Photo credit: PokerNews

Surprisingly, David wasn’t sure if he’d even be playing in the Main Event at all! “I really was 50/50 on actually playing. Would have been fine with me to see Amanda make a deep run. But this was a ‘no regrets’ kind of decision: largest Main Event in history. I played two satellites and didn’t get through. Then I played in a $5/10 cash game the night before Day 2 and had an incredible run… I made just enough to register, so I strongly considered parlaying those winnings. It still seemed crazy, but Amanda and I do well together. And her mother gave me permission to take my best shot. So I did a late reg on Day 2 and started around 3 PM.”

When asked how he felt actually playing the Main Event, David’s answer was insightful: “I didn’t start very well as I went from 60K to 20K in just an hour of play and had work to do. I felt surprisingly comfortable. Seemed to me that everybody else had more fear on their faces than I did, so I played a more aggressive game. Players seemed to think an older guy never bluffs or 3-bets light, so I took advantage. Once we were close to the bubble, I just shut it all down until it burst. Folded J-J twice and A-K until we made sure we got through. Then it was pure joy.”

Once the bubble burst, David went to look for his daughter and they gave each other a big hug in a beautiful moment that captured the fascination of the poker world.

“That moment was just pure love and relief and joy. What a victory! The dream is alive and real, for BOTH of us!”

We made it!! Dad & I are in the money of the World Series of Poker Main Event! https://t.co/EaVdBYQxti pic.twitter.com/JMZ7RiNP1T

— Amanda Botfeld (@amandabotfeld) July 10, 2023

From the Felt to the Rail, Cash in Hand

David was eliminated on Day 4 and finished in 1,166th place, cashing for $17,500. Amanda advanced to Day 5 and eventually finished in 341st place, earning her personal-best result of $44,700.

When asked if he would play the Main Event again or if it was a one time thing, David’s reply was unequivocal: “I would play again. Thought I didn’t have what it really takes to play the fabled Main Event before entering, but I left thinking that I could into the future. Amanda is a pretty competent coach, and I actually learned quite a lot from her.”

It’s funny how sometimes the coach becomes the student. David had taught Amanda how to play poker 17 years ago. But who taught him to play? What was it that attracted him the most to poker in the beginning?

“My father was actually a national bridge champion, and his mother was the real card shark in the family. I played a lot of poker in high school and partially put myself through college playing in Gardena in the 70s. I really loved it all, but got a “real life” and didn’t play again until No Limit Hold’em started surging in popularity around 2000.”

As for whether David himself was a good poker teacher, he replied honestly: “Amanda actually lost a lot of money when she first started, and so we needed to get her familiar with the basics of how to play Texas Hold’em. She had a real aversion to the math at first as well, and so she made her own set of poker flash cards to begin to memorize the odds (33% chance of hitting a flush draw after the flop, things like that). I’m a numbers guy, so once she had basic competence in that arena, she could then became a real student of play and began to educate herself. These days often times I will text her to get her opinion about plays I’ve made, and her analysis is sharp and spot on.”

This is my dad teaching me how to play poker with lime green chips. 15 years later, we have made the final table together in the @wsop Tag Team Tournament.

Love you dad, and couldn't have done it without you. #fatherdaughter #poker @joinpokerpower pic.twitter.com/Mb04y3KaEJ

— Amanda Botfeld (@amandabotfeld) November 2, 2021

In the world of poker, women have historically been in the minority. As such, we were interested in David’s take on how that might perhaps negatively affect Amanda at the tables. “I know she loves the game, and that is the most important thing. Many times I would go to poker clubs with her to make sure that nobody gave her a hard time, but at the end of the day she had to learn how to handle herself and deal with challenging situations. She will often nowadays surprise other players with her astute play, and they will then back off quickly when they recognize she is nobody to be taken lightly. I love that she can be a dangerous player, and making those astute plays is what she loves.”

As for Amanda’s Main Event run in particular, David was practically beside himself reflecting on the rollercoaster experience from his perspective. “First she loses Nadya Magnus‘ Twitter contest, only to then get put in by Scott Ball. At some point, she’s the chip leader… Then she finds herself on the ‘freeroll of all freerolls’ after Bill Perkins bought some of her action midway through the tournament. Meanwhile, we both end up cashing the darn thing. This whole experience has just been surreal and incredible.”

