You have to love poker players’ plans for the money they win from tournaments. Many end up sinking a majority of it back into their bankrolls, and while we expect the same from Samuel Samuelbt Tsehai (pictured), he also told us that he told us he “might buy a couple pairs of Jordans and get a dope jacket for the winter.” It’s always the little things!

We caught up with Tsehai after he finished second in the PokerStars Sunday 500 last month for $52,000. “I feel amazing,” Tsehai told PocketFives in an exclusive interview. “I have made huge strides in my game over the past three months and to see it finally pay off is an awesome feeling.”

Tsehai doubled up early in the Sunday 500, but dropped down to three big blinds and ended up running it up. He told us, “I ended up becoming a big stack with 140 people left and sailed from there to the final table, where I was able to get a lot of free chips as the chip leader. When we got four-handed, I lost a pretty huge cooler as the chip leader, but was super ecstatic with second place nonetheless.”

First place in the Sunday 500 that week went to #24 ranked PocketFiver KKremate(pictured), who cashed for $72,000. Tsehai graciously said of the Brazilian PocketFiver, “I’ve played with him quite a bit and have a lot of respect for his game. He ended up having a huge chip lead and it didn’t last very long, as I ended up shoving with 9-7 suited for 20 big blinds into his A-9 the fifth hand in. He played really well the whole final table; kudos to him on the ship.”

He has 10 scores of at least $10,000 this year and five of at least $20,000. “Aside from watching videos and doing hand history reviews, I’ve been thinking about hands a lot more thoroughly,” Tsehai said of his recent success. “I have been asking myself a lot of questions on every street and not caring if I’m wrong and bust out of a tournament. I’ve definitely gotten into a groove the past couple of months and knew I was going to get a big score any day now.”

Tsehai got started in poker via home games and eventually loaded $50 onto Full Tilt. He stopped playing, attended university, migrated back to poker, and has been playing full-time for the last two years. He said, “I’m obviously extremely happy with my decision, but if I weren’t doing this, I’d probably be doing real estate.”

On Full Tilt, Tsehai goes by the user name biz-tings, which he said is an inside joke with high school friends. Apparently, it’s Toronto slang for “a business,” which to him made sense since, as he put it, “I always saw poker as running your own business, and my dad’s name is Bisrat, so it all fit well together.”

He closed by sending a shout out to Brandanz “for taking a chance on me, and to Blancofor teaching me everything and always being there whenever I’ve needed him. Thanks to Ankush and Ramfor being super dope friends and I can’t forget Chris Annouza and Spektah. And, of course, I have to give a shout out to the city of Toronto (pictured)!”

The Sunday 500 runs weekly on PokerStars. If you don’t already have a PokerStars account, sign up through the links on PocketFives to get a 100% up to $600 deposit bonus and one free month of Tournament Poker Edge or CardRunners poker training. Get started here.

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