"This is Why We Grind Every Day: To Win Big MTTs"
Last month, Nohaymiedo(pictured), who calls the Dominican Republic home, was part of a four-way chop of the PokerStars Sunday Warm-Upand earned $71,000, the second largest amount given away. He is $25,000 away from receiving his $500,000 cash badge here on PocketFives and is the top dog in his home country. Any time we can get a word with someone from the Dominican Republic, we jump at it!
PocketFives: Awesome job in the PokerStars Sunday Warm-Up. Tell us how you’re feeling about it.
Nohaymiedo: I feel great. This is why we grind every day: to win big MTTs. The last time I was at a big final table like this was in 2012 in the Sunday Million. I finished sixth after starting the final table with the chip lead, so I think this time my experience was key. I tried to make the best decisions I could. In the end, chopping the Warm-Up was a really good score and put the name of my country and Latin America at the top of the leaderboard.
PocketFives: Can you talk about the chopand how that went down?
Nohaymiedo: The pay jumps were insane. I didn’t really want to chop because I thought I had an edge over the other guys, but I had the chip leader on my left who was 3betting too much. With four players left, you can’t fold top ranges for ICM and the risk is higher. $71,000 was more than third place paid and put me in a spot where I could play for $81,000 so since we left $10,000 to the winner. With the chip leader on my left, I thought it was a smart decision.
PocketFives: Do you have any plans for the money?
Nohaymiedo: Practicing good bankroll management. I will be grinding hard every day, trying to win tournaments like this, and the money will help me do that. This is a good way to start the year. I booked some live tournaments in Latin America and I’ll probably have some World Series of Poker action, so this money gives me the peace of mind to do what I want to without any problems.
PocketFives: What live tournaments are you headed to?
Nohaymiedo: The LSOP Millions in Panama, LAPT Chile, and the WSOP on June 26 until the Main Event ends. Then, I will try to keep booking LAPTs and other tournaments over the rest of the year like the Punta Cana Poker Classic.
PocketFives: Who plays poker in the Dominican Republic and how is the game viewed? I can’t recall the last time we’ve interviewed a player from your country.
Nohaymiedo: It’s a small country with a lot of players. We are trying to be recognized in the poker community. My good friend Alberto Meran(pictured, image courtesy PokerStars), whose nickname is alberto.m7on PokerStars, is another PocketFiver who is moving up fast. Don’t be surprised if you contact him soon for an interview after he wins some majors.
It’s all about gaining momentum in the poker world, grinding online, and doing something good. It’s not easy, either, because only over the last two years have we started to produce more professional players, but we are moving forward day by day. Live, we have a small poker room with a good community that has been fully supportive every day, trying to make poker a way to have fun. We are getting stronger every day.
PocketFives: You told us you play four or five days a week for about 1,000 MTTs per month. What do you have time to do away from the game?
Nohaymiedo: I have my own business with my father where I work in the morning and then start grinding at 1:00pm for the rest of the night.
PocketFives: Is there anyone you’d like to recognize?
Nohaymiedo: Special thanks to the community, my friends, my family, and my mentor who you probably know – Sergio zcedrick Aido – who gives me the support I need.
The Sunday Warm-Up runs weekly on PokerStars. If you don’t already have a PokerStars account, sign up through the links on PocketFives to get a 100% up to $600 deposit bonus and one free month of PocketFives Training. Get started here.
