy is obviously a class player but his five-minute tanks for every decision are annoying.
Snoopy: What do you think are the key strategies in this type of format?
IF: During the heats it is imperative to try to hang around longer than normal, I would even consider letting my stack reduce to seven or eight big blinds. You need to be in the final, so accumulating points becomes paramount, and an extra three or four points here and there could really make the difference. Once you’ve made the final, you can then focus on just going for the win.
Snoopy: Apart from yourself, who would your money be on to take the title and why?
IF: Now that I’ve qualified, I really fancy my chances, but if I had to bet another it would be JC [Tran], he won this in complete style last year.
Snoopy: You've come a long way since those back-to-back titles in ‘05/'06. Do you think your TV experience helps you much in these big TV events?
IF: Yes, for sure it helps, I think I have played in every format and every tourney on TV in the last five years, from heads-up, team events, six-handed, seven-handed and eight-handed, all with lots of success. Winning the title at one of these TV tournaments is so prestigious, everyone wants one! And let’s not forget BBP’s own Mr. Neil Channing, he is a tactical master at these.
Channing says…
“I love Ian, but do know that he gets very sensitive about people going on about him being good at crapshoots. In general, people think it’s typical for a player to start off well and then play in tournaments that are perhaps too big for them. Then, when they don’t get the success they hope for, they start doubting themselves. I think that Ian was in this boat and suffered from a similar problem. He wasn’t a bad player or anything, it’s just that he didn’t know as much as he does now, but he still had a simple, but effective game that suited the format. He knew when to apply pressure and be aggressive, and he was able to make some really good moves.
I think he got a bit fed up with poker for a period, and he’ll probably admit that if you ask him, but I think he’s beginning to enjoy the game again and it’s showing with how he’s playing. His confidence has really returned. Ian’s always been a good chip-getter, but he's slightly more conservative and thoughtful in what he does now. For example, in the Poker Nations Cup, he had A-K and everyone was thinking it was going to go in preflop, but he just called and saw some streets and saved himself from doing his bollocks. He got criticised, but he defended himself afterwards by saying that he knew his opponent had a big pair so just wanted to see a flop first. I don't know if what he did was right or wrong, but it showed he's being more deliberate in his approach and playing in a slightly different way than before. He's definitely quietened down a lot.
It’s a shame, because he does get a bit of stick to be honest, especially for being in earlier Premier Leagues. One of the years he hadn’t really won much, but got in ahead of someone like Marty Smyth who’d won a bracelet and the World Open. Because of this, I think he feels he needs to prove himself, and it’s made him quite determined to get some big results. I actually think he’s played pretty well on TV recently, although he has been on the receiving end of a few bluffs such as the 5-2 one versus Roland. Some might think they can push him around this year, but he's not a weak link. Whilst I think Negreanu and Hellmuth might suffer from fancy play syndrome and ruin their chances of winning, Frazer could actually pull it out of the bag and surprise everyone because he's so fearless. He's certainly capable of winning as he has a big preflop game which suits the Premier League.”
Read Part Four...
Premier League Review – Part One: Breaking the Mold
Premier League Review – Part Two: Party Politics