![XApW1ICe]()
About You
1. What is your name, age and where are you located? What is your personal twitter account?
Marc Kennedy, 30 years old. I’m currently based in the U.K., my Twitter is @PlayinWitDreams
2. What are Your online poker Screen names?
I play under the username PlayinWitDreams on Full Tilt
3. How would you define yourself as a poker player? / What poker games do you normally play? Are you learning any new games?
I specialise in 3-6 handed No-Limit cash games, playing the vast majority of my volume at 400nl. I’ll play some tournaments now and again, especially if there is a big series on like FTOPS. I also play a little PLO. I’d like to learn some more 2-7 I haven’t played much but it seems like a fun game.
4. What do you most enjoy about your job?
I love that I make my living in a battle of brains. There is something so pure about putting your best strategy up against your opponent’s and seeing who comes out on top at the end of it all.
5. Who are the top 3 players in your main game from your home country in your personal opinion?
I don’t like to get into a who is the best debate. It’s so arbitrary and even if you can define the parameters, it changes frequently. Poker isn’t about who is the best, it’s about being the best you can be, whatever that may be. You don’t need to be the best to make money in this game.
6. What reg in your game do you respect most? Can you briefly describe why?
I respect anyone who pays their bills from money they win at poker and that is true for most of the regs in my games, so it’s hard to pick one guy. They all worked hard to get where they are now.
7. Besides yourself who do you think the most underrated poker player is?
Pretty much every mid-stakes+ online cash game player ever – poker media focus so much on tournaments and the fact is the guys you see on TV are not the best, not even close most of the time. If you beat the 400 Rush or 500 Zoom games for a good clip you’re absolutely world class in my book.
Past
1. Why and when did you start playing poker? Do you still play for the same reasons?
I was watching late night runs of the WPT back in the day probably around 2006/2007 and I saw Gus ripping it up and just thought this is too cool, these guys play cards for a living??!! It blew my mind and I wanted to get myself a piece of the pie.
I play primarily to pay the bills now but I still love what I do. Even if there are times I feel like jacking it all in, deep down I don’t know what I would do with out poker. It’s given me so many opportunities and so much freedom, I really feel like I found my ”calling” in life.
2. What were the best and worst months of your poker career? What happened?
The best month is probably around $65k and the worst maybe like -$15k. What happened…? Variance is what happened!
3. Are you satisfied with the last 12 months of your poker play?
I’m never satisfied, you can always play better. I can’t remember the last time I quit a session and didn’t think I could have done at least one thing ”better”.
4. How did Black Friday impact you? How did you adapt after Black Friday?
I was playing full-ring as my main game, that player pool had a disproportionate amount of Americans in it so I had to accelerate my transition to 6-max. I had already started learning a little before BF but I knew I had to focus much more time and effort to it after BF.
5. What was the biggest factor in your development as a player?
Love of the game – you’ll never get really good at anything in life if you don’t have a passion for it.
6. What was the biggest mistake(s) you have done as a poker player?
Probably never living in a ‘poker house’, I see how much that has helped some guys that I came up with.
7. What’s your biggest prop bet?
I’m not much of a prop betting guy – I’ve debated doing some stuff but people who know me would never give me action because they know I never quit.
Present
1. How do you prepare for your poker activities?
A cup of tea and a chocolate biscuit usually. My games don’t run 24/7 so I don’t have the luxury of being able to have an elaborate preparation plan, if the games fire up I’ve got to get in there pretty quickly because you never know how long they will run for.
2. If you could pick the brain of anyone in the world for 3 hours, who would he/she be?
Doug Polk – it’s not even close when it comes to poker.
Stephen Hawking for somebody outside of poker, I’m a bit of a Physics nerd! I would have picked Christopher Hitchens a few years ago but he has sadly passed away. It’s not often the death of a ”celebrity” hits me but the world really lost a great mind when he passed in 2011.
3. What 3 poker pros should PokerStars sign to their team online roster?
I’m not too familiar with the players on Stars anymore as I just play at Full Tilt (which has nothing to do with the Ambassador role I have btw, it’s always been my home site and where I feel most comfortable) – in general though they should sign people with impeccable integrity and who are willing to work to promote poker and interact with the public.
4. What is your favorite way to relieve stress when running bad?
Walking the dogs or going to the spa and using the steam room followed by an ice bath.
5. How much volume are you playing on Eurosites?
Zero.
6. Why are you not playing mid/high stakes already? If you are, what are the 3 most important things that got you there?
I started out at 400nl, I’ve never played more than a few thousand hands below 200nl, mostly just for making videos or Twitch streaming. I’ve played as high as 5000nl and I’d be happy to play higher stakes games again if they were available on Full Tilt in the Rush format. I can’t be bothered with the hassle of getting in regular high stakes games, Rush is just so convenient.
7. What is the most important positive change you’ve made to your poker approach this year?
Playing less volume now the Blackcard Competition has ended, it got pretty mental for a while and it’s much better to find some balance. I still plug a lot of hours because I’m a workaholic but it’s more on my own terms now, rather than being driven by the competition.
