Patrik Antonius: Changing the Game
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Finnish poker pro Patrik Antonius loves when the EPT comes through his neck of the woods to the beautiful city of Monte Carlo on the French Riviera. He said as much today when talking with PokerNews presenter Sasha Salinger during Day 1b of the 2019 PokerStars and Monte-Carlo®Casino EPT €5,300 Main Event.
"I wish we could always have the event here — my favorite place for EPT," says Antonius. "Also, Barcelona is nice obviously."
"I want to change the game to be better for the future."
Having been in poker for many years, Antonius has had a front row seat to the evolution of the game on many fronts, and he sees a lot of recent changes being detrimental for the industry. While many players out there may talk about what needs to change, few are actually proposing changes and trying them out as Antonius is doing.
"There’s a lot of things that I want to introduce to the poker world to make the game better. We have an amazing game, but... still we can adjust some little things to make it better."
Change in Action
Antonius has found a new playground for trying out his ideas in his new namesake poker tour, the Patrik Antonius Poker Challenge. The PAPC held its inaugural stop at the Olympic Park Casino in Tallinn, Estonia last month where some of the high rolling Finn's innovative live poker ideas were put into practice.
"We have an amazing game, but... still we can adjust some little things to make it better."
In the PokerNews video below, Antonius talks about some of those changes, including the advanced shot clock he deemed a big success. He also shared some other ideas that he plans to apply at future to-be-determined PAPC events, including modified shot clocks for cash games and some new rules against covering necks and faces to conceal live tells.
"I don't even ask poker to be more entertaining in general," he explains. "I just want the players to enjoy playing more."
Elements like shot clocks that speed up the flow, he claims, do just that. And although he lived through what some might call the golden years of poker, Antonius has no misconceptions about returning the game to its previous form.
"I’m not trying to live in the past," he insists. "I want to change the game to be better for the future."
Looking for a Back-to-Back FT in Monte Carlo
Antonius is now in the money in the EPT Monte Carlo Main Event, heading into Thursday's Day 3 with a healthy chip stack. Antonius is looking for continued success at his favorite stop in the very event in which he took sixth last year. Rather than feel added pressure to outdo that finish, the seasoned pro thinks it’s actually more the opposite.
"No pressure, but obviously, you know, when you have a good experience, it kind of helps the mindset."
Photo courtesy of PokerStars.
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