PatIvey makes Masters history!

Danski: Congratulations on winning your second Masters title on Saturday night! When you started playing at 19:00 GMT, did you imagine you could win it two months in a row?

PatIvey: Off course! I’m really hot at the moment. I believe in myself and do the right things at the right moments.

D: Tell us your story of this Masters. Were you always the big stack? What were the key hands that helped you to win?

P: I moved quickly into the top three in chips after some nice hands. For example, I had Kd-8d, the flop was 5-6-7 (with two diamonds) vs J-J (I think) which came through for me.

But when I became chip leader, I lost my first big pot with T-9 on the Big Blind. I had around 40K in chips, called a raise and the flop came K-Q-J (rainbow). I checked and my opponent bet around 3/4 of the pot. I re-raised and he pushed all-in with his A-K.

The river brought the 10 and I lost a 19K pot. After that I played well and regained the chip lead with 60 left. I kept the lead until there were 19 left, when I got J-J and was all-in pre-flop against 7-7. A 7 on flop meant I lost that one, and a few hands after that I called an all-in from a short-stack with Ad-Qd vs 3-3 and lost that too! But I still had around the average, and went to the final table with a decent stack.

D: Did winning the Masters last month give you any advantage this time?

P: Yes, I have big self confidence right now, and have won some tournaments on PKR and on other sites. I won a 20K GTD the day before the Masters on another site too, so I really believe in myself. It’s easer to play when you’re in a good shape!

D: You were at the final table with some good players, including samsl and previous Masters winner ovnis. Which players impressed you, or caused you the most difficulty?

P: I must say that I played really bad at times at the final table. I have respect for ovnis because I know he’s a good player, but the player who really caused me trouble was HarryDelahunt. I tried to bluff him many times but he got me every time!

But I was still hanging on at the final table, and when we were four-handed he got unlucky with K-K against my A-A, all-in pre flop. I doubled up and a few hands after that I was dealt K-K. After some pre flop raises and re-raises, we were all-in again. He had K-10 and my K-K held up. He was out and I was now the big chip leader again. From that point on it was pretty easy, with all those chips.

D: You won $29K in the August Masters, and another $30K in the September Masters – how do you spend the winnings?

P: I have paid off part of my apartment and for some travelling. I have also tried some cash games against the big names on PKR, with both bad and good results! But I think I’ll stick to mostly playing tournaments, because I’m better at that. =)

D: What do you like about the Masters, apart from the big money payouts!

P: I like the structure. You get many chips, and you can make moves without risking your whole stack.

D: Give us some tips for players who want to do well in the PKR Masters…

P: Hmm, firstly I think you must trust yourself. Trust your instincts. If you believe a player is bluffing, you might have to make the hard call. If you feel a player is weak, you must try to raise him. When you get a big stack, you can try this more often - but when you have under the average stack it’s better to wait for a big hand.

D: Finally, what are your chances of winning the Masters next month?!

P: At the moment, I think it’s big ; ) Just kidding. It’s always hard to win a tournament - you must have some luck on the way, but you can always improve your odds…

D: Thanks for talking to us. Good luck in the October Masters – we'll be watching out for the hat-trick.