This weekend, DraftKings will host what it claims is the largest daily fantasy hockey tournament ever held, the Light the Lamp Classic. The one-day tournament guarantees $25,000 and its champ will walk off with $5,000. The entry isn’t as much as you’d think, $109, and an overlay is likely. Among those entering this weekend is longtime PocketFives member Mike goleafsgoehLeah (pictured), who at one point could be found at #78 in the PocketFives Poker Rankings.

Leah recently finished sixth in the MiniFTOPS Main Event on Full Tilt, which he entered after not going to the PCA in the Bahamas for the first time in his poker career. He told us, “I was just hanging out at home and had such a good FTOPS. I finished fifth on the overall leaderboard. I hadn’t played very many MiniFTOPS events and had nothing else planned, so I decided for the heck of it to play every MiniFTOPS event. They’re not Turbos, they’re not super long structures, the prize pools are decent, the buy-ins are cheap, and there are some cool games in there.”

Sixth place in the MiniFTOPS feature tournament was worth $31,000 and nearly 9,000 entries were recorded. Leah bought in three times and registered at the last minute, which left him little room to maneuver out of the gate: “I came in with like 10 big blinds and started shoving. I busted two entries right away.”

Leah has over $2.3 million in tracked online MTT cashes to his credit. In September 2011, he took third in the WCOOP Main Event after a five-way deal and banked $560,000. “I’ve done well,” Leah said of his career since then, “but overall I think poker is tougher. There are definitely not as many soft spots and more pros are relocating. Whether it’s a combination of my skill and some good fortune or something else, I’ve managed to hammer out some good scores recently.”

This author would probably get rocked in a fantasy hockey tournament, but Leah seems confident he’ll have an edge in the Light the Lamp Classic: “I’ve played fantasy hockey for years. The biggest thing is knowing as many players as possible. You’ll know what players give you value at the price, so having as much knowledge as possible on the players is definitely an asset. Research will give you an edge, like knowing what goalie is starting that night. I also like to look at line combinations.”

If you’re looking for some qualified, free fantasy advice, Leah has it: start building your team by filling your goalie slot. He explained, “I usually start my team with my goalie, and match-ups are usually the first thing I’m looking at. I’m usually looking at a team with a bad offense to see who is playing them. If your goalie doesn’t win, it’s hard to win in daily fantasy.”

The Light the Lamp Classic takes place this Saturday, February 9, and players can get in on the cheap for $2 and $12. “I feel like I have a big edge,” Leah told us about his chances. “I know every player in the NHL. I think I’m going to be able to draft some good teams. There are also lots of satellites and qualifiers for the Light the Lamp Classic that have good value. The tournament should be very cool and there should be an overlay.”

Leah has over $1.5 million in career live cashes, according to the Hendon Mob, and told PocketFives that poker strategy, bankroll management, and experience in satellites can all help you succeed when it comes to fantasy sports.

He argued, “You’re able to create and analyze a system for success, whether in poker or in fantasy. You can come up with a plan for the best way to play. You can do it over and over again and don’t have to worry about short-term variance. It’s also about entering games with overlays and finding good value, whether you’re exploiting an overlay or rule or a player other people don’t know about.”

Finally, we mentioned that Leah was a no-show at this year’s PCA, but he is headed to Montreal on Wednesday for the grand opening of the VIP Poker Room, where he is an ambassador. “They have a big $100,000 guarantee for a $500 buy-in, so I’ll be there for a week,” Leah said of his plans. “Then, I’m likely going to Los Angeles for the last week of LAPC. I also qualified for the WSOP National Championship in New Orleans in May. I won the Player of the Series at the only Circuit Event I went to, which was at Horseshoe Hammond in Chicago. I really wanted to qualify for that.”

Click over to DraftKings for more details on this weekend’s Light the Lamp Classic.

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