A Proud Poker Papa

Asked for his thoughts on Amanda’s growth as a player, writer, content creator, and teacher, David said that “For me, playing the Main Event is like your daughter playing at Wimbledon. Best in the world. How could I miss seeing her play? She is a great writer, too, and her social media presence is always entertaining. She also learned a lot by being a trainer/teacher at PokerPower, where she has worked with women to play better poker. They say many times the teacher is the one that learns the most, and she has become a very skilled coach in doing so. Her deep run was no accident, and I truly believe she has the intelligence and love for the game to be a force to be reckoned with in the future. I would love that more than anything.”

David during the 2021 Tag Team / Photo credit: PokerNews

As for what it was like to experience that magical run to third place in the 2021 WSOP Tag Team Event together with his daughter, David responded that “The Tag Team is a little different than other tournaments. It’s great to be able to take a break when you need to. And it was an incredible experience to make a deep run together. Then again: who plays the Tag Team with their daughter/father? We were such an unusual commodity that we got people rooting for us. And they still are!”

Finally, we asked David about the Botfelds’ future in poker, specifically what other achievements he would like to experience together with Amanda now that they’ve both cashed in the Main Event together. In response, David said that “We know there is a certain magic that happens when we play together. I think at this point we are open to suggestion.”

One thing’s for sure, that whenever and wherever the Botfelds make their next magical run, the poker world will be watching and rooting them along!

Many players have already paid their entry fee, while others have won satellites at the Wynn Casino. Still others have won packages valued at $12K on the WPT Global platform or in numerous contests held on social media.

One of these winners was Dr. Josef Strazynski, who was chosen by gamer and author Amanda Botfeld in one of her Twitter contests. Cardplayer Lifestyle founder Robbie Strazynski will be on site in Las Vegas covering his own father at the tournament! Here’s the recently published video interview with Dr. Joe.

In this article, we’ll share some advice with those who plan to play the tournament and do not have much experience playing live. We also have some tips for those who are still looking to qualify.

Satellites

There are many ways to qualify for the tournament. If you live outside the United States and want to qualify for the WPT World Championship online, you should take advantage of WPT Global’s step format satellites.

If you are looking for some advice on satellite strategy, there are only two current books on the subject, but both are highly recommended. One of them is “Poker Satellite Strategy” (2019) by Dara O’Kearney and Barry Carter, which talks about the post-flop game, the first stages, the mental game, and the final stages of satellites.

The other is “Poker Satellite Success!” (2021) by Bernard Lee, who qualified for the 2005 WSOP Main Event via satellite, and finished 13th, winning $400K. Paul Seaton recently wrote a very positive review of Bernard’s book.

Poker Training Programs

The fastest and most complete way to study and improve as a poker player is to enroll in a poker training program. One that I tried and highly recommend is Learn WPT.

Poker training programs have several advantages, including the convenience of studying from home, being able to interact with professional players, and choosing the subjects you want to study in depth. So whether it’s with LearnWPT or one of the other great poker training sites out there, it’s hard to go wrong putting in a little study time.

Poker Podcasts

Another way to study is to listen to poker podcasts. There’s a wide variety of programs, but the ones that will help you the most are those that provide strategy analysis and interviews with recognized players on the circuit. Podcasts are ideal for listening in your free time, while playing online, or when you are exercising or traveling.

Poker Videos

Watching poker videos is another way to prepare for the tournament. On YouTube, there are thousands of free videos on a wide variety of poker topics. You can also watch tournaments that have been played on the World Poker Tour. It is important to create a YouTube filter to ensure that you are watching videos that are current and from a reliable source. And of course, there’s plenty of great poker to watch on PokerGO.

Poker Strategy Books

Reading poker books, specifically live tournament strategy books, is another way you can prepare for the WPT World Championship. Plenty of top poker coaches and experts such as Jonathan Little, Alex Fitzgerald, and Andrew Brokos have written widely-acclaimed poker strategy books. If you have a long trip to Las Vegas with layovers a good poker strategy book is the ideal companion.

Poker Coaching

Personalized coaching is the most expensive study option, but the one that will likely serve you best, as you will be able to choose which topics to discuss with an experienced player. It is a worthwhile investment if you want to prepare seriously.

