In a $1 Rebuy 3X Turbo event held as part of the recently completed PokerStars MicroMillions, Kevin Eyring (pictured), who is known on PocketFives as P0KERDUUDE, came out on top for $17,000 and 464 PLB Points. It was the seventh largest cash we’ve tracked for Eyring, who lives in Montreal, and he cascaded through a field of over 43,000 players. He has contributed over 2,000 posts to the PocketFives community, so we definitely wanted to interview him about his big tournament victory.

PocketFives: There were over 43,000 players in the MicroMillions event you won. What went through your head when you saw the field size?

Kevin Eyring: When I started the tournament, I wasn’t really thinking I would win it because you can’t really enter a tournament with that big of a field expecting to win. It’s important to have the right mindset and know that it is possible, but I don’t think you ever really expect to win something with that many people.

PocketFives: Can you walk us through how the tournament went in general?

Kevin Eyring: I was playing a lot of tables, so I was just playing standard. I wasn’t really gambling a ton during the rebuy hours. I obviously ran really well and won my share of big hands, but there were a couple of big flips I lost too and was down to like five big blinds at one point.

There was a big hand with about 100 people left when I raised with K-K in early position. I got re-raised, shoved, and he had A-A. The flop came K-T-X and the turn was another K. I also had aces a couple of times where I got paid off. It was around then I started thinking I had a chance to win. There were still a ton of people to get through, but I knew that most of them would be playing tight or scared because it is common to find those players in a $1 Rebuy.

I stole the blinds when I could and just played pretty standard shove/fold because with the blinds so high, that’s all you can really do.

There was one hand where I mis-clicked and limped in with K-4 suited from early position. I only started the hand with 15 big blinds, so it was a pretty big deal. It folded to the blinds, who completed and checked. The flop came Q-5-3 rainbow and they both checked to me. Naturally, I bet because I wanted to win the pot. The small blind folded and the big blind called. I’ve had mis-clicks before that ended up costing me a lot of money, so I decided I would just cut my losses and check/fold after that. The turn and river were blanks, it got checked down, and he ended up having 6-4 offsuit, so I won with king-high.

PocketFives: Did you end up rebuying?

Kevin Eyring: I was in for $3.

PocketFives: Do you have any plans for the money?

Kevin Eyring: I just moved to Canada with plans to stay until the end of August. Now, I’ll be coming back in September. I was living at home in New Hampshire. Before Black Friday, I was switching to PLO cash games and had plans to move to San Diego. Then, Black Friday hit and I lost half of what I had to my name and had no source of income. I sat around and waited, hoping it would blow over, and eventually had to get a job dealing at a local poker room because my savings ran out.

They always had CardPlayer magazines for players to read, so I would read them on break and see all of the people I used to play online with winning all of these big events and couldn’t believe how much my life had changed in just a couple of years. I made it a goal to save up enough money to move to Canada to play online again and that’s how I got here.

PocketFives: We take it you’re pleased with your decision to move to Canada to play online poker. It must have been really satisfying to see all of the messages from your peers after your big MicroMillions win.

Kevin Eyring: As of now, I’m very happy with my decision to come here. Yeah, it is always nice to have friends cheering you on and congratulating you on a big win.

PocketFives: Is there anything else you’d like to add?

Kevin Eyring: Yes. Everything I know I learned from Mr. Blonde.

Visit PokerStarsfor more information on the site’s ongoing promotions. As a reminder, if you sign up for PokerStars through PocketFives’ links and make a deposit, you’ll get one free month of PocketFives Training with the sign-up fee waived, a $65 value. You’ll also get a 100% up to $600 deposit bonus. Click here to get started.

Want the latest poker headlines and interviews? Follow PocketFives on Twitterand Like PocketFives on Facebook. You can also subscribe to our RSS feed.