8. You were recently announced as Full Tilt Poker Player Ambassador. How do you see that role and what are your thoughts going forward with Full Tilt Poker?
I’m pumped, it’s no secret I’ve wanted to work with Full Tilt on a more permanent basis for a long time. There are some really good people behind the scenes and I enjoy meeting up with them both for work and socially as well. I’m excited to help improve the experience of players on the site by acting as a Poker Ambassador for the community so they can be sure their wants and desires are voiced to the people that can make them happen. I can’t promise more than to be their voice but it’s a role I’m taking very seriously and if I do my job in 12 months time Full Tilt will be a more exciting, more enjoyable site for regs and recreational players alike. I strongly encourage people to hit me up on Twitter @PlayinWitDreams or on my Twitch channel @MarcKennedy so I can get a feel for what people want to see from Full Tilt going forward. I think I’m pretty approachable and I have some time set aside every day to answer tweets/emails and PM’s, so don’t be shy.
Future
1. What are your poker and other goals for the next 12 months?
Win all the monies and play my part in returning Full Tilt to being the industry force it once was. I’d like to hit 1000 viewers on one of my Twitch Streams during the next 12 months – the first official one was a bigger success than I expected and people seem to really be responding to my style of content. It’s a lot more laid back and less gimmicky than some other Pro’s channels and I think there is a lot of people out there who appreciate that style.
2. Are you confident that you will meet those goals? Why?
I’m confident I’ll give it everything I’ve got – if that turns out to not be enough then so be it. I try to set big challenges for myself and taking that approach means inevitably you will fail sometimes but I can’t see the point in setting goals you know you can achieve. Life is supposed to be a challenge and it’s much more satisfying achieving something you thought you couldn’t do than something you were sure at the start you could.
3. Do you see yourself still playing poker in 10 years?
I don’t know, 10 years is a very long time, I try to live in the moment with one eye on the future.
4. Do you have any ambition to coach/teach other players?
I will be doing some coaching on my Twitch channel focused mostly on Micro and Small stakes players, I do private coaching through my website www.PlayinWitDreams.com for more advanced players, I haven’t had a ton of time over the last couple of years to coach but it’s something I enjoy doing with the right students and I think I have a lot to offer people coming up through the ranks. I would never want to get into a situation where I was coaching more than playing though, I love the action too much and it’s important to stay sharp so you know your providing value to students.
5. What’s the poker dream for you?
Choosing your own path and using your brain to get through life on your own terms.
6. How do you see the poker landscape changing in the next five years?
Tough one – I see poker beginning to grow again but a lot of it comes down to how the landscape develops in America and some of the other large population countries like China and India where poker isn’t too popular currently.
7. How much time are you putting into studying financial issues like investing. What are your preferred sources for this? What investments are you making with your poker winnings?
I’m going to plead the 5th on this one – I’d hate to think people would follow or emulate something I said I am invested in. My only advice would be always have a well diversified portfolio that encompasses both high risk and low risk investments and don’t disregard something because you don’t understand it immediately. The best opportunities are often disruptive ones and it can often be easy to dismiss them as crazy just because you don’t get it right away.
Other
1. Do you have any regular non-poker hobbies? Whats your favorite way to spend your spare time?
I like walking the dogs, I live near some hills and try to take them up there at least once a week. It’s a good feeling to stand on top of a hill and look out at the world below, gives you a sense of perspective that is easy to overlook when you’re in the hustle and bustle of daily life. I recently started doing some indoor climbing which is a lot of fun and some yoga but I like adrenaline fueled activities and new experiences so I like to test myself and try new things whenever I get the opportunity. I recently did some track day driving and that was an incredible buzz, I’ll definitely be looking to do that again soon.
2. If you could give you from five years ago (make it ten if over 30) one major piece of advice, what would it be?
Finish University, I dropped out in my final year to pursue poker. It worked out for me and knowing I didn’t have much to fall back on pushed me to succeed but it was a huge risk and a pretty stupid one to take. The poker landscape is very different now to when I started out, finish University and then see if you can make it as a Pro.
3. What are the 3 things everyone should have on their bucket list?
See as much of the world as you can reasonably afford to.
Take the opportunities that present themselves on your journeys.
Learn to love yourself for who you are but always strive to be better.
4. Do you follow any poker podcasts or poker players on Twitch?
Joe Ingram’s Poker Life Interviews/Podcasts are the stone cold nuts, I don’t have enough spare time to keep up with many others unfortunately. I like to get away from my screen when I’m not working as much as possible.
5. If you could change one thing with online poker, what would that be? What if you could change one thing with live poker?
I’d make the same change to both live and online poker -
Single buy-in level for cash games (my preference would be for 100bb or 150bb), I don’t think it’s right or fair that there are a range of buy-in options for cash games especially as wide as they are.
6. What is the best place and the best restaurant your have ever visited?
Place – New Zealand
Restaurant – Vue De Monde in Melbourne, Australia.
7. Who do you challenge to do the Poker Player Snapshot next and why?
Joe Ingram because I think it would be fun to see him being interviewed rather than interviewing others.
