PokerNews On the Felt – Nicki Pickering Talks About Playing Poker in São Paulo and Around the World
Nicki Pickering may be one of PokerNews’ video hosts, but she’s much more than that. When she’s not in front of the camera, she’s a poker grinder and a real estate agent. Over the course of the week, Pickering was invited to participate in both the Flop O Mania and Charity Invitational tournaments where she made the final table of the charity event and came third in the Flop O Mania Invitational. We wanted to catch up and talk with Pickering about her experience both on the felt and behind the camera as well as about her poker game as she gears up for the Ladies Event which kicks off tomorrow.
How does it feel to transition between behind the camera and behind the felt?
Behind the camera and behind the felt? I’ve been around poker for… Gosh. Over ten years now. I’ve always really enjoyed the game. I think it’s really amazing, the opportunity that I’m getting anyways, and that a lot of people get from this game. It’s awesome. It can take you all over the world. I love it. I really love it. And I think that my game is getting so much better. Both on camera and on felt, my game is getting there. I think that big things are going to happen for me in poker.
What is it about playing and reporting that you think is making your game better? Or how do see it improving?
I guess because I’m always immersed with some of the best, all of the best poker players actually, and continually interviewing them and asking them about their game and what their strategies are, and watching them play. And now with the live streams, it’s even cooler because I can actually see it from that point of view as well. So it’s just growing and there’s a lot of new players in the game, but still you see a lot of the old school pros still in the game as well.
When you play with players like Leo Margets, and Tiffany Michelle and Kara Scott, do you feel like you’re on par with them?
Well, we’ll see. The last two tournaments that I played were the Flop O Mania and the Celebrity Charity Event. It was all for fun. Essentially just an invite only freeroll. I mean, normally when I play the adrenaline will get to me a little bit and I’ll have to… My fingers still shake from time to time, especially when I first sit down. But last night it was so much fun. I didn’t really feel nervous or like I was the underdog in anyway. And maybe that was because I did actually grow my chip stack substantially. So I felt comfortable. But the true test will be when I play the ladies event with them tomorrow.
What’s your strategy for tomorrow?
I think maybe in general ladies… well, I don’t know to be honest. I used to think that in general ladies play tight. I thought that about Sofia last night. But I do have a feeling that I let her bluff me from time to time. But I’m just going to go in with some confidence and just have fun.
What do you think about playing with guys like Denilson and Cafu?
It’s a lot of fun. The language barrier makes it even more fun because you’re learning new words and they’re learning English. We’re learning Portuguese. It was awesome. Everyone is just having fun. They haven’t played a lot of poker so helping them with their game also added really cool elements to the game. And it was obviously for a really good cause so.
Is this your first experience playing poker in a foreign country?
No I played in my very first gig for PokerNews in 2011. I played in the ladies event in Peru, back in the days when Lynn Gilmartin was still la part of PokerNews. I’m pretty sure we had a last longer then, and I busted out first and I had to scull [chug] a Pisco Sour and that was a lot of fun. Where else have I played? I played in Vegas for the World Series. In the Philippines for Deepstacks Manila. Mainly Australia and Asia is where I get to. But I am planning on playing a lot more poker over the next few years.
What do you see in your poker future?
Hopefully more travel, more opportunity. I think I really want to start focusing on my game a lot more. Now that I do feel a lot more comfortable with my game. I do have a better read of where I’m at, and where other people are at. I feel like I do have a really good ability to read people. I’ve been in sales and real estate now for five years. Real estate has helped my poker game and my poker game has helped my real estate. Especially when it comes to reading, like what people have and what people want. It’s almost like I know when to hold ‘em if I’m in a business transaction, or negotiating. Or when I can push it further. I think that comes from poker, like knowing when to bluff, when to call, when to hold and when to fold. It translates both across poker and sales.