Poker News

Poker News Daily: How did you get started in online poker?

Levy: I started playing around 2003 and then online in 2004 on PartyPoker. Slowly but surely, I was able to amass a bankroll.

PND: Tell us about the games on PartyPoker back then.

Levy: It wasn’t very abnormal, at 5-10 blinds, to see someone shove in with 1,500 chips. There were usually two to three people doing that who had no clue. There was a minefield of bad players. Everyone was bad back then. Six months into playing, I was able to win a $100 tournament for $6,000. That was pretty fortunate.

PND: What do you attribute your success to?

Levy: I’ve been pretty fortunate and lucky at times. At the same time, if I feel like if I’m a step ahead, I’m not going to let my game slow down and allow other people to catch up to me. I’m always willing to learn, try new things, and adapt.

PND: You have a brother who has traveled with you to live events and is a quality poker player in his own right. What can you tell us about his game?

Levy: He’s been to a few events. He went to Aruba and the PokerStars Caribbean Adventure. He’s not at every event just yet. He’s still in school at the University of Central Florida (UCF) in Orlando and he’s playing daily. He’s learned from me for a year or two and is finally starting to do well.

PND: You made the final table and took fifth in the 2008 World Poker Tour Festa al Lago. What can you tell us about the atmosphere at a major final table?

Levy: It’s pretty intense. If it had been my first time being on television and having a microphone on, I would have been a little bit nervous. I was lucky enough to have been in that situation before. The Festa al Lago was my first televised final table, which was unnerving, but I was prepared for it. It’s high-intensity and there are a lot of ups and downs. You’d better be ready to weather them.

PND: What advice do you have for players just starting out in poker?

Levy: You should always be open-minded. Think things through. Even though you may like to ask a lot of questions and read books, you should ask yourself every time, “Does this play seem correct?” and think about it in your head. Being open-minded is up there with being patient. You need to be willing to change, adapt, and better your game.

PND: Who are a few of the top-tier online poker pros that you know very well?

Levy: I’d say Aaron Been, Alex “AJKHoosier1” Kamberis, and Amit “amak316” Makhija. I know a lot of different people and seem to be really friendly with them. In a way, it’s a poker fraternity. If you’re good and you’re playing online, there are other good players online too. When you meet them, you can match faces to names.

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