Today we had a meet-up with Alexander who is doing very well in our 6-max program. He is pushing for the hours and knows that BPC can help you, realize things in Poker.
How did you get in touch with poker and what made you decide to start playing full-time?
Played in a lot of home games with friends during my teenage years. Always loved games and gambling.
Used my mom’s credit card to deposit at stars when I was 15 or something. Discovered grindershool.com (training site for micros) in 2010 when I started college in the US, and that’s when I seriously started to think about turning pro one day.
Unfortunately, black Friday derailed my plans and I only played sporadically until I finished my degree. Even though I graduated with a finance degree I had no passion for it.
So after working a 9-5 in a bank for a few years, I decided to quit and pursue poker. Like most aspiring pros, I’m attracted to the freedom poker brings along with a love for the game.
Living an ordinary life like everyone else just isn’t for me. And I have known that for a very long time. I actually applied for BPC back in 2013 so I knew about the program and realized I needed help to reach my goals.
How did BPC help you to improve your game?
BPC has helped me in every aspect of the game.
Not just the theoretical/technical side, but just as much with the mental aspect and the importance of actually playing. Putting in enough hours.
Being required to log results each day makes you accountable and “forced” to put in enough volume/studying. And like mentioned in the program; BPC doesn’t provide one magical thing that makes you a great player, but constantly playing and thinking about poker makes you realize a lot on your own as well.
I can’t emphasize enough how important BPC has been.
You live in Oslo, right? How is it to live there and what do you like very much about it?
Living in Oslo is cool during the summer but the winters are brutal. Especially after living in Arizona for 4 years. It’s expensive and the nightlife is pretty terrible so I can’t say I love living here. But having all my friends and family close by is obviously great.
What gives you the motivation to get back to the tables every day?
Making a living at poker has been a dream of mine for a while. That’s my main motivation. Knowing that I have to get a regular job if I fail is also something I keep in the back of my mind to stay hungry. To improve and seeing your win rate increase along with it is also extremely rewarding.
Can you recall a special moment or hand in poker, which was memorizable for you?
After having a steep downward sloping red line and being a complete nit for a very long time I decided to try a different approach recently.
Basically transformed my game overnight. I had known the theory for a while, but never actually implemented certain things. So I remember that day very well.
Any tips for motivation for your fellow grinders?
Putting in the necessary hours can be rough at times, but I just remind myself why I’m doing this. After working a job I hated for so long, actually being able to follow my dream is extremely motivating and keeps me going.
Thanks for your time.
