Just 400 PLB Points separated the top two finishers in our2012 Yearly PLB race. When the smoke cleared on the 366-day stanza, Matt ch0ppyKay (pictured) edged out Griffin Flush_Entity Benger for the title and amassed 17,856.55 points. Benger finished with 17,442.22 points and the two Canucks were the lone members of the PocketFives community to pass 17,000.

Kay was busy Tweeting about his latest profile badge shortly after 2013 began, so we caught up with him in the Bahamas at the PokerStars Caribbean Adventure to talk about the year that was.

Before we get into the interview, here were the top 10 finishers in the Yearly PLB race for 2012:

1. ch0ppy– 17,856.55
2. Flush_Entity – 17,442.22
3. p0cket00 – 16,508.27
4. whereisdonny – 16,337.83
5. Big Huni – 15,979.00
6. weavel – 15,395.44
7. VnilaVader – 15,276.27
8. Gettin Daize – 15,150.06
9. s_dot111 – 15,123.80
10. 23NoraB – 15,107.88

PocketFives: Well done on winning the 2012 Yearly PLB. How pumped are you about it?

Matt Kay: I’m happy to have won it. In 2007, I took second in the CardPlayer Online Player of the Year race by 26 points, so I definitely didn’t want that to happen again! During the last month-and-a-half, the race definitely helped motivate me to play more than I probably would have otherwise.

PocketFives: Why are these sorts of races prestigious and meaningful?

Matt Kay: I don’t really think about these things too often. I just go in and play my game and try to set my emotions aside as best I can. I realized I had a chance in November. So, I realized this could be my only chance to take the title and that motivated me. Anything that motivates me, even a little bit, is positive for my poker game.

PocketFives: Is there any chance of a repeat in 2013?

Matt Kay: It’s possible, but unlikely. I need a vacation. I’m here in Nassau now for the PCA and then after this, I head out to Australia for the Aussie Millions. After that, I’m staying all of February in Australia to travel around and really enjoy life. While I’m there, I will only be playing on Sundays.

Too much poker can make me miserable, even if I’m winning. It’s important to balance life and poker or eventually I’ll just burn out. After Australia, I’ll come back well rested and happy. If the game changes too much while I’m away, I’ll need a few weeks to adjust before I start to do well again in March. If I get a few good Sunday scores while I’m gone, another run is definitely possible, but it’ll be much more difficult for me to win the title when I’m not playing any weekdays for the first two months of the year.

PocketFives: Besides the PCA and Aussie Millions, what else is on tap for you in 2013?

Matt Kay: I tend to plan things more last minute, so I really don’t know. It’s likely I do EPT Berlin/Monte Carlo, but it all depends on how I’m feeling and how I’ve been doing lately. It’s easy to lose back winnings if you get careless. I do plan to arrive to events about a week early, though, and do some traveling before they start.

PocketFives: Who is the top online MTT player right now other than you?

Matt Kay: I’d say cal42688 is well deserving of the #1 title right now. I also find it interesting that we have quite different styles of play, but both do very well. I love how there is no “correct” way to play poker; people playing differently still have great success.

PocketFives: Last question. Tell us how you’ve fared at the PCA this year.

Matt Kay: Well, I had a rough Day 1. In Levels 3 to 6, I might have had the worst run of cards in six years of playing live poker. You know it is bad when I’m thinking, “Come on, just give me a 10-6 suited.” At Level 7, I was moved to a much softer table, got many playable hands, and started to chip up. I had 54,000 on the very last hand of the day and then lost Q-Q to A-K suited to end the day with 27,900. However, I’m happy I hung in there, kept my cool, and now still have a chance to make a run.

Before the event, I went Scuba diving in the ocean for the first time. After that, I went from zero to hero and went on the shark dive (pictured). I absolutely loved it and plan to get Scuba certified in Australia and do more dives there.

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