Poker News Daily: When did you realize that poker could become your career and now just a hobby?
Ramdin: I was always in some kind of sport. I used to play pool for a while. I won a couple of championships. I used to play darts. I used to short-distance sprint. I started playing poker in November of 2002. I played in small tournaments. My first big event was the World Series of Poker Main Event in 2003. I finished 29th.
PND: Did that tournament propel you into playing poker full-time?
Ramdin: I played two satellites and won them both. I thought that I could play with the big boys.
PND: Did you have any mentors early on in your poker playing career?
Ramdin: I had a guy from New York who is a friend of mine that played cash games. He mentored me in Omaha Hi/Lo, which is now my favorite game. However, I got a bunch of little tips here and there from Phil Ivey. I would always pick his mind because I think that he’s a great player.
PND: What job would you be doing if you weren’t playing poker?
Ramdin: I own retail stores in New York, so I’d be doing that full-time.
PND: What do you like the least about playing professionally?
Ramdin: Being away from my family. It’s one of the worst feelings for any poker player, especially if you have kids who are young like mine. It sucks to be away from my kids.
PND: What aspect of poker would most recreational fans not understand?
Ramdin: What they see on television is probably 2% of what actually happens in poker. You have to look at the tournament from start to finish. You have to look at the grind and look at the ups and downs. It doesn’t come down to aces or kings. It comes down to the grind.
PND: What qualities are often overlooked when considering what it takes to be successful?
Ramdin: Patience is number one for me. Number two is knowing your player. Is he an explosive type? Is he an easy one? Is he a check-call guy? Is he a betting guy?
PND: What do you consider to be your strongest attributes that have made you successful?
Ramdin: Recognizing the player. The biggest thing for me is that I don’t play many big pots. I pretty much play the player. I hate to have certain players around me because their style is similar to mine. Certain players, I would want to play with all day.
PND: What would you consider your style to be?
Ramdin: Tight-aggressive.
PND: What it’s like playing with online players?
Ramdin: It’s not easy playing against online players. I’d rather play against live pros. Online players play so many hands.
PND: What online players have you been impressed with?
Ramdin: Cliff “JohnnyBax” Josephy. I like his conversion from playing online to playing live. He’s such a good player. There are quite a few players who are really good. Josephy is very competitive.
PND: What mistakes do people make when turning pro?
Ramdin: Money management is the biggest thing.
PND: What was your most trying time as a pro?
Ramdin: In 2005, I had a really bad run, but I didn’t change my style of play. The cards will break even. If you keep getting your chips in the middle in good situations, you’ll be fine. So many great players have gone years in bad runs. Some people sidetrack from their game. I think that, if you have a style, you should stick with it.
