Last week, Aaron “Gotcha55” Kantor and Russell “rdcrsn” Carson joined a list of online poker superstars with their Triple Crown wins–not that either of them are new to the upper echelon of Multi-Table Tournament success. Both have been ranked very highly on the Pocketfives Leaderboard, and both have been climbing higher of late. A Triple Crown is a feather in the cap for most top players, but rdcrsn and Gotcha55 have a very different outlook on what the Triple Crown means to them.

I asked both players the following question: Were you aware that you were close to a Triple Crown, and if so, did it effect your game selection at all?

Here are their replies:

Gotcha55: Yes, I wanted that logo. I like to win awards and improve my rankings. That is what motivates me to play more and concentrate on winning. I did play the Absolute 11K Guarantee for the first time to try to get the Triple.

rdcrsn: No, not really. I've been close before when I had two wins early in a week and just took the rest of the week off. I haven't really "gone" for it before, I just happened to take down 3 in a week this time. I guess I’m just putting in more sessions these days.

In no way did I take this as a slight to Pocketfives. I just think Russell is a quiet guy, who doesn’t get hyped up about things like this. He is a high volume player who attacks a session very seriously, sitting down to 10-14 MTTs at any given time, but when he’s done, he’s done. Russell Carson currently lives in Toronto, but he grew up on the west coast of Canada near Vancouver. I suppose it’s hard to get too worked up about anything when you live on the Sunshine Coast.

Aside from the climate, Russell is pretty happy with Toronto. He lives there with his girlfriend of several years, who is pursuing an advanced degree. What does he do outside of poker? “Just kicking it with friends, having a few pints is all I really need.” He does enjoy traveling and in the past couple years he has been to Germany for the World Cup, and the Bahamas, Aruba and Australia for poker events.

A laid back guy in most respects, Russell does take his chosen profession very seriously. He plays poker like it’s his job and it seems to be working for him. He has invested a significant portion of his bankroll outside of poker in stocks and securities, which may seem like a gamble to some, but it’s always good to diversify.

One thing that stands out about Russell's Triple Crown is the size of the PLB point total. His first two wins were very respectable $8k and $9k scores on PartyPokerand Full Tilt Poker. The third win came in the PokerStars Nightly 100 Grand and was worth $33k and 398 PLB points, making his Triple Crown the highest scoring in months and one of the top 5 Triple Crowns since we started tracking tournaments. Since the Triple Crown, he hasn’t slowed down. He took down the Full Tilt Poker $30 rebuy last Sunday as well as winning a WCOOP main event seat in the Pocketfives promotion the same day. He was one of seven players to walk away with a $2600 seat in the $10 rebuy tournament we hosted with three seats added.

The other Triple Crown winner last week was Gotcha55. Aaron Kanter is very recognizable to poker fans everywhere for putting an end to Raymer’s run at a repeat in 2005, as well as his final table in that same Main Event. Meanwhile, this P5er has been tearing up the leaderboard since he began to increase his volume of play online last year. Aaron has already won a Monthly PLB award and now adds the Triple Crown logo to his home profile. So who is this guy, really? The rank amateur portrayed by the ESPN broadcast, or a Poker pro with the talent to back it up?

Lenny: You are obviously a talented poker player, do you resent the way people may remember you from the ESPN broadcasts?

Gotcha55: No, not so much. I am about as laid back as you can get. ESPN showed the hands they did to build their characters, so I don’t really blame anyone. Most true poker players don't judge a player based on one TV show anyway.

I am content with myself and my playing abilities. I probably do a lot of things at the poker table that don't make sense to people. I don’t even understand them myself sometimes.

The funny thing is, I get more crap about the QJhh versus Raymer than I do the K5 blowup versus Tex [Barch], which was much worse. That WSOP event was very early in my poker career and I made a couple mistakes down the stretch, but it was a great learning experience and one of the best times of my life.

Lenny: Do you follow the Pocketfives rankings? Do they figure in your poker goals at all?

Gotcha55: I look at the rankings almost every day. That is what has put most of the fun back into poker for me. I mean just look at the leaderboard, those guys are all sick. I try to play as much as I can to try to catch them, but it is damn near impossible.

Lenny: You have quickly accumulated some of the highest prizes we have, shooting up the rankings, winning a Monthly PLB contest and a Triple Crown. Do you appreciate the recognition, or is it more about the bottom line for you?

Gotcha55: I don't care so much about the money. If you get the points the money will come. I love competition in any form and I can't stand losing. That is how I have always been.

Lenny: What are some of your interests outside of poker?

Gotcha55: I have picked up my golf game in the last 4 months. I am taking lessons and playing about 2-3 times a week in the mornings. I love it. I can go out and compete against myself, or get my ass kicked by J.C Tran like I did last week. It is a mentally challenging sport, and very addictive.

I also spend a lot of time doing real estate investing and more recently working on our website, which will be up soon. My wife and I spend a good portion of our time with family and close friends. We are looking forward to having the baby, which is due sometime between Christmas and New Years. I don't sleep much now, I can't imagine next year.

Gotcha55 and rdcrsn are two very talented players who are very worthy additions to the Pocketfives Triple Crown Wall of Champions. We wish both of them continued success and a special “GLGL” goes out to Aaron Kanter and his growing family.