In the latest release of the PocketFives.com Online Poker Rankings, new Alaska resident Greg DuckU Hobson rose 17 spots from #46 worldwide to #29. He made waves during the recently completed PokerStars Spring Championship of Online Poker (SCOOP) after taking fourth in the $10,300 buy-in high-stakes Main Event for a rock solid $473,000. Hobson also made the final table of the $1,050 No Limit Hold’em with Rebuys event (#28), grabbing eighth place for $25,000. PocketFives.com virtually traveled to Seward’s Folly to break down his recent run.The SCOOP high-stakes Main Event attracted a throng of 615 entrants, creating a massive $6.15 million prize pool. On walking away with nearly $500,000, Hobson told PocketFives.com, “It feels great. I donked off a bunch of money last year in the SCOOP and didn’t have anything to show for it. It’s nice to get things going again. It was nice to get 2010 going in the right direction.”
April was also a lucrative month for the longtime PocketFiver. He final tabled the Full Tilt Poker $1 Million Guaranteed for $33,000 and won the PokerStars $100 rebuy for another $23,000. Like other successful players, Hobson continually makes adjustments in his game and discussed one that may have contributed to his recent triumphs: “I kept on losing chips during the middle stages of tournaments. I think I was just locking it down and not playing enough hands. I’m playing more hands during the middle stages now.”
Hobson recently moved from Oregon to Alaska with his wife and 19 month-old daughter. In early July, the couple is expecting a son, who may be named Porter. His father-in-law, Bill Walker (pictured at left), is running for Governor and Hobson has been supporting the campaign, which culminates in a primary in August. Hobson’s family is leasing their home back in Oregon and plans to return to the Northwest state within the next year.Accordingly, he won’t be headed to Las Vegas for the 2010 World Series of Poker (WSOP), which kicked off on Friday from the Rio. Hobson admitted, “I have so much going for me, though. Once you start a family, it limits your options. I’m hoping to get to some other events later in the year.”
Despite not heading to Sin City, Hobson has made his presence known online. In 2008, he finished second in a $10,000 No Limit Hold’em event held during the PokerStars World Championship of Online Poker (WCOOP) for $459,000. The final table came one month and 19 days before his first child, Mera, was born. His recent SCOOP cash came one month and 20 days before his second child’s due date in an eerie coincidence.
Hobson has wins in a UB.com Online Championship (UBOC) event for $55,000, the Full Tilt $1K Monday for $82,000, a Full Tilt Online Poker Series (FTOPS) Heads-Up No Limit Hold’em Shootout for $87,000, and the Absolute Poker $1K for $59,000. Since the beginning of April, Hobson has cashed for three-quarters of a million dollars in tournaments that count for the PocketFives.com Online Poker Rankings.
Much of his success has come in No Limit Hold’em. On the prospects of branching out into Mixed Games, Hobson told PocketFives.com, “I’ve played in a lot of them. I've spent quite a bit of time playing at the big HORSE Eight Game cash tables. I felt like I had a little advantage, but it’s against tough competition. At one point, I had Doyle Brunson, Daniel Negreanu, and Barry barryg1 Greenstein (pictured at right) at my table and thought it wasn’t a good lineup to have to play against.” He added, “I enjoy mixing it up and having a variety of games besides No Limit Hold’em. I don’t know if my highest EV is playing other games.”On the live front, Hobson made a deep run in the 2007 WSOP Main Event and cashed for $34,000. He also final tabled a preliminary tournament during the 2008 Aussie Millions for $6,800. We’d like to extend our congratulations to Hobson on his second child, whose expected delivery date is July 7th.
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