Lander Lijó Talks Overcoming Downswings, Final Tables €10,300 EPT Barcelona High Roller
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Lander Lijó originally wanted to be a doctor when he grew up, but it wasn't in the cards. Without the grades required for medical school, Lijó followed his passion for playing basketball to a major in sports science at a university in Vitoria in the North of Spain, not far from where he grew up in San Sebastian. There, he discovered poker with some friends, and the rest is history.
With over $900K in tournament winnings, according to The Hendon Mob, Lijó is not new to the live poker scene, though the majority of his 71 live cashes have come within the past three years. His poker record is characterized by volume and consistency with an impressive 26 five-figure live cashes to his credit.
The Spaniard has yet to book a six-figure payday on the live felt but that will change today in the PokerStars European Poker Tour Barcelona €10,300 EPT High Roller where he has made the final table. Out of a total field of 540 entries, Lijó finished Day 2 leading the final 26 players, one of three players over 2 million chips.
"You start thinking, maybe I'm not able to be a winning player, but it's normal. It's a tough job."
Though he's won two smaller titles when the tour was branded as the PokerStars Championship in 2017 — €2,150 No Limit Hold'em Turbo and a €550 No Limit Hold'em Turbo — a win would mean his first major EPT title and his largest cash by far at €1,005,100. He's already locked up his biggest cash to date as eight remain at the time of writing.
Online Start
Known as "TuA133" online, Lijó now resides in London with friend and fellow grinder Jonathan Concepcion. When he's not globetrotting to play in live events, Lijó's daily routine includes a workout, lunch, some poker study, and playing online from the comfort of his home.
He got his start as many do, playing small-stakes online in 2009 and it didn't take him long before he was winning consistently and decided to give professional poker a try. Asked what qualities make him a winner in poker, Lijó cited persistence and hard work.
"Keep trying, keep working and maybe one day, you can get there."
"I work a lot, very constant. Like if I'm in a downswing, I work double. I don't give up so I think that's the thing that makes me a winner at poker. I never give up, I try, I keep working and studying."
From his SharkScope graph, you can see that Lijó began really building his bankroll, helped along by winning a PokerStars SCOOP Big Antes tournament in 2012. In that one, he outlasted a field of 9,995 entries plus 11,891 re-buys and 7,032 add-ons to collect $42,544 and he kept going from there. The next two years were a slow and steady grind but in 2015, he experienced a long downswing, something he's had his fair share of over his relatively short but promising career.
"You start thinking, maybe I'm not able to be a winning player, but it's normal. It's a tough job," said Lijó, who also shared how he has been able to overcome those tough times. Besides working even harder, he thinks it's also important to take some time away from the game.
"Just go out with my friends, with my girlfriend. When you play poker, at the the computer or at the table, you have to [take your mind off it sometimes] because if not, it'll kill you."
Bouncing Back
After a tough 2015, Lijó bounced back in a big way in 2016 with some deep runs both live and online, including banking another COOP title to top his biggest cash at the time. He bested a field of 3,014 to win the WCOOP-13: $215 NL Hold'em Progressive Knockout for $100,613. It was a dominating performance too as he eliminated seven players at the final table on his way to victory.
While he was happy to win the WCOOP title for his biggest online score, Lijó explained that the pain of losing is stronger than the excitement or emotion that comes from winning, as many players will attest to.
"My girlfriend told me like, 'Come on you won all this money and you are like [not excited].' I don't know. It was amazing of course but we need to just keep working."
The following year saw more downswings online for "TuA133" though he booked nearly $400,000 in live cashes, including his two PokerStars Championship titles. He was back to his winning ways online in 2018 and has produced a steady stream of cashes online and live from that time. Here's a look at his five online wins he's posted since the start of last year.
| Date | Event | Guarantee | Place/Entries | Prize money |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Feb. 4, 2018 | $530 Bounty Builder High Roller | $350K | 1/1,292 | $50,890 |
| March 5, 2018 | Turbo Series 73: $109 NLHE 8-Max, Progressive KO | $300K | 1/5,799 | $55,915 |
| March 30, 2018 | $1,050 Thursday Thrill Progressive KO | $250K | 1/274 | $55,598 |
| Jan. 30, 2019 | High Roller Club: $1,050 Super Tuesday | $150K | 1/5174 | $35,080 |
| Feb. 27, 2019 | High Roller Club: $1,050 Daily Cooldown 8-Max, Turbo, Progressive KO | - | 1/103 | $37,026 |
Above results according to SharkScope.com
Live and Online Balance
While he has played more live high rollers in the past couple years, Lijó generally sticks to 10K buy-ins and under and only plays the high roller events he thinks are the best value.
"I like a mix, when I'm tired of online, I come play live," he said.
Of course, playing at home in front of a computer is the most comfortable, but Lijó also enjoys the atmosphere of live events and meeting new people. Another benefit of online are the big prize pools, and he's taken advantage of those a fair amount over the past couple years especially. Though he's been having success, he admits it's is tougher these days than when he first started out.
"I work a lot, very constant. Like if I'm in a downswing, I work double."
"There are a lot of solvers and people play pretty great." But it's nothing that some hard work and determination can't overcome. For players trying to climb up the stakes as he has done these past few years, the Spanish poker pro has some tips.
"Work, study, and keep trying. Don't stop trying because maybe it never comes, you never know, but you have to do what you think. Keep trying, keep working and maybe one day, you can get there."
Follow the live updates here at PokerNews to find out if Lander Lijó can book his first major EPT title in the PokerStars European Poker Tour Barcelona €10,300 EPT High Roller.
