PocketFives had the opportunity to catch up with one of its members, Tom The CaretakerSchafer (pictured, ranked #12 in New Jersey), who plays under the handles Docnosson WSOP, Building 7 on Borgata Poker, and EdgarCayceon 888 Poker. Coming from a sports background, his desire for being competitive drew him to poker and contributed to his overall success in the game.

With close to $1 million in tracked online cashes, some of his notable accomplishments include a second place finish in the PokerStars$50,000 Guaranteed for $29,900, two wins in the WSOP $10,000 Guarantee in the same week for a total of $6,240, and a win in the PartyPoker/Borgata Poker $10,000 Guarantee for $2,250. 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.

Tom Schafer: I was very excited to see poker come back to New Jersey, as it gave me the opportunity to compete in the game I love and also work and live around family and friends in my home state. I do think there are some changes that have taken too long. On WSOP, if you get involved in a hand and lose before the add-on, you are not able to rebuy again and instead are forced to just add-on. This is frustrating and should be fixed.

I think WSOP and 888 should offer chops instead of just PartyPoker/Borgata Poker, as their late blind structure is faster and the payouts are very top-heavy.

None of the sites pause the clock during hand-for-hand play, often making the important late stages of this tournament to much like a Turbo. More satellites for the $100s and $200s during the week would be great to fatten the prize pools and give recreational players more shots at a nice score. Borgata has great blind level increments late in these tournaments that cater to the better players, allowing for maximum play.

These sites will attract way more people by eliminating the social security number as a requirement. There are rumors that 888 will only require the last four digits to play, which will help ease novice players’ apprehensions of online gambling.

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

Tom Schafer: 888 is my favorite site because I have had the fewest issues with them and think they have a great model for the beginning player. Animated images and the ability to toss objects like tomatoes, snowballs, and cake at your opponents for no reason is genius and creates a comfortable experience. I think this atmosphere is ideal for recreational players, as they can have fun regardless of how their luck is running. Their 12-minute blind levels and 10,000-chip starting stacks for their big tournaments are great.

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

Tom Schafer: I really like to play when I am feeling good and, for me, that is by balancing work, exercise, and eating well. If I don’t have these in place, my confidence won’t be at the level I need to win. Poker can spoil you and make you very lazy if you don’t stick to a balanced regiment.

Right now, I work during the day, and play probably five out of seven nights, around six hours per night. I was in a great groove in the fall and literally did the same thing every day for two months: work, work out, cook a good dinner, and watch the Golden State Warriors destroy the competition while I tried to do the same.

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

Tom Schafer: My grandfather taught my brothers and me all different games growing up like Michigan Rummy, Chicago, and Follow the Queen and we would play small-stakes family games growing up. I have always been extremely competitive in sports, so when I was done playing basketball in college, I needed an outlet to compete.

I was playing on Bodog and home poker games in college all the time and, after graduation, my online success continued while I was working my first job at an oil refinery in Newark. I wasn’t happy and wanted more, so I moved to San Diego with two of my best friends and we paid for training and dedicated ourselves to getting better.

Poker was appealing to me because I was able to be my own boss and could utilize my time however I saw fit. Poker made it possible for me to travel to California, Costa Rica, Mexico, and Canada and gain valuable life perspectives I’m unsure I would have found by staying in New Jersey.

PocketFives: To what do you attribute your current online success?

Tom Schafer: I try to adapt and grow with the game as much as possible. I read forums, articles, and books. I watch training videos, cash game replays, every big tournament and interview on YouTube, and anything I can get my hands on from the best minds in the game. Even if I am not on the level of some of the top players, I try to understand their thought processes and experiment with their moves in my own game.

Ever since I made the educated decision to go at this game full-time, I have been met with resistance. In my experience, people will often make judgments without all of the proper information, and poker is no different. The title of “professional poker player” will often be met with eye-rolls, or “get-a-jobs” and the assumption is usually of pure chance gambling.

I have found poker to be a game that can be beat simply through education and determination. It also has an atmosphere where aggressive and competitive natures flourish. So, I try to play with a little bit of a chip on my shoulder and remind myself that people don’t think I can make it at this game.

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

Tom Schafer: I currently work part-time with a buddy of mine who owns a garage door installation company, which gets me outside and gives me a much-needed break from the computer screen and chair. I am also building a business with three of my lifelong friends. We promote the new regulated online casinos, teach poker, and also host a sports betting site that intends to educate and simplify sports betting for the general public.

I’m really into alternative history and mysteries. Two of my favorite people to listen to while I play are Graham Hancock and Joe Rogan. Ancient Egypt interests me, and the perfection of the pyramids is evidence to me of what humans are capable of at their pinnacle. I am drawn to a lot of these subjects because I believe that we are still scratching the surface of our true history.

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