Play Poker!

The last tip is the simplest: play and practice at the felt! Whether online or live, playing will give you practice in different scenarios and stages of tournaments. The WPT World Championship has a starting stack of 200 big blinds, so playing tournaments with similar starting stacks would be ideal.

Let’s study and prepare! As Seneca said: “Good luck comes when preparation meets opportunity”.

I figured it would be pretty cool to interview my Dad and give the poker world a bit of a closer look at who he is, his connection to poker, and see how he feels having a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to play in a tournament of this magnitude.

I hope you enjoy our conversation, a transcript of which is included below the video.

Interview Transcript

Hey everyone! Robbie Strazynski here for Cardplayer Lifestyle and I have the special pleasure today to interview my Dad, Dr. Josef Strazynski. Hi Dad, how are you?

Hello, how are you son?

Hey, Long time no see!   We had a nice home game last night, right?

Correct.

I know I lost. How did you end up?

I did very well.

OK, thank Gd. So you’ll treat your kids and grandkids. Excellent. Very good.

Well, the reason I’m interviewing you is because, Dad, you were fortunate enough to be selected as a prize package winner by WPT Global in a Twitter giveaway by Amanda Botfeld.

So just to give everyone a little bit of background – Amanda’s contest was – these were the words of her tweet: “nominate a family member and tell me why they should win”. I responded:

My Dad. He taught me, too, when I was 8. I’ve been playing in a home game with him for 20 years.

He’s my biggest fan. I’ll be in Vegas (covering the full @WPT World Championship series) and it would be amazing and surreal to “report on him” if he were to play. pic.twitter.com/p4KbqEbC21

— Robbie Strazynski (@cardplayerlife) October 25, 2022

And incredibly, she did select you as the lucky winner… so I think it’s time to tell the poker world some more about you before you go and embrace this prize package to play in a $10,000 main event in Las Vegas.

This is Josef Strazynski, a 74-year-old doctor living in Israel who helps patients suffering with diabetes.

Watch his reaction to finding out he just won a $10,400 ticket to play in the World Poker Tour, and will be flown out to Vegas with his son, @cardplayerlife. @WPT pic.twitter.com/LoS5DHdcgQ

— Amanda Botfeld (@amandabotfeld) October 28, 2022

I’ve got to say, it’s so funny. Because obviously, I’ve been speaking with my dad for 41 years. But I’ve never actually interviewed you. At least I don’t think so. My challenge is to remember – I’ve got to interview you like I would anyone else. So we’re going to ask some deep and probing questions here.

So, you taught me how to play poker when I was a little kid. What about you? When did you first learn how to play poker? And who taught you?

Well, actually, I was a little mischievous in my young years. And actually, I learned how to play poker during my grade school. And later in high school. Of course grade school it was pretending to play, and high school it was actually playing. And we used to skip class to play poker. We used to go to the park where nobody could see us to play poker. Of course the poker that we played at that time was 7 card stud. That was the only thing we knew.

But that’s how I learned. That’s how we played. Hiding it from the parents, from the teachers, and from any adult that would see us. And then from then on it proceeded, evolved to something bigger. Finally when I reached a little maturity, I started playing on a regular basis.

So, what stakes did you play for as a young man?

Oh, I will tell you what. Probably in the beginning we were playing for candies. And later on was for – I was in Poland, so was playing for … something like one-tenth of a penny.

Yeah, so that’s not an Israeli accent. We’re in Israel. And it’s not an American accent. So you’re from Poland.

Yes. I was born in Poland and I was living in Poland until the age of 20, yes. And then I moved to Austria. And then I moved to Italy. And then I moved to United States.

Interesting. Why the long journey? They didn’t have direct flights from Poland then?

I wouldn’t know, because at that time and age — at 20 — I didn’t know anything about flights. I left Poland as a political refugee with the help of HIAS, Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society. And they were the ones who took care of me while I crossed the border of Poland. Helped me to get to Austria. Helped me during my stay in Austria. And then they helped me transport to Italy. And then in Italy they were able to get me a visa to go to the United States. So it’s a little involved. Historically, probably other people can talk about it a lot. But that’s basically the story of a lot of immigrants from communist countries at the time.

