- Winners of the Black Card Pro promotion at Full Tilt received a prize package that included $20k in tournament entries (or a $20k clearable bonus) and 100% rakeback for six months.
- Marc “PlayinwitDreams” Kennedy and Jazzer32 talk about their humble beginnings and future aspirations
Earlier this year Full Tilt Poker introduced 12 online players that won Black Card Pro Sponsorships. Theses winners received a prize package that included $20k in tournament entries (or a $20k clearable bonus) and 100% rakeback for six months. The competition took place over a number of different game variants including tournaments and cash games.
Following one trend in the industry that sees operators funneling promotional dollars into the pockets of players and away from brand ambassadors, the Black Card Pro promotion can provide 15 minutes of fame for your average grinder—or it may even give us a glimpse of the early career of the next up and coming class of players.
“Then Marc decided to deposit $850 on Full Tilt and played two tables of $2/$4 No limit cash games: 'I won about $15-$20k in my first weekend’”Pokerfuse interviewed two of the Full Tilt Black Card Pros to see how they have achieved their current level of success and what the future might hold in store.
Marc “PlayinwitDreams” Kennedy: Rushing Up the Stakes
Marc “PlayinwitDreams” Kennedy won his Black Card in the Rush Poker ring games above $0.50/$1. He is 26 years old and lives in the UK. Marc first got the itch after seeing Gus Hansen win a World Poker Tour event on television. From there he started playing in a free pub league where he found success.
After hearing about something called “online poker” from a friend, Marc “dabbled around at a couple of sites at small stakes mostly playing tournaments and sit and gos,” he told us.
Then one weekend soon after, Marc decided to deposit $850 on Full Tilt and played two tables of $2/$4 No limit cash games.
“I won about $15-$20k in my first weekend, playing every waking hour and I have never looked back since,” he said.
Marc considers himself a professional poker player and plays “way too many” hours online.
Though Marc doesn’t play live much, he does aspire to one day be a Full Tilt sponsored professional traveling the tournament circuit. He looks up to Isaac Haxton, who he calls an “an absolute genius.” He remarked, “I have a lot of respect for his thought process both with poker and with life.”
“Jazzer32 doesn’t want his name to be revealed. This shouldn’t matter—he’s is an online pro team member, not an FTP ambassador” When asked what advice he would give to aspiring grinders, Marc replied, “Eat better, work more and be a little more humble … knowing your place in the grand scheme of things and understanding how large a roll variance has played in your life to get you to where you are and be a little more humble with your accomplishments both on and off the table.”
Jazzer32: From Freerolls to Pro to Tournament Specialist
Jazzer32 is a 38-year old player living live in Belgrade, Serbia. He also became interested in poker after watching it on TV and built his online bankroll by playing freerolls. Jazzer32 doesn’t want his name to be revealed. This shouldn’t matter—he’s is an online pro team member, not an FTP ambassador, pokerfuse was told.
After winning an online satellite to the World Series of Poker Main Event in 2008, Jazzer32 quit his job as a computer salesman and took on poker as a full time profession. However, his stint as a poker pro was short lived. After just four years, Jazzer32 found “poker was taking a toll on [his] health,” he told us.
Jazzer32 plays mostly tournaments online these days, so his average session can vary greatly from 30 minutes on an early bust out to 12 hours when he makes a deep run.
Though he does not currently have any aspirations to return to the life of a poker professional, he has not ruled out the possibility. “I’m kind of reluctant to get back to the ‘online poker lifestyle,’” he commented, but he also added, “never say never.”
He is however looking to take advantage of his 100% rakeback and has sought coaching from a friend that specializes in 6 handed turbo sit and goes.
“I don’t like that new “hyper-aggressive” trend in online poker where players are 5-betting A7 suited or calling huge all-ins with small pocket pairs,” Jazzer32 states. Yet interestingly, he names Sammy Farha as his favourite pro.
His advice to up and coming grinders: “Never take advice from online poker players.”
