HoldemRoom (HR): At what age did you start playing poker?
Brad Daugherty (BD): Well I was 19 or 20 years old and it happened in Idaho, in back rooms.
HR: Is it true that your first prize was only 3$?
BD: That is correct; in 1968, I was on a train journey, from Idaho to Kansas and the train ride was about 2 and half days long and I won them at a game against my friends.
HR: What was the reason gambling attracted you?
BD: The intrigue and the fact that you compete against other players and it's your job to outsmart them. You have to read what the opponent has an in the same time you should confuse the opponent and make him think you have something different in hand than you actually do.
HR: That's about what you teach on your book, "NL Texas Hold'em", written in collaboration with Tom McEvoy. What will your next book be about, since this one is enjoying so much success?
BD: I think I am going to write a book about the final stage of the game, when the money are closer and the crack strategy is going to be well explained. I'm going to call it: "The Final Play of a Poker Tournament"
HR: It's a good decision that you play in tournaments, please detail the heads-up with Don Holt in 1991.
BD: Bob Weltry went broke and that is when we were heads-up. In my opinion he was very tired, and I remember a certain situation when he threw his hand away and he had 2 threes. I remember I didn't had a pair, and basically from there the game went in my favor and I managed to topple a very difficult situation: he had 2million$ worth of chips, I had 200$. The last hand, when I won that was the only time when I had a pair. My hole cards were a King and a Jack, he decided to bluff but on the board two more Jacks appeared. He went all in and the rest is history.
HR: The final cards were 5c 8s and they helped you win 1,000,000$. Do you consider taking part in the WSOP 2005 and maybe win the title once more?
BD: Of course I am, more than 5000 players will compete is going to be an incredible atmosphere.
HR: Yes and many pro players are going to compete. Who do you respect the most?
BD: Doyle Brunson, Johnny Moss because they have played for many years and they have made the game what it is today. I also respect the old timers who played the game for a very long time.
HR: You have also played the game for a long time
BD: Yes but they started playing long time before I did
HR: Nevertheless you played professional poker for 30 years. What do you consider is the worst part in this business?
BD: The losses, because no matter how good you are you can still lose. One or two key hands can make you or break you.
HR: How do you react when you lose, do you get angry?
BD: No, not angry, I would say unhappy. You have so much desire to win but the cards just won't help. But ten minutes later I am usually OK.
HR: What do you do when you hit two bad cards: like a 3 and a 7?
BD: Well I hit these cards sometimes. What do I do is go all in with them especially when I'm in a difficult situation. Is not that of a tragedy when I lose with these hands, but when I have two aces and still lose.
HR: Which hand would you choose to replay if you could?
BD: At the Hall of Fame in 5000$ NL. Johnny Chan, Jessie Alto and I were left in the game. Alto bluffed and I had a pair of kings and I threw away my hand. If I would have continued than the situation would have been 100% different.
HR: What were the most exciting moments in your career?
BD: When Bob Veltry and Perry Green and I remained in the game. Veltry continued to raise the pot and I decided to go all in on him since I didn't had too many chips. I received the hole cards: Ace and King, so I went all in but so did Perry Green. In my mind I thought it was all over. So at the showdown: I had a King and a Jack, Green a pair of 8 and Veltry a pair of Jacks. The community cards contained a King, which made me the winner. The most spectacular hand I have ever played.
HR: These magical moments make the game of poker worth playing. When did you know you were going to make a living out of poker?
BD: When I realized that my work brought me less money than the poker.
HR: Have you had a regular job?
BD: When I was 20 and in the late 70's, but since then I haven't. Now I am going to work at EmpirePokerSchool.com for free, as the dean and I'm going to give free poker lessons, but also I am going to respond to e-mails. And I am the host of Empirepoker.com.
HR: Now many people like to play poker online. What do you thing about online gambling?
BD: I think it's great before the game can be played much faster this way. What I have learned in 10 years they can learn in 1.
HR: We thank you for the interview and we wish you good luck at the WSOP 2005 if you decide to participate.