Right. So you were escaping communism. And to the best of my understanding, you were already a doctor. You had graduated. You were a doctor in Poland. And then you had to become a doctor all over again when you came to the United States.

Yes. In Poland, you are eligible to apply for medical school upon graduation from High School. I graduated High School before I reached age 16. I was a fairly good student. I passed my exams and I was accepted to medical school. Unfortunately, when I arrived to the United States, the only thing that was accepted from my educational background was my High School diploma. So I had to go to College and apply again to Medical School.

I didn’t actually go for four years to college. I took the CLEP program, College Level Examination Program, where I basically took two full-time courses at Georgia State University in Atlanta, and challenged the additional subjects on a Pass/Fail basis. And after one year I completed the requirements needed for the American medical school. I took my MCAT and was lucky enough to be accepted.

So you must really have wanted to be a doctor. What type of medicine do you practice?

In the United States, I received Board Certification in family medicine. All of the graduates in the United States graduate with a certificate of physician and surgeon. I graduated and I took the Board Exam in family medicine. And that is what I have been practicing, Internal Medicine, Family Medicine until I came to Israel in January 1999.

Right. Almost 24 years.

Right. So here in Israel, I started working in the field which I thought needed extra expertise. I basically concentrate on complications of diabetes. In my practice, I work with patients who are failing in the treatment of diabetes. Who have developed vascular or dermatological or neurological complications. And I work towards decreasing the chances of amputation for those patients.

And you’ve told me you’ve been pretty successful. Like an 80% success rate, right?

Thank Gd. Thank Gd. I have been doing it here in Israel since 2005. And throughout the course of my working here, I have approximately an 80% success ratio in preventing amputations for those people.

Well that’s what Dad does! He’s not just a doctor, he’s a damn good one. He’s studied. He has two different degrees from two different countries. And at 74 years old he’s still practicing. Eventually, he’ll get it right.

Back to the poker part. Through all these years when you were practicing medicine and being the best dad in the world, as a kid, I remember you had a rotating home game. It was you, I remember Uncle Saul was there, cousin Stevie Wachtenheim and a whole bunch of family friends.  There’s a lot of this I don’t know. It’s a good time to ask. How did that home game first come together? Who had the idea, when did it start, and how many years did it go for?

I really cannot recall who came up with the idea. Actually, I think that our group tried to imitate our elders at the time. There were people one generation ahead of us who were having home games. And we said “Hey guys! Why don’t we do something like that ourselves.” And that’s how it started, because we had basically a very steady membership in our group. The same guys playing, more or less, every time. All but one married people. And we rotated from home to home on a weekly basis. Our games were always enhanced by a scrumptious meal.

I remember that. We used to have a room above the garage. I got there. I always used to ask mom, “Can I go out and bring dad something?” and it was cold cuts and drinks and cookies and, like a feast.

Yes, it was basically a very social occasion enhanced by the poker game. And I have to say, even then our game was never just Texas Hold’Em. We always had variations of games, some of which we made up, some of which we learned. Most of them had wild cards, like jokers. We had fun. It was great.

Do you remember what stakes you played for back then?

I think that at this stage I can tell you. I wouldn’t tell you back in Los Angeles, and I’m sure none of the players would have. Because the stakes were among us. None of our wives knew the stakes. Basically, our games started as $1/$2 and as the evening progressed, went higher and higher. And wins and losses would start with $100 and go up multiple times higher. But again, we kept it only within the group. We had a secretary. Our secretary was the one and only unmarried guy. Your cousin Stevie Wachtenheim. He was the only guy who was unmarried, so he kept the notes. Knowing who lost so much, who won so much. And this way none of the wives were able to catch wind of it.

Good times. Good times. Good memories. So another poker memory I remember having as a kid, you know, living in LA, we used to go to Las Vegas 4-5 times a year.

Much more. Much more.

Well that was when you and mom went probably without me and my brothers. But I remember – this was also – Vegas in the roaring ’90s was much more of a family-friendly destination. That’s when the Mirage started as the first MegaResort, and they were attracting families, and they used to send – this was before e-mail, so they used to send these big placards. “Come for the weekend, and we’ll give you a free room.” We usually stayed at the Mirage or Treasure Island. My brothers and I played arcade games, mom played slots, and you played poker. I honestly didn’t know then, and I don’t think I know the full story now. Where did you play? And did you pull any all-nighters? What were your stakes and, there also, it probably wasn’t Hold’Em.

