Raigo Aasmaa and Girlfriend Ainika Bobrovskaja Having a Blast at Cash Game Festival
PokerNews caught up with OlyBet Pro Raigo Aasmaa and his girlfriend, Ainika Bobrovskaja, shortly after they enjoyed themselves on the £1/£1 feature table earlier today. As a couple, they won £55 on the table, with Aasmaa finishing ahead £126 and Bobrovskaja losing £71.
Both players were very excited to be part of the Cash Game Festival, and we spoke to the couple about it.
"I love the Cash Game Festival," Aasmaa shared with PokerNews. "It is the second stop after Tallinn, which took place in my home country of Estonia. It is a bit different with more people, more tables, and more and different stakes. It is fun."
He elaborated that having fun is important to players, which means it should be important to festival organizers since players will be more likely to return for future events.
"The main thing is that it is fun!" he stressed. "You should have fun when you are playing. Even for me, as a professional, it is very important for me. I will have great memories and will want to come back for future stops."
Fun was had by all on the feature table, each for their own different reasons. Aasmaa shared he had fun since the stakes were relatively stress-free for him.
"I loved being on the feature table, because for me the stakes were real low," explained Aasmaa. "I usually play online cash games instead of live. I typically play $1/$2 and $2/$4 pot-limit Omaha, and sometimes $3/$6 and $5/$10."
Bobrovskaja also had fun while playing, although she admitted that she came more for shopping and good meals, other than for playing poker.
"I am not a poker player," Bobrovskaja said with a big smile. "But yes, it playing is fun. I came here because I wanted to do shopping and fine dining. And OK, I played some poker."
For someone that doesn't consider herself to be a poker player, Bobrovskaja does seem to love the game, and we asked if she planned to play any more poker during the London Cash Game Festival.
"No, that is not enough, I am going to play more," she said.
Aasmaa explained that Bobrovskaja has yet to hit her stride.
"She came here to play just a little bit of poker, and we arrived here at 11 p.m. and she played, busted, and today played and busted a little bit," Aasmaa said.
Apparantly the couple discussed a plan where Bobrovskaja should only be playing the top hands of the game in pocket aces. It appeared to those watching the feature table that Bobrovskaja wasn't one to get involved in too many pots, so whether or not the couple was joking is up for debate.
"The plan for the feature table was to only play aces," laughed Aasmaa. "... ace-king, you know the drill."
Bobrovskaja added, "I wasn't getting aces, I needed to play ace-king."
Her response was in the second-to-last hand on the feature table when Cash Game Festival co-founder Martin "Franke" von Zweigbergk announced to the table before the hand he was going to be getting it all in. Bobrovskaja left him no choice when she open-raised from early position to £90. Von Zweigbergk called with 
, however, both players wound up losing when they were unable to improve their hands against Fuad Matatov, who right after von Zweigbergk called with 
.
The couple also shared that they love travel, and poker gives them that opportunity to do so. "I have been traveling around the world to places like Las Vegas, Barcelona, and Prague," shared Aasmaa. "She has played a little bit, but usually a bit more in Las Vegas since the stakes are lower and the fields are softer. Often lots of old guys on $1/$2 and $1/$3 no-limit hold'em are playing pretty soft. Also, they pay-out more because she is a girl."
Aasmaa also explained while laughing that when his girlfriend wins, she "gets the money to go shopping!"
Bobrovskaja agreed with a chuckle stating, "I play one night, and next day I buy one new dress."
Shopping seems to be a good way to keep Bobrovskaja motivated with her boyfriend explaining, "You must be motivated. When she is not motivated she is not playing her 'A' game."