Christoffer "-NoName-" Egemo is an online heads-up specialist from Denmark. He currently holds $1.6M in winnings from his play on the Microgaming Poker network, with a majority of it coming from heads-up Texas Hold'em. HighstakesDB has had the chance to have a chat and ask a couple of questions to the young dane.
First of all: could you please tell us a few things about yourself?
- I'm 20 years old, I was born in Vejle, Denmark where I have lived for my entire life.
How did you get started in poker?
- At the age of 16, a friend of mine introduced me to poker, as we started playing home games for pennies. We didn’t even fully understand the rules at that time, and I remember winning a “big” pot when I had the nut straight against my friend’s nut flush. However, this was good practice, and I got to know the basic thought-patterns involved.
Later on, I heard about freeroll tournaments on the internet and I started playing these after school. I won one of the tournaments relatively quickly and with the winnings I began building my bankroll in cashgames. I have really never risked anything, since I have always been playing on those winnings of mine.
Can you name a defining moment in your poker career? The one that made you say: this is what I want to do for a living.
- If I had to name a defining moment in my poker career, it would have to be when I graduated business school and decided to play poker full time. At that point I already knew I could make a living off poker, so it was really not a big risk.
This was an important period, because I dedicated so much time to poker, and it turned out to be a good decision - I increased my winnings and moved up the stakes.
How do you deal with bad beats and long losing streaks?
- I think most people are marked by long losing streaks, at least I know I am. I start questioning my own skills and wonder what I am doing wrong. When I have to make crucial decisions I am uncertain and I make more mistakes while playing. It is sometimes a good idea for me to take a short break from poker to clear my mind, and then return to the tables when I feel like playing again.
What's your view on the future of online gambling in general and online poker in particular?
- Hopefully, the future is a bright one, but I think the games are getting tougher. There are more and more good players around, and it has generally become much more difficult to find a really juicy game.
We know you only play on Prima poker currently. Do you plan on hitting the big stakes games on Full Tilt any time soon?
- You’re right, I am only playing on Unibet at the moment, and I do not have plans of hitting the big stakes games on Full Tilt Poker yet. I am still not in my comfort zone when I am playing 200/400, and I would like to further increase my bankroll before I begin playing 200/400 on a regular basis.
Have you had any noteworthy live poker results so far? (Tournaments or cash games)
- The big live results are still to come. So far, I have played in a few EPT events, but failed to cash. Hopefully I will do better in the upcoming EPT season.
What would you name as your ultimate goal in poker?
- I would like to be financially independent, but I know poker can be a swingy business and there are players who lose all of their winnings in no time. Therefore I just hope I will carry on improving my skills, and keep both my feet on the ground.
How does your family deal with the fact that you’re a professional poker player?
- In the beginning they didn’t know what to make of it, but now they know I am good at what I do and they believe in me. They still find the amounts in play unreal though, but I can not blame them. I have their full support, they are always there for me, especially when things are not going as planned.
What’s the biggest online win you’ve ever had?
- The biggest pot I have ever won was a 140K one by and large, and I think my biggest win in a day was like 150K. One of the days I will always remember was when I beat kv01mlg, a very good winning player, on 25/50 hu. I only bought in for 5K, but managed to bust him and in the end I was sitting at the table with a 135K stack.
Some of the biggest poker pros are known to be fond of various prop bets. Were you ever involved in any such antics?
- I have never really been involved in any big prop bets, but from time to time I do have some smaller bets with my friends. Somehow I have always managed to do pretty well in these bets, so maybe it would be a good idea for me to get in on some big prop bets going around amongst poker players.
To wrap things up: what are your plans for the summer?
- I’ll be going on a vacation for a couple of weeks in Thailand with my girlfriend. I’ll also attend a festival with two of my best friends and lots more. Probably alot of partying...