Poker News Daily: How did you get started in poker?
Junglen: I was 15 when I first played in home games with my friends. I was there to install a computer drive, was paid $15, and used $5 of it to enter the tournament. I won the single table tournament for around $35 and, the next day, I went out and bought a bunch of poker books.
PND: Through your rise to the top, have your friends and family been supportive?
Junglen: With success comes acceptance. During my first year out of high school, I really had no desire to attend college. That winter, I final tabled the Full Tilt Poker $500,000 Guaranteed and also cashed in the Aussie Millions. I haven’t really looked back since and my family has been very supportive of me.
PND: You’ve played in tournaments around the world. Is there one event in particular that you look forward to the most every year?
Junglen: No, not really. Traveling is fun at times, but when you’re really just focused on poker, it becomes more of an obstacle. I’ve learned to appreciate it more and get out over the years. That said, London is a pretty cool city and with the growth of poker in Europe (along with the prestige of the World Series of Poker), I’d probably say the WSOP Europe and European Poker Tour – London events are my favorite.
PND: Tell me about your experience playing in the WSOP Europe in London. How would you characterize the game flow and do you think Annette “Annette_15” Obrestad winning the Main Event in 2007 had an impact on the players who are showing up?
Junglen: The field sizes have grown, but it’s never a good thing when the events are capped due to size issues. Annette Obrestad has certainly had an impact on the growth of young people and women coming into the game of poker.
PND: You have had a ton of success, but is there any aspect of your game that you are trying to change or improve right now?
Junglen: I’ve currently been going through some mentality changes with how I approach tournaments in general, but you can always improve as a poker player.
PND: How are you trying to change how you approach tournaments from a mental standpoint?
Junglen: I used to hype myself up too much for them, which is a recipe for disaster. Tournaments have a lot of hidden luck which you can’t control and I used to get really negative after busting out. If you play well, success will come.
PND: What advice do you have for beginners who are just getting started in the game of poker?
Junglen: Poker is tough, but if you put in the hours and work hard at it, you will do well. I’m not going to say everyone will “get what they put in,” but I have rarely seen hard work not match up with success.
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