Poker News Daily: You stormed onto the live poker scene in 2006, capturing two World Series of Poker (WSOP) bracelets. Did it all just come together at once?
Madsen: I believed that I was a good player and borrowed some money to take a shot. I knew I was good, but certainly didn’t expect to do that well. I played my best game because I had nothing to lose.
PND: Does winning two bracelets early on set incredibly high expectations for your future career?
Madsen: I was just a college kid. I would have been happy making $50,000 or $100,000 or just cashing. The first was a lot of pressure, but I always expect to play my best game. The better you get and the older you get, the more you expect to play well.
PND: How did you get started in poker?
Madsen: I started like everyone else and played with friends. That was right before college. When I got to college, there was an 18 and up Indian casino and I went there and played in small tournaments and cash games. I also played online.
PND: Talk about the competition at the Indian casino.
Madsen: It’s a random casino by Santa Barbara. There weren’t terrible players there, so it was good practice.
PND: You’re off to a hot start in 2009. What goals do you have in poker right now?
Madsen: I want to push myself, so I’m gunning to be the CardPlayer Player of the Year. It’s within reach if I keep playing well. It’s all about finishing in the top three in big tournaments. You get a lot of points for those. Winning another bracelet would also be nice. I haven’t won a World Poker Tour event yet, so that’s something that I want to accomplish.
PND: Tell us about what you do away from the table.
Madsen: I’m athletic. I skate a good amount. I watch movies and I like music. I rap a little bit too. Overall, I’d say I’m pretty laid back.
PND: When can we expect the release of your rap CD?
Madsen: I want to build a studio in my house where I can make music. I’ll have music eventually. It’s definitely a project.
PND: Steve “MrSmokey1” Billirakis broke your record for being the youngest ever WSOP bracelet winner in 2007. Talk about how you felt when he accomplished this feat.
Madsen: It wasn’t upsetting, but it was just watching someone break the record that I made my career on. It’s like starting a new chapter. In poker, it’s not usually about the past, but about what you’re going to accomplish in the future.
PND: Are you and Billirakis friendly?
Madsen: Yeah, we are. I know a lot of people in poker. Some people only have friends like online guys or other cliques, but I am relatively friendly with everyone you can think of.
PND: What advice do you have for newcomers in the game?
Madsen: Put things in perspective and have good monetary skills. Don’t think you’re better than you are. Losing streaks happen and you have to learn to deal with them. Also, you can’t donate your entire life to poker. You have to have other things you’re good at.
