Hull admitted that he was more than happy to take a deal and wrap up far and away his largest poker payday ever. On the decision to play the four-figure buy-in Two-Day Event, Hull told PocketFives.com, “I bought in, but was not going to at first because I was down to nothing in my account. However, I got a few bucks from friends and took my shot. I played a little tighter than normal, not only because of the cost, but also because of the competition. The skill of the players in the field was much higher than that of a $200 tournament.”
The FTOPS Two-Day Event, as its name implies, is spread out over multiple days similar to the setup you’d find in a live tournament. We asked Hull about his mindset after the action paused on Day One: “I was at the bottom on the field at the start of Day Two, so I just knew I needed to get chips.” Several hours later, his payday approached $350,000. In March, Hull won the PokerStars Wednesday Quarter Million for $57,000.Hull and the rest of the online poker community now have a chance to reflect on the 2010 calendar year, which has featured a variety of poker headlines taking shape. For Hull, the movement of legislation beneficial to internet gambling took center stage: “I don't know if the poker community is paying to much attention to what I think is the most compelling thing this year, HR 2267, lifting the ban on online gambling. I think it would bring a lot more players to the game if it were legal.” HR 2267 was rubber-stamped out of the House Financial Services Committee in July.
Hull has been playing cards with his family since he was 18. His interests started out in Stud, but have since moved to Hold’em. He admitted that the transition from one game to another was relatively simple since “poker is poker; the cards are just dealt differently.” Now, he’s looking to expand his live game, a task that may not be too difficult given his recent cash windfall from FTOPS XVIII. Among the events he’s looking forward to is the 2011 World Series of Poker (WSOP) in Las Vegas.
Whereas many players in the PocketFives.com community are in their 20s, Hull is 30 years old. On whether his “elder” age gives him an edge at the tables, he told us, “I don't think being older helps when you play online. Luckily for me, the Two-Day Event did not go into the wee hours of the morning. I just play poker part-time now, but that might change. I have had all kinds of jobs, from being a photographer to being a Blockbuster employee. I have not really found my calling, I guess.”
Hull outlasted a final table in the Two-Day Event that included Phil USCphildo Collins (pictured) and Germany’s goodvibe. Here’s how the group cashed out:1. tennisassxy - $332,265
2. Yubaball - $342,175 (Yubaball)
3. log1c07 - $354,808
4. goodvibe - $179,520 (goodvibe)
5. gomore - $136,000
6. tehe stop it - $97,920
7. DaMurdera3 - $65,280
8. USCphildo - $48,960 (USCphildo)
9. ericontilt - $34,816 (ericontilt)
Visit Full Tilt Poker for more information on FTOPS XVIII.
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