Like I mentioned before, it’s different when you play within the group of your friends… and different when you’re going with your wife to Las Vegas. When you go with your wife, she limits your time at the poker table. So I don’t think I ever pulled an all-nighter. But there were occasions when I was coming back to the room at 3 or 4 o’clock in the morning.

Oh! Ok

One thing which I have learned: in order to be able to keep playing, I was always a winner.

Always?

Always! No matter what my actual balance was when I came to the room. If I was $100 or $200 dollars down. I said, “I won again”.

So I guess you played at the famous Mirage poker room?

I played a lot at the Mirage. I played Treasured Island. I played some at MGM. At Caesars.

Nice.

Yes, I played in a lot of places over there.

Good times. Do you remember, genuinely, your biggest win ever and how that felt?

Yes. Actually, that was at the time when the Mirage was closing their poker room. And they had an hourly contest of highest hand wins a portion of the jackpot funds. And in one of these hours, I ended up getting four Kings. And that got me the jackpot.

Do you remember how much it was for?

I don’t recall. I’m sorry. I don’t want to make up a number. I don’t remember how much it was. But it was very nice. Profitable.

Ok. Nice. Very good. Oh, of course. I’ve got to ask this one:

So we lived in Southern California which until today, but obviously even way back then, it is a mecca for poker with huge poker rooms like the Bicycle Club, Hollywood Park, Commerce. I didn’t know it at the time, but when I got older you told me you used to play at those places once in a while. And I believe you also had offices over by Hollywood Park, in Inglewood over there. When exactly did you play? If you don’t mind my asking.

Well, being a physician, I was very committed to my practice. Which means, when I went to my office in Long Beach, I was busy for as long as I needed to be busy. On my way, when I went from my office in Long Beach to Los Angeles, sometimes I took a two-to-three hours break at the Bicycle. So that’s how it was happening. But on a couple of occasions, I believe I went to play over with Stevie Wachtenheim in the evenings as well. But I did sneak into the Bicycle a few times in between the offices.

Ok. I see.

Now again. I don’t want you to tell that to your kids. I don’t want them to learn.

They’ll never see this. At least not until they’re 21 years old. Obviously, those clubs and in Las Vegas, they’re not like a home game. There aren’t wild cards and stuff. So was it strictly Stud? Or were there other games you also played?

No. In the casinos at that time. At Bicycle, it was only Texas Hold’Em.

Oh, so it was Texas Hold’Em already? Wow. Ok.

Texas Hold’Em was the only game I played at the Bicycle. Later in Las Vegas I played Omaha High Low, Hold’Em, 7 Card Stud. That was available. So I played more of a variety. But at the Bicycle, only Texas Hold’Em.

Right. Well, long-time fans of mine and of Cardplayer Lifestyle know that I’m a huge fan of mixed games. And now you see where I get it from. Dad, what do you love about poker so much?

I’ll tell you what. It was a couple of things. First of all, I am competitive. So a game which requires certain skills, which requires thinking is always a challenge to me. So playing poker is a competition. So that’s what attracted me. Also, it is a relaxation for me. It’s a kind of letting go of everyday things which you have to deal with sick people, with administrative problems at the office.

Bratty kids at home. Yeah sure.

So those are the two things which are really the most important. Even nowadays. We have a steady group of people who play in our home game. It’s not a question of going and winning the money. It’s a question of having a great time together. Of talking with people. Of laughing with people. Of kibbitzing together. That’s what I love about poker.

Dad is celebrating now with our home game buddies!

SO INCREDIBLE! https://t.co/2Cu1aySc2G pic.twitter.com/newvZKcFZ0

— Robbie Strazynski (@cardplayerlife) October 29, 2022

So you would say that you’ve developed a lot of good friendships over the years due to the game.

Correct.

Okay.

With an occasional bad apple thrown in. You know, you sometimes have people you invite to your game. And you think this is a permanent future member of the group. And then they are skipping on their debts or cheating in a game and you have to say goodbye to them. You know. But in general, we have a very homogenous group. We get along. We have fun. So that’s what it’s all about.

