I have to admit, I usually skim over the gaudier promotions online like Million Dollar Freerolls and "Become our Next Poker Pro!" Frankly, promotions like those seem to be more akin to Publisher’s Clearinghouse than a real enticement for the serious player. Perhaps I’m passing up on a ton of EV for very little risk, but for the most part they just don’t seem worth the time. However, if you allow yourself to give in to the fantasy for just a moment… those eye-popping prizes are really worth getting excited about. This week, Will “TheDreamer” Ma turned that fantasy into reality by taking first place in the Absolute Poker winner-take-all Absolute Dream promotion. <READMORE>What exactly is the Absolute Dream? It's a $100k+ package that includes, among other things, buy ins to multiple major live events. Ma also picks up a "Season's Pass" into both of Absolute Poker's biggest weekly events--the $70k Guaranteed and the $150k Guaranteed. Said Will Ma just a few days after winning, “We're still ironing out the details. Some stuff needs to be changed since I'm not 21.” Ma is 19 and can play legally in his home country of Canada as well as most places around the world, including France where he already has one very impressive notch in his belt.
This past Spring, playing in his first major live tournament ever, Ma took first place at the Grand Prix de Paris. His victory there was worth a sum of $576,794. Add in TheDreamer’s very impressive resume online and we have yet another poker wunderkind on our hands.
Lenny: What tournaments do you hope play as part of your Dream package?
TheDreamer: The live tournaments I would choose, in order of my preference, are:
-Monte Carlo
-PCA
-WPT Niagara, since it is so close
-WPT Paris
-WSOP Europe
Lenny: I also saw a component of the package is two tickets to the Major Sporting Event of your choice, with VIP treatment. What would you like to see?
TheDreamer: I would most likely want to see the Stanley Cup finals. I like sports with high variance. In hockey the bounce of the puck can decide a game. Sports that are complete skill games like basketball are less fun to watch in my opinion.
Lenny: You are 1/1 in major tournaments so far. You have just won entries into several more. What are your expectations?
TheDreamer: I just want to go in and play solid and keep my mind sharp. I want to avoid getting frustrated, which is something I need to work on. If I can do that and continue to improve my game, then I'll be happy with myself, regardless my results.
Lenny: In the Podcast interview you seemed to be very humble regarding your poker abilities, putting your success down to luck on a number of occasions. Where would you rate yourself against the average player? What about against the averaged ranked player?
TheDreamer: The average poker player is terrible, so I'm pretty sure I'm better than that. Some ranked players are very good, and some ranked players consistently disappoint me. I think I'm better than the median ranked player but still no match for the good ones. In general, I think I play too much like a robot at the moment. I remember how back when I used to 25-table sit-n-go's, people would claim I was a computer.
Lenny: Do you play a variety of games- PLO, stud, etc?
TheDreamer: Not really. I think Holdem is the best way to play poker, and I'll never get sick of it. I am trying to learn the other games for big HORSE tournaments though.
Lenny: How long have you known Timex? Tell me a bit about your friendship.
TheDreamer: I met Timex at chess club in grade 9. We have been buddies in a variety of competitions, from chess to trivia to soccer to Warcraft 3. We learned to play poker when we went to math camp together in grade 10. I certainly think he has affected my life in many ways, and despite turning me into a degenerate, I'm really glad I met him.
Lenny: Do you talk poker often with your friends? Any others besides Timex?
TheDreamer: We play together, so certainly we talk about hands. We do hang out with other Waterloo people as well, like Matt "ch0ppy" Kay, Mihai "IBluffUOut4" Nica, Mike "SirWatts" Watson, and Aaron "PacMann" Coulthard. I don’t know many people well online, but I hope that when I play more live tournaments this year I'll meet a lot more of the people I only know as screen names.
Lenny: You have stated your goal is to finish school and pursue a career as a math professor. With this big win and the opportunity to hit the live circuit, have your plans changed at all?
TheDreamer: I don't think so. I was going to hit the live circuit to a certain extent anyway, even if I hadn't won those entries. I certainly see myself getting more and more into poker and live poker in the coming years, but I don't see it as something I want to spend my entire life on. At the moment, I still think someday I will return to the world of academia.
Lenny: What are some of your interests outside of poker?
TheDreamer: The big card game for me before poker was Magic: the Gathering. I never quite made it pro, but I did try to qualify for the live circuit a few times. Actually I'm thinking of playing Canadian nationals this year in September if I don't end up playing the WSOP Europe.
I have also played the piano my whole life. I like spending time with friends, and I enjoy my studies. I used to be very into long distance running until I got injured.
Lenny: What does your family think about poker?
TheDreamer: They don't really support it. No one in my family does anything even remotely gambling related like slot machines or lottery tickets. But they've gotten used to it and don't really complain anymore. They're giving me a chance to be who I want to be.
Lenny: Do you have siblings?
TheDreamer: I have a younger brother, Thomas, who is eight. Maybe I'll teach him to play as soon as he can multiply and divide.
Great, just what we need, another poker genius to take all our money. At least we are safe for the next ten years from Thomas Ma. In the meantime, TheDreamer is set to take the poker world by storm. He has the tools, he has the talent, and now he has the backing of Absolute Pokerto hit the live tourney circuit over the coming year.
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Russian Federation
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