Successful business owner Brian Willis (WillisNYCon PocketFives, pictured) out of North Brunswick, who plays mostly under the handle Deuxexmachin, was introduced to online poker back in 2003 and has never looked back. He couldn’t be happier now that regulated online poker has returned to New Jersey. Visit PocketFives’ New Jersey poker community for the latest news and discussion from New Jersey players.

Some of his notable successes on the virtual felt include a seventh place finish in the WSOP.com Online Championship Main Event for $8,750 and two wins in the WSOP $25,0000 Guarantee Sunday Major for a total of $14,440.

PocketFives: What is your favorite New Jersey online poker siteto play and why?

Brian Willis: I like WSOP best because I favor the site’s MTT structure. I also love the extended rebuy periods in many of their MTTs. Borgata’s major MTTs have good structures, but I absolutely hate their clunky software!

PocketFives: What got you started playing online poker? How long have you been playing?

Brian Willis: In 2003, I sold online advertising for a living. A client asked me if I could sell poker advertising since I had sold him casino advertising in the past. I said, “Sure, but what is online poker?” He took me to the site he wanted me to sell and we played No Limit Hold’em for play chips just so I would know what I was selling.

Back then, I used to go to all of the new casino sites and play on them in order to win their bonuses. I made a few thousand bucks on the side doing that and figured maybe I could do the same in poker. I always thought I was a good poker player, but never played anything but casual games while in the Army and throughout my working career.

I bought Phil Hellmuth’s “Play Poker Like the Pros” book and began reading. After reading, I opened an account on Paradise Poker and started playing. I didn’t make much money, though. I played Limit Hold’em and STTs. Paradise didn’t have any MTTs at that time.

Then, Moneymaker won the WSOP and I thought, “Wow, if an accountant from Tennessee could win the Main Event, then I must have a chance at making some money at this game.” I bought every poker book I could get my hands on and moved to other poker sites that had MTTs where I started having my first successes.

By late 2005, I was playing for a living and had great successes in 2006 (won the PokerStars Sunday Million and the Paradise Poker Sunday Major). I also finished 19th in the six-handed live event at the WSOP and played the Main Event, which I qualified for with a $215 MTT. I was also making a lot playing 5/10 NL on Bodog. Those tables were strewn with fish compared to what you see now at even $1/2 cash on the New Jersey sites.

By late 2009, the online poker boom was dying out and so were the fish. So, I cashed out and helped my wife start a vending business here in New Jersey. Our business grew from two machines in July 2009 to 500 machines now and I am continually looking to expand. The idea was to always have the business income to support my family and I could eventually return to poker as a serious hobby.

PocketFives: Since the launch of regulated online poker in New Jersey, what has been your biggest cash to date?

Brian Willis: I have had great success in the MTTs across the New Jersey sites I play on, but especially on WSOP.com. I finished in seventh in the $530 buy-in event on WSOP on January 26 for $8,750 and went on to win the WSOP Sunday Major the next weekend and then again on April 6.

I have been on a crazy good run where my ROI is now much higher than it was when I was playing for a living. Part of that is due to a lack of pressure because the vending business has made me comfortable financially. Part of that is also because I feel really anxious to play poker on the weekends after working so hard during the week. Previously, I was probably burnt out on poker without realizing it. Now, I go into every weekend with poker to look forward to with a gusto I lacked previously.

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

Brian Willis: Despite my family business commitments, I still probably manage a good 30 hours of poker a week and hope to structure the business so that number can increase.

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