Good stuff. So when poker boomed. You know the Moneymaker years and the World Poker Tour started 20 years ago. You know, it’s all over TV. The game that really boomed was Texas Hold’Em. And you said already at the Bicycle that’s what you were playing over there. Yet, you retained that love for mixed games. Why?

Because it’s challenging. You see, when you play one and the same game, Texas Hold’Em, all the time, it becomes monotonous. It becomes somehow a routine. It loses the fun. When you play — like we play in our home game, every hand dealt is a different kind of game — you have to constantly readjust, switch, adjust. That’s what I love about it.

So I would honestly give exactly same answer, and I do when people ask me that question. But there’s a little asterisk. You know, again, this is obviously an interview because you won a seat in the $10k Main Event. You’re going to play a tournament. And with all of your years of play, as much poker as you’ve played, you really haven’t played tournaments at all. And it’s a Texas Hold’Em tournament. So sure, it’s the same game, but there is the excitement and all of the ingredients and factors of a tournament mixed in. And single elimination until there is one player left standing. How do you feel about that going into the tournament?

Let me first tell you that being told that I won a seat at the tournament was a shock. It was an absolute shock and it was such a big moment for me. I will never probably re-live a similar thing again. And yes, I am going to this tournament basically as a greenhorn. I am going as a complete novice. I have never really played in a tournament. So, I have to re-learn. I started by practicing the things which I see on television from my favorite players. In other words, I try to get the poses of Phil Hellmuth. I try to be like Daniel Negreanu. I try to be like Phil Laak.

He gets mobbed every single time he’s playing poker on every single break, and without fail always says yes, with a smile, to every picture request and demand on his time.

On our special father-son trip, Daniel took a few minutes to make my Dad’s day.

Thank you, @RealKidPoker. pic.twitter.com/Jg9rP4Fnv1

— Robbie Strazynski (@cardplayerlife) March 8, 2022

But, I was fortunate enough to have a son who knows a lot about poker. So I am going to start picking your brain any day now, to pick up the things important to learn. I will also, hopefully soon, have an hour session courtesy of Jonathan Little from PokerCoaching.com. He graciously agreed to give me an hour of coaching to prepare me for the task of playing in a tournament.

He’s a top-notch guy. He also graciously gave me this patch. This PokerCoaching.com patch to give you.

I promise you I will wear it when I am in Vegas!

Ok. Thank you. Very good.

In the meantime, I am watching my tournaments on television whenever I have a chance. And hoping for the best.

Obviously having a love for the game and playing the game is one thing. But you’re clearly a big fan. You watch a lot of poker on the streams and on TV. When do you think that started? Your fandom of poker?

Oh my. I think that it started in my High School when I was hiding from others. Another challenge. Hide from the adults and play poker. So it started very early. And once I got hooked on it, it never left me.

And also those years in Los Angeles and our weekly game. With the fun that we had over there. With the socialization with the people and everything. It has enhanced it, and that’s what made it permanent in my life. And I was lucky enough that I was married to your mom who understood it and who loved me playing poker. And I’m now married to Judy who also understands my liking of poker and has no problem with me going and playing. So I was lucky enough in that respect.

I’m lucky in the same way with Miriam, too.

In what ways, if at all, would you say that practicing medicine is like playing poker?

Well, I’ll tell you what, I have always told my students, when I was teaching or when interns come to my office, I always told them that the practice of medicine is like the work of a detective. You have to get the clues, put it all together, and come up with an answer. And I think that other doctors would agree that this is essentially what it is. You have to have knowledge how to do it, and you do it. Poker, in many ways, is the same way. You are learning, the more you play, the more kinds of hands you see, the more combinations you see, the more you learn. And then this experience is being used in your mind to put together the facts and come up with conclusions. Not always correct conclusions.

Right.

But at the same time, that’s how you play.

I like it. That’s a pretty good answer. I like that.

Now we talked about how you haven’t really played tournaments, and you’ve played all these cash games. I’m kind of wondering why. Why have you always stuck to cash games instead of tournaments and never really given tournaments a shot?

I’ll tell you what. Just to be completely honest. I just remembered that last time we were in Vegas together, which was what? Five months ago. Six months ago? I did enter one mini-tournament of 8 people. 8 people at a table. I think I finished fourth out of eight.

That was the one time. Why I never played? Ok, when you enter a big tournament, you have to wait for the final outcome for a long time. There’s no instant gratification to it.

