Earlier this month, London’s ravenjetbyrne(pictured) took down the 888 Poker Sunday Challenge and walked away with $25,000, his second career victory in that tournament. There were almost 1,000 entrants that day and ravenjetbyrne was the lone PocketFiver at the final table. We caught up with him to get his take on his big day. You’ll be able to tell by his responses that he also writes stand-up comedy on the side and is pretty creative.

PocketFives: Tell us how you’re feeling about winning the 888 Sunday Challenge.

ravenjetbyrne: Numbness mixed with a little stress release. I have tasted the sweet nectar of a Sunday Challenge victory before and wanted that taste again. I was hungry for it.

PocketFives: What about the Sunday Challenge has allowed you to have so much success in it?

ravenjetbyrne: While my 2012 victory involved naked fist-pumping in the mirror, this one was more of a mellow high, a mental handshake for a job well done. I felt zoned into the energy flow of the game. I remember a very sick double-float value bluff river re-raise against a tough reg that chipped me up at a time of great famine late. I showed it and threw an egg.

Both victories were when I came into the last 12 as a short stack and managed to climb the golden mountain to glory. I think I played well short-handed, held my own versus the sickos, and tried to stay focused and relaxed. 888 is my own personal pleasure palace where I am strong and no reg can hurt me. I love the juicy player pool and the low-variance grind that satisfy all my MTT needs.

PocketFives: Do you have any plans for the money?

ravenjetbyrne: The money goes towards buying a house. I want all the people I love in one big house and eventually I will have a child called Raven Jet Byrne II. This child will complete my legacy. My girlfriend has already agreed to this. We will also have animals.

PocketFives: Talk about poker life in London (pictured). Do you get to play live at all?

ravenjetbyrne: I never play live in casinos, but I do like an underground cash game with the right people. Glastonbury is my home, where the people are strange. I like to eat good food and spend time with people who matter. I also love making music and being creative when I get time.

PocketFives: How did you get started in poker?

ravenjetbyrne: I first got into poker though an ex-girlfriend’s dad whom I used to destroy at chess. He took me to a pub game and I was awful, but I got into the swing of it. I am not a naturally talented person; everything I have succeeded in is through sheer determination and relentless effort. I came from nothing and have had to fight for my dreams.

When I started playing poker, it was madness. I had no job, rent to pay, and was using a credit card to get by. I was the worst, but was relentless and got better on my own. I have this fire inside me that drives me and I get obsessed with greatness. Being the best is all that matters.

I really loved Phil Hellmuth (pictured) and wanted to berate people and play a game I enjoy. I have a logical brain and used to beat adults at chess when I was young. I moved all around as a child too. My first memory is where I am naked and so is my dad. We are in this teepee and everyone is naked. ravejetbyrne is alive and five.

I think I crave order and stability as a reaction to a very free and interesting, yet chaotic start I had. I feel like I have managed to create something worthwhile out of the dark mist. I will always remember what it was like to have nothing. I am fiercely competitive and get upset when I fail. I am trying to get more humble and be the best person I can be, like Gandhi but with some money and better looking.

PocketFives: Tell us about your music and comedy careers.

ravenjetbyrne: Although I make all my money from poker, I also love to write songs and perform live. I combine sensual, dark songs with very unusual stand-up comedy and visual art. I love to challenge an audience and take their minds and souls into the deep waters of risk and reward by doing something they wouldn’t expect. I want to take the show onto the streets and give people memories that stain their essence forever. I have been out there with a crown of thorns and a gun and literally stopped traffic in Glastonbury. That’s a very key part of my being.

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