PocketFives had the chance to catch up with Will Stellamoose Kroll (pictured with family), who is mostly a recreational poker player who fires up the low-to-mid stake cash games and tournaments in the Garden State when time allows.

A grinder since 2003, he has taken every avenue possible to improve on his game and keep up with the changes this game presents over time. Kroll also can be found contributing some poker theory on various poker forums. With $6,500 in tracked online cashes, some of his notable accomplishments include a win in the PartyPoker/Borgata $2,000 guarantee, a second place in the network’s $2,000 guarantee super bounty, and a win in Party/Borgata $1,000 guarantee for a total of $1,105.

PocketFives: Give us your thoughts and experiences of regulated online poker in New Jersey.

Will Kroll: As a recreational player, I am very pleased with my experience so far. As is the case with any new or emerging industry companies will face initial challenges (geo-location, payment processing, etc.), and regulated online poker is no exception. I understand that player expectations can (and should) be lofty, but over time I believe the market and product offerings will grow. I realize the sites will never please everyone, but considering the tumultuous history of online poker in the USA I think the majority of players in NJ will agree that the products being offered provide fair games, and, most importantly, the players’ funds are handled securely.

PocketFives: What got you started playing online poker and how long have you been playing?

Will Kroll: I first played online poker around 2003. I was in college at the time and made an account on Paradise Poker. Over the next few years I had created accounts on all the major sites, but did not play with any regularity. I had some minor successes and then equal failures, but never really considered online poker anything more than a hobby. I had a pretty regular routine of depositing, winning a little, cashing out, re-depositing, losing a little, re-depositing winning a little, cashing out, etc.

I was the proto-typical recreational online player and my pre-BF experiences hold true to that moniker. Win or lose, I always enjoyed competing. Unfortunately, I had never formed the consistent sample size required to accurately assess success or failure in online poker. After Black Friday I played a considerable amount of live poker in rooms along the East Coast. I am still more comfortable playing live vs online, but the more hands I see online, the less intimidating it is.

Over the first year of NJ online poker I had very limited success. I sat in cash game lineups where I was completely outmatched in skill and realized quickly that I needed to adjust and learn the intricacies and nuances of online poker if I wanted to be a viable opponent. Those losing sessions were one of the best things that could have happened to me poker wise, because it forced me to acknowledge the differences between live vs online play. Even after making significant improvements, I still realize I am way over-matched in some lineups, but this self-awareness is only pushing me work harder to improve my game.

Over the past six months I have started to take the bankroll management, game selection and other business aspects of the game more seriously and my results have reflected that. I am blessed to have a comfortable and secure life outside of poker, so after talking things over with my wife we agreed that having regulated online poker in NJ presents a good opportunity for me to begin approaching poker in a more dedicated and structured way without hindering other areas of my life. I have no delusions of ever playing poker full-time, and I may not be a winning player over a true sample but am looking forward to the challenge of putting in more consistent volume. I only control what I can control and let the results be what they may.

PocketFives: Is there a meaning behind the screen names used when playing?

Will Kroll: Stella aka “moose” happens to be the name/nickname of my cat. She sits with me during most sessions, sometimes on the keyboard, other times on the mouse pad. If I am playing a session, she is usually close by.

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

Will Kroll: All the sites offer aspects that really appeal to me. When I log on to play, I look at what tournaments are upcoming and what cash games are running on each site. If I had to chose one site, I would select BorgataPoker.com because of the larger tournament series they run, MTT structures and their connection with the live action in Atlantic City.

PocketFives: When playing online poker, do you prefer cash games, sit n go’s or tournaments and why?

Will Kroll: I like all the formats. I played quite a bit of full ring limit O/8 when I was younger, and many hours of full ring live NLHE, so adjusting to the strategies and speed of 6-max cash games has been a true learning experience. If I can fit in a night of MTTs, I love the how the dynamics of the game change as the stages of the tournament progress. Both cash/ MTTs offer unique challenges so it is hard to choose one over another. Like I said, win or lose, I just like playing.

PocketFives: How do you prepare yourself before a session?

Will Kroll: These days the majority my sessions are scheduled as time becomes available. When I am not at my office, my #1 priority is my family. As much as I might enjoy sitting in a semi-circle with a bunch of strangers for a few hours (live cash) or staring at a computer screen for a few more hours after I had just done it at work for 8 hours, I much prefer spending time with my wife and son. Preparation most nights during the week means taking care of my responsibilities as a Father and Husband before joining them in the living room with the laptop and coffee. Creating a balance between family and poker is of utmost importance to me. Without this balance, I can’t expect my family to support my hobby or be able to compete to the best of my ability.

If I know that I will have time to put in a long session my routine always starts with a workout, a healthy meal and a few cups of coffee from Wawa.

PocketFives: Is there anyone or anything that helped change how you approach the game?

Will Kroll: Even though I label myself a recreational player, I have always put a tremendous amount of time into studying all aspects of the game. I consume every book, article, tweet, forum post, podcast, or video I can in an effort to become more competitive. I am constantly learning and seeking improvement.

The list of people I have been influenced by in the poker community is too long to list. It’s safer for me to say, that if you have beat me in a pot, shared a tidbit on strategy on a forum, or contributed to the community in any way, I thank you. Without communities of players, both professional and recreational willing to work together to grow the game we all enjoy, I am not sure the future successes of online poker in NJ or throughout the USA would be possible.

I couldn’t forget to mention the two non-poker people who have influenced me the most lately are my wife and son. They have seen how much I enjoy poker, and have been so supportive in my efforts to increase my volume. I find tremendous satisfaction in working hard off the felt, competing, having even the slightest positive results and then sharing that success with my family.

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

Will Kroll: Aside from poker I spend most of my free time working out, hunting/fishing and listening to A.M. radio.

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