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When play resumes in the 2009 World Series of Poker (WSOP) Main Event, Kevin Schaffel, a PokerStars sponsored pro, will hold the sixth largest stack. Just weeks after play ended at the Rio, Schaffel proved he was no fluke, final tabling the World Poker Tour (WPT) Legends of Poker event. He sat down with Poker News Daily to discuss his recent run.

Poker News Daily: Talk about your runner-up finish to Prahlad Friedman in the WPT Legends of Poker. That had to vindicate you as not being a one hit wonder, even though you’ve had a tremendous amount of success during your poker career.

Schaffel: You never know when you’re going to get that deep in any tournament. It was even a surprise to me since it was so soon after the WSOP ended. You feel like you’re playing with confidence, you feel like you’re making good decisions, and you still need some luck to get there. It was a great feeling and a great run. It was very unexpected.

To almost do the same thing in [the European Poker Tour London Main Event] was insane. To make three in a row would have been terrific, but the cards didn’t cooperate with me. There was no disappointment coming in second to Prahlad. I really believe that if it’s meant to be, it’s meant to be. I thought I played as good as I could have and learned a little bit along the way as well.

PND: The 2009 November Nine has performed admirably, with Antoine Saout and James Akenhead making the final table of the WSOP Europe Main Event. Talk about being associated with this talented crop of players.

Schaffel: One of the coolest things is having people come up to me who have had great runs in the past. J.C. Tran sat next to me in London, looked at me, and said, “It’s some run you’re having.” I didn’t even know he knew who I was. It’s nice to be recognized by other very good tournament and cash game players. It’s definitely been a big boost from a mental standpoint to know that others recognize me.

PND: You are sixth in chips heading into November play at the Rio, but you still have a healthy stack. What are your emotions as you near the finale?

Schaffel: Anybody who is going to win in November is going to have to get a good run of cards, including the chip leader because he only has one-third of the chips. I think everybody is probably in the same mindset. The five short stacks are all looking to double up or increase our chip stacks significantly early so we feel like we can play a bit. The shortest stack has 30 times the big blind and I have 50 times the big blind. If I were playing 300/600 and I had 30,000 in chips, I wouldn’t even think about being rushed, so even though I’m behind, I don’t feel a lot of pressure to go all-in. I’m hoping to increase my stack early to 20,000 or 25,000 so I can play a bit more.

PND: Have you sought any coaching?

Schaffel: I chose not to, whether it’s right or wrong. I’ve been playing a long time, I’ve gotten here, and I’m obviously doing something right. I don’t want to make a decision based on someone else saying that it’s the right thing to do in a spot and then regret it later. I look at a lot of the plays that others are making and ask myself what I’m missing. They are 3betting with Q-2 and other things that I don’t consider doing too often. I have my own style of play and I’m going with it right or wrong. I may regret a play I make down the road, but it’ll be my fault.

PND: How did you get started in poker?

Schaffel: I stared playing as a kid when I was 11 at some friends’ houses for quarters. We’d meet every weekend and then I played through high school. I started playing more in college and then played in home games after getting out. The home games progressed 10 years later into my first tournament. We were playing Limit poker back then, it was a $500 buy-in, and we got 100 people. I did a really stupid thing and I won it for $19,000. The reason I say it’s stupid is because I thought I was the next Phil Hellmuth and lost there or four times that amount over the next year.

I continued playing small tournaments with very little success and then my cousin offered to put me into the 2004 WSOP Main Event, my first major buy-in. I ended up coming in 42nd and started playing in three to five tournaments per year after that. I switched over to No Limit cash games in 2004 and haven’t played Limit since.

PND: Would you rather have continued playing the Main Event in July? Where do you stand on the break in general?

Schaffel: There may be an in between point they might get to in the future. I could easily see a one-and-a-half to two month break. I don’t think that too many people are reading up and looking at old videos that will help. You can see the plays as they appear on television and obviously Phil Ivey is getting the most airtime. I might have had two hands aired and we’re three weeks away from finishing it. I don’t think I’m going to get anything because I saw Ivey bluff one hand after he was checked to twice. From that perspective, I don’t think the break is helping someone to improve their game that much. The biggest thing is having my friends and family experience this with me. To have friends and family out there means so much to me and you can’t do that if it plays out a day or two later.

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