Mm. Hmm.

In a cash game, you see your money coming or going immediately. Instantly. So you know, the element of excitement and all the emotions is right away evident. In a tournament, again, it’s a question of me liking the mixed games instead of the same thing all the time. So I wasn’t all that eager to join. Yes, I dreamt of it. I wanted to do it. But at the same time, I don’t know if I had enough of zitsfleysh, we call it in Yiddish, to sit in a chair for a long time. Of course now, when this is actually going to happen, I will find my zitsfleysh. I will sit, Gd willing, for a long time.

So, for a man who’s been seeing patients for upwards of 50 years, you’ve got to find the patience and find them at the poker table.

We’ll do three more questions, and then I’m sure you have patients waiting for you at your office. Thank you for taking the time to speak with me on your lunch break today.

Given your poker experience and your relative lack of tournament experience, have you set any goals for yourself for this tournament? Now it is a freeroll, so I don’t imagine yourself the next Mike Sexton Cup winner. But do you have any particular goal?

Believe me, I would be very happy if I could get through Day 1 and be able to play in Day 2. Everything else is a bonus.

Nice. Ok. Well, I hope to be covering your Day 2 play as well as your Day 1 play as well. “Found a bag!” Everyone’s always looking for bags at the end of the day. Hopefully at the end of the day you find a bag.

We’ve got one question, actually, Amanda from WPT Global who awarded you the prize package. She had a question, she asked me for you:  If you manage to make it into the money, have you thought of what you might do with your winnings?

I’ll tell you very true. That’s optimistic, because I did not think that far ahead. But I’m sure there will be opportunities for me to spend the money quite fast. I do have children and grandchildren, who I love to indulge with new things.

Good answer.

And I, of course, have my wife who is very indulgent with me playing. I would like to reward her in some way while she is sitting in Israel and I am going on a trip to Las Vegas, enjoying myself playing poker. So there will be things, yes.

I have to say that’s pretty much exactly the answer I expected, and I’m glad it is. So that’s good.

You know me well.

I do. I do.

ON HIS GRANDKIDS, I HOPE! pic.twitter.com/rYVbPuhTDu

— Robbie Strazynski (@cardplayerlife) November 6, 2022

Last question for you, Dad. Besides playing the tournament, you’re going to have some free time while you’re in Las Vegas. Before the tournament. At the end of the day. If you bust out, you’ll have free time as well. Have you given any thought as to how you’re going to spend that time?

Well, I definitely made myself a short list of things I want to buy. Which I can’t get here in Israel.

Ok.

And other than that, I will use that time to play poker.

Nice!

I am going to find myself a table. Maybe Omaha HI Lo, maybe a mixed game if they are over there. And if, nothing else, play some Texas Hold’Em.

Sounds like a plan. Before we let you go, anything else you’d like to tell the fans here at Cardplayer Lifestyle?

First of all, before I talk to my fans, I’d like to thank Amanda at WPT Global for this great opportunity she has granted me by awarding me this ticket to the tournament. I want to thank you for nominating me. And I want to thank Jonathan Little for giving me his time and teaching me.

I want to thank in advance anyone for keeping their fingers crossed for me. And I hope I will be talking with you from the Winner’s Circle after the tournament.

That would be something. And I appreciate in advance that I get the first interview if that’s the case. So thank you.

You got it.

Dad, thank you very much. That’s Dr. Josef Strazynski, folks. I hope you enjoyed listening and hearing his story as much as I did asking him about it. Guys, if you’ll be in Las Vegas during the WPT World Championships, now that you know so much more about my dad, please come root on Dr. Joe. Say hi and grab yourself a free Cardplayer Lifestyle patch.

I’m Robbie Strazynski and you can follow me on Twitter @cardplayerlife. Dad, I believe you’re also on Twitter. It’s @StrazynskiJosef right?

Yes.

Ok, guys thank you all for being fans of Cardplayer Lifestyle. Thank you for tuning in. Have a wonderful day.

I’d like to start this with a confession. I wanted to like this book, but I was prepared to have to sugarcoat my review of it.

The good news is that I don’t have to sugarcoat anything. Amanda Botfeld’s A Girl’s Guide to Poker is a fabulous book! It makes me want to go to a local casino and play poker. And those who know me understand what a rarity this is.

