PocketFives had the opportunity to chat with Anna OhUrAPro Antimony (pictured, ranked 30th in New Jersey), who learned the game of poker the hard way by losing a lot like most players and developing her skills to make her the player she is today. After deciding to play poker full-time, she finds the luxury of playing at home one of the best features of regulated online poker in New Jersey.

Antimony can also be found grinding in the live tournament scene either at Borgata or Parx while watching Knicks games on TV. With close to $50,000 in tracked online cashes, some of her notable scores include a win in the 888 Poker/WSOP $10,000 Guarantee, a win in the network’s $5,000 Guarantee, and a win in the 888/WSOP $2,000 Guarantee for a total of $7,143.

Visit PocketFives’ New Jersey poker community for the latest news and discussion from New Jersey players.

PocketFives: Give us your thoughts and experiences of regulated online poker in New Jersey.

Anna Antimony: Overall, it’s great. It’s convenient and an easy way for players to make a steady income without risking a lot of their bankroll. I do wish they could combine it with other states so we could increase the player pool.

PocketFives: How did you get started in poker originally? Why was it appealing?

Anna Antimony: I have a lot of guy friends and during the online poker boom I remember them talking about winning money online all the time and I asked one of them to teach me how to play. I specifically remember my friend writing down on a napkin what hand beats what. I knew the basics and began playing online by myself and basically learned that way and by losing a lot of money. I was awful, but we all have to start somewhere.

The most appealing thing besides the money is probably the mental challenge. Playing against different types of players and constantly having to switch up my game depending on my opponents has always been fun for me.

PocketFives: What are your favorite New Jersey online poker sites to play on and why?

Anna Antimony: I pretty much only play on WSOP. The tournaments and software are much better in my opinion. I only play on Borgata or PartyPoker for the online series or qualifiers.

PocketFives: What has been your most memorable cash or win on the New Jersey sites?

Anna Antimony: I won the $10,000 Guarantee one time when it was $4,300 for first, so that was cool. I also won the High Roller on back-to-back nights. I have yet to ship the $30,000 Guarantee on Sunday, so hopefully that’s next.

PocketFives: How many hours do you dedicate to poker a week?

Anna Antimony: Now that I’ve been playing poker full-time, it’s a lot. I go back and forth between live and online, but all in all probably 50 to 60 hours a week.

PocketFives: Do you feel online poker has helped improve your live game?

Anna Antimony: Online and live are so different for me, but being able to multi-table and see so many hands is always good practice for live poker.

PocketFives: What do you do away from poker? What else interests you?

Anna Antimony: I’m a huge basketball fan, so I love going to games. In the summer, I go to the beach and play volleyball. Going out to a bar or comedy club is fun. I pretty much love doing anything away from poker when I need a break. And food. Food interests me. I love food.