Starting on April 9th on the Poker Channel, 888 Pokersponsored pro Sam SamDMNDHolden (pictured) will star in a documentary about poker and his life. A camera crew followed Holden across the world from the U.K. to the United States last year during the 2011 WSOP November Nine, where Holden finished in ninth place. PocketFives was fortunate enough to get an exclusive interview with Holden about this extremely unique poker experience.

PocketFives: Talk a little bit about having a documentary crew follow you to Las Vegas for the World Series of Poker. What was that like?

Sam Holden: It was really cool because I went to out to Las Vegas a bit early in November to get used to the time difference. I was looking for things to do because I wasn’t playing cash games or drinking or anything like that. The whole crew was cool to work with. It wasn’t a hassle at all and it was a fun experience.

PocketFives: How did the idea for a documentary come up?

Sam Holden: We had interest from a company that brought the idea to our attention, but couldn’t get financial backing from a network. So, 888 ran with it. It was only really finalized a week before the November Nine. We finished it up when we got back to London after that.

PocketFives: Did having a camera crew trailing you compound the difficulty of the WSOP Main Event final table at all?

Sam Holden: It didn’t really have any influence. In fact, it was a welcome distraction on some of the days. They were more interviewing me and getting footage of what I was doing. I didn’t find it particularly daunting and got used to the media work anyway. It was daunting to think about it when you look at the finished product now, but at the time, it was just me chatting about poker. I can look back on it in the future no matter what happens to me in 20 years’ time.

PocketFives: What’s your take on the November Nine concept?

Sam Holden: I was always a fan of it, even when it was first announced. I thought at the time it builds up so much hype and excitement and you get to know the players. As a player, it really heightened my marketability. I would have had a patch during the Main Event, but I wouldn’t have signed the endorsement deal I have.

It’s certainly a good thing for the players and I enjoyed every minute of it. At the time, I was relatively new to the poker scene and that was at my first $10,000 buy-in event, so it was an even bigger deal to me. If you were an established pro, it could be a disadvantage having a break, but in the end, I think we were all on a level playing field.

PocketFives: What are your emotions about going out in ninth place when you look back on it?

Sam Holden: It was disappointing at the time and, when you have that hype, it makes it even more disappointing. You have a few months from July to November to think about winning several million dollars, but looking back, I have to be very delighted.

PocketFives: Preview what viewers will see when they watch the documentary.

Sam Holden: They’re going to see the story of how I came into poker after playing online predominantly. They’ll also see some of the people I met through poker. They’ll see footage from the November Nine and a perspective from the Main Event. I was really happy with the final product and the quality of it.

PocketFives: Talk about why you signed with 888 Poker.

Sam Holden: After making the November Nine, I had a patch deal with them. I met up with them and they seemed like cool people to work with and I was very excited to get on board. I liked the way they were growing and the way the site was being run. It was about the people and the way they worked.

PocketFives: You won “Late Night Poker” around the same time as making the WSOP Main Event final table. Did your success in one rub off on the other?

Sam Holden: I wouldn’t have been invited to “Late Night Poker” without making the Main Event final table. Heading into “Late Night Poker,” I didn’t need to worry about the money, as it was filmed between the Main Event’s play-down day and the November Nine. It’s a fast structure and I was comfortable playing Turbos and short stacks. It was a great experience for me being in front of cameras and continuing to get used to that. I played well and ran well in that event.

PocketFives: Can you tell us about your online regiment?

Sam Holden: Just playing lots of MTTs. It’s what I did before I made the Main Event final table. I’ve been getting back into it since the start of the year. I’ve been very motivated and feel a bit less rusty playing lots of tables and tournaments.

888 Poker has a great selection. Their prize pools have been growing, especially on Sundays. They have a Sunday Major that’s come in the last few weeks that features knockouts. It’s a much higher reward if you knock someone out, so it’s a new thought process in the game. I find any new variations of the game interesting.

PocketFives: How did you get started in poker?

Sam Holden: I saw it on TV when I was younger. I started to play online for free, messing about and learning the rules. There came a point when I decided I wanted to give it a go for real money. At my university, I met a lot of guys who played as well. We would play home games and when I had a spare £20, I would put it online. I got to a point where I understood bankroll management, made a deposit, and haven’t deposited since.

PocketFives: Who or what propelled your poker career early on?

Sam Holden: Early on, I picked up any book I liked the look of. I have 20 or so of them still sitting behind me from back in the day. It was all about reading them and trying to pick things up. I had a few friends and we discussed tactics. The main help was also playing a lot with friends. I was the one who took poker more seriously and put in more volume online. I also started watching online training videos and think that was one of the biggest success factors for me.

Play with Sam Holden by visiting 888 Pokertoday. Don’t forget that you can get one month of free PocketFives Training with no sign-up feeby signing up for 888 through PocketFives. Get started.