I’ve been writing about the poker biz (everything but strategy, obviously) for about 15 years. At the end of any work day, after reading and writing about poker, the last thing I want to do is play poker.

A Girl’s Guide to Poker is anything but your average poker book. It is not dry, long, or difficult to read. It is also not boastful or condescending in any way. Rather, it feels like a friend jotted down some notes – some very detailed notes – to help me fall in love with a game that she already loves.

A Girl After My Own Heart

After spending 15 years trying to convince men in poker to call us women, not girls, I wondered why a well-educated woman would market her book as a “girl’s guide.”

As it turns out, Botfeld penned the book as if talking to friends. She explains in an early chapter, “This book is the cool, chic, poker-playing friend you’ve always wanted.” And as any good girlfriend knows, girls can call each other girls.

The first sections of the book explain Botfeld’s journey to poker, from her dad’s love of the game to her first adventures at the tables. I immediately related to her difficulties with math, her trouble with dense poker books, and her desire to break it all down. Add in that she was a research associate working in Washington D.C. and went on to write about politics, and I knew that she was a girl – woman – after my own heart.

Telling a Good Story

About two dozen pages into the book, Botfeld explains why the key to good poker is storytelling. “Telling a coherent story is how you play the game instead of how you play your cards.”

Evidently, this also pertains to writing a good poker book. What Botfeld successfully does in her book is to tell a story. She weaves her personal story in with the narrative about how to become a poker player, and she does so by strategically placing facts and figures in with her unique voice. She uses humor and anecdotes but also manages to get right to the point in every chapter.

NEW: A Girl’s Guide to Poker author @amandabotfeld knows what it’s like to be the only girl in a poker room playing mid-stakes cash games.

In this post, Amanda shares her experiences, and calls out for other girls to join her at the poker tables.https://t.co/00QuZHdPjD

— Robbie Strazynski (@cardplayerlife) January 12, 2020

Her book is also a solidly formatted story. She starts with a “Where to Start” section, logically, and takes players through everything from the very basics – what is that button for? – to poker jargon to explanations of position power and bet sizing.

The layout of A Girl’s Guide to Poker is perfect for her target audience. The book is 8” x 6” and barely 200 pages. Nearly every page of it includes illustrative photos and/or specially-framed points. There are red boxes with special messages to highlight key information, and there are pink circles containing “pro tips.”

For example:

“Pro tip: Remember the three deal breakers: blinds, competition, rake. If a poker game isn’t good to you in these three categories, stand your ground! A bad game is fine for a fling, but you won’t be able to build a solid future.”

Red box: “Most games where you can sit down with 100 big blinds have the Girl’s Guide blessing.”

“Pro tip: Flush draws on the flop will only complete by the river around 35% of the time.”

Red box: “Reraise sizing is its own science! Think anywhere from 3x-5x.”

A Steady Progression Toward Poker Success

Botfeld takes players from the simplest of terms and concepts to fold equity and bluff-catching. Further into the book, she tells more detailed stories that require a bit more thought.

And just when you think she is getting in too deep for a beginner’s book, she brings it back. She touches on money management and even provides a Vegas guide. She offers opinions about the best places to play cash games – Mirage for beginners, Mandalay Bay for the fancy country club feel, Excalibur for fun on the cheap – including her favorite, Aria.

Bonus sections of the book continue with a guide to dating poker players, what to bring to a casino – jacket, phone charger, gum or mints – and how to handle wait lists and chips in poker rooms. She gives the most important rules of playing live poker, such as tipping the dealer and knowing that verbal commitments are binding.

Throughout the book, there are quizzes to help anyone wanting a little something to test their reading comprehension and make sure they’re grasping the most important points.

Keeping in Touch with a New Friend

A Girl’s Guide to Poker is not just for women. Men who want to transition from watching poker on TV to playing at a casino will benefit greatly from the book.

Women will find the same. And if they’re anything like me, they will end the book feeling like they made a new friend in poker.

If I had to summarize my feelings about the book (which I should do since I just brought it up), I would say that it’s an easy but thorough read. She breaks down complicated concepts into parts of a story that she tells to a friend. And she makes it all fun.

I’m off to my local poker room. Talk soon, girl.