CONVersation: Angell Steps Up His Game
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First there was the European Poker Tour, and then PokerStars introduced regional tours around the world. These were lower buy-in events, specific to a region, and they offered grass-root players the chance to play tournaments with the feel of an EPT but for a fraction of the price and still with a great structure. Players got the chance to see if they had what it took before they attempted to play an EPT, if they so wished.
One of the most successful incarnations was the United Kingdom and Ireland Poker Tour (UKIPT), now into its fifth season. A familiar face from that tour is the UKIPT4 London2 Champion Brett Angell. He took a second on the tour (Nottingham Season 2) before taking down the stacked London event last October for $184,991. He also came very close to defending his London title, coming seventh at the opening leg of Season 5 in London a couple of months ago.
PokerNews caught up with Angell before he took his seat for Day 2.
PokerNews: You’ve made Day 2, how’s your seat draw looking?
Brett Angell: “It looks good actually. There’s Martin (Jacobson) I recognize; Carlo Citrone, who I know from back in the UK; Sofia Lovgen, who I’ve never played with but I’ve seen her about, and three short stacks.
Martin is chip leader but his hands will be tied a little bit as he has the one, two and three short stacks behind him so hopefully he can’t run over the table too much.
Do you have any special plans to deal with someone of his stature?
Not really, I’ll just see what happens [nervous laugh]. I don’t think he’ll be able to run over the table, like I said, as he has three 15-big-blind stacks behind him. I can’t see him opening too light and he'll have position most of the time, but I will have it some of the time.
How did your Day 1 go?
Started really well and I built up a big stack. It got up to about 70,000 and then I lost a 40,000-pot with ace-king against eights really late on. I bagged up 45,000 for 50 something big blinds so I’m happy enough. It is a bit frustrating to be up there and be knocked back down though.
This is you second-ever EPT Main Event; tell us about the circumstance that brought about your first one.
I’ve played a few UKIPTs, but not them all as I still work full time. I get to the ones I can and obviously I went on to win London so I decided to jump straight into the EPT the next day to see what is was like. I think I had a pretty rough table, and again, I started okay in that one but I was very tired after the day and the night before. It probably wasn’t the best decision to jump in but you’ve got to try!
Did the tiredness effect you more than you thought it would?
It definitely did. The UKIPT was so draining and I had lots of battles with Vladimir (Troyanovsky), which meant I could never switch off. The final didn’t finish too late – maybe half-eight – but I obviously went out for some drinks, nothing too heavy, but then the Champion of Champions Event* was ten the next morning so I was up at half-eight getting ready for that and then straight into the EPT. It was tiring!
You still work full-time but after winning all this money with a win and a second-place in finish in two UKIPTs, have you ever thought of quitting your job and going pro?
I work in IT for a company back near where I live, a 9-5 thing. It has crossed my mind to quit and go pro a few times but I think it’s really tough without playing online and I don’t really enjoy it all that much. I much prefer live tournaments as I get a much better feel for what’s going on. I can never put the volume in as I’m working and then every time I play online I’m tired after being at work all day so I’m not playing my A-game.
Maybe, if I took six months out from work and gave it a shot, I’d enjoy it more. A lot of my friends who play full-time don’t particularly enjoy the hours they have to put in online to make a profit and I can’t see myself wanting to sit in front of a screen for 12-16 hours a day. I enjoy the live environment and talking to people and coming to places like this. I’ll probably always just play live and therefore will always need to work to fund the expenses etc.
The second level of the day is underway and Angell’s stack has slipped a little to around the 40 big blind mark (40bb), plenty to work with at this stage.
*The Champions of Champion Event was a specifically arranged tournament for all the winners on Season 4 of the UKIPT. Dean Hutchison, the Edinburgh Champion, won the event and his prize was buy-ins to all the stops on Season 5 of the tour.