INTERVIEW WITH POKER BROADCASTER NICK WEALTHALL

Welcome to the latest Industry Interview from thegamblingtimes.com.  Whether through his own play, or through his entertaining appearances over the years as a broadcaster and analyst on Poker Night Live, Sky Poker and numerous other shows, Nick Wealthall has cemented his place as one of the most familiar faces (and voices) on our screens when it comes to poker.  So for all you regular players reading, and for those of you who may be looking to get started, we’re very pleased to bring you some of Nick’s thoughts this month.

Q: Hello Nick! Can you begin by giving us a bit of background as to how your love affair with poker began and what it was about poker which appealed to you?

I started playing poker for fun over 10 years ago, I was decent at it and then used it to pay my bills while I was ‘getting into’ writing and performing. When the poker boom happened a new channel – ‘poker zone’ – were looking for people who knew about poker and could also present which described about 6 people in the entire country so I started there and have been involved in poker broadcasting since.

Q: What would you suggest are the ‘must do’ first steps a total beginner should take if they want to get involved in the game? And for our readers who may be looking to get started playing poker, can you talk a bit about bankroll management and its importance in the life of a poker player?

The first step is to learn the basics and then start playing – learning by doing is always best at first. You can play online for free at poker sites or even places like facebook and that should tell you how much you like the game.

As for bankroll management one of the first things to absorb about poker is that losing is part of the game even if you’re good. This is different to other sports and games you have experienced. Because playing no limit poker means you can lose everything on the table in one go you need to break down your bankroll into at least 20 portions to withstand losing runs that will happen even if you’re a winner in a game.

Q: Some of our readers may play quite regularly but may have only played No Limit Texas Hold’em, perhaps only tournaments too. Is it important to learn and play other variations in your opinion?

I’ve spent the last 18 months playing Omaha cash and it’s a great game. It’s not essential to learn other games however it can be an awful lot of fun and if you’re serious about your poker career then being able to play wherever the bad players are is an invaluable skill.

Q: For anyone who has played a live poker event or watched one on television, it’s apparent just what a mix of people there are at the tables. That said, do you think there are specific traits top poker players tend to share?

Now a days all the top players have great fundamentals or technical knowledge of the game – you can’t do well without in the modern era. As for personal characteristics they tend to be intelligent with a good ability to focus. They’re also very level headed and able to divorce the process of playing hands from the results. Finally they’re flexible in their thinking and rather than having a set style they can adapt to their opponents and exploit weaknesses.

Q: What is your advice for those whose poker experience has been limited to online games but may wish to get into some offline or ‘real life’ poker?

Just do it! It can be a little intimidating the first time so scout around and find somewhere you’re comfortable playing or set up a home game with friends first. It might take a while to adjust but if you pick a dealer dealt game they’ll run things so you can ask if in doubt about anything. If you do play remember it’s the same game with the same rules as the one you’ve played online.

Q: You’ve provided television commentary on some very large events featuring the best players in the world. Are there any specific skills you’ve developed purely from commentating on such events which you might not have otherwise developed through playing, reading books and so on?

I’m not sure if there are different skills but it’s definitely helped some of them. For example doing cards down commentary where you have to verbalise what the players might be thinking without knowing there cards has helped me make my own thought processes more logical/congruent. Also watching the best players play closely can’t help but make you a better player – though highlight shows are a bit of a trap as hands happen in context and sometimes don’t make sense without the history between the players.

Q: You’re currently the host of the inaugural UK & Ireland Poker Tour brought to us by Pokerstars.com. Do you feel the tour has been successful in helping to raise the profile of UK & Irish poker?

I’d like to think so – the tour has been a huge success. I didn’t doubt it would do well, Stars run such good tours and the UK & Ireland scene was crying out for it but the response from players at every stop has been overwhelming. It’s also uncovering a new generation of poker talent with lots of new names, players like Owen Robinson, Christopher Brammer and Rupinder Bedi.. It should be great in the long run as a way for casual players to experience ‘big time’ poker as well as a platform for new talent.

Q: A few years ago, you started the On The Rail website with fellow poker player and TV host Kara Scott. On sites such as Eatmystack.co.uk, you can see just how well your site and the podcasts are liked by the poker community. Considering there are so many poker related sites out there, what is it about On The Rail which sets it apart and what are your future hopes for the site?

Well it’s never been about the site – though you can all pop over and check it out – its about the podcast. On The Rail has always been about Kara and I and Matt doing a podcast that’s our platform to do a show the way we want and talk about our experience of poker. Through it I’ve been lucky to interview the people in poker I’ve wanted to meet in a more indepth way than you usually hear. It’s a labour of love rather than done for profit or career reasons so hopefully that comes over and people enjoy it.

Q: Although you’re heavily involved in the media side of poker, you still manage to stay involved as a player too, notably winning the Sussex Masters main event in April. How much time do you get to spend on average each week playing poker, whether it be online or offline, and do you have tips specifically for people who may have limited time to play poker but who want to maintain their skills or develop them further?

Poker is purely a hobby now and it’s tough to find time to play. There are some weeks where I don’t play at all and then I’ll get withdrawal and binge for a day or two. The advice I’d give is to only try and play seriously when you’re rested and focussed and not tired or stressed from other things but I struggle to follow this myself. Developing skills involves studying your game and analysing hands your play which is tough to find time for if it’s not your job – it depends what you want from poker though, once you reach a certain level you have to put the time in if you want to win so it’s tough to half do it!

Q: Finally, can you divulge some of your remaining poker and broadcasting ambitions?

There are lots to be honest; I want the UKIPT to be the best national tour anywhere on the planet over the coming years and to get it televised. I’ve also started doing strategy interviews for Cardrunners which I’m hoping will be the best audio strategy content out there. As for remaining ambitions I like entertaining people through broadcasting whether it’s in poker, comedy or whatever and whether it’s writing or performing. I consider myself ridiculously lucky to do all this stuff so all the remaining ambitions are to keep doing it, do more of it and dodge real jobs for as long as possible!

TGT would like to thank Nick for taking the time out to speak with us. If you would like to check out Nick’s On The Rail website where you can read articles and listen to podcasts amongst other things, please go to: On The Rail.  As we mentioned in the interview, Nick is the host of the UK & Ireland Poker Tour and there is a webshow you can follow which is a very entertaining watch indeed. It can be found at: On Tour Webshow on PokerStars.tv.  Finally, Nick has a 3 DVD set entitled “Nick Wealthall’s No Limit Tournaments” and for more information on that and to see a video clip, you can visit: High Stakes Bookshop > Nick Wealthall's No Limit Tournaments (3 DVD set) by Nick Wealthall.