SpadeClub Winner: Rodney 'DollyCopp' Legendre

SpadeClub’s $40,000 Mega Monthly tournament could not have had a better ending for Rodney “DollyCopp” Legendre. With plenty of energy and excitement, the tournament kicked off on May 4, and Legendre, equipped with years of experience, was ready to win. He has been playing poker since the 70s and has had his share of poker success including a seventh-place finish in a $10,000 buy-in World Poker Tour event. Legendre sat down with Card Player to discuss his $10,000 first-place cash on SpadeClub.

CardPlayer: What do you think about SpadeClub?

Rodney “DollyCopp” Legendre: I enjoy SpadeClub an awful lot. I have tried a couple other online game sites, but this is one of the better ones. The reason is that the play is a little crazy in free games on other sites. They don’t play quite correctly, but the way SpadeClub is set up, it kind of forces you to play the right way, which is great.

CP: Do you have a story behind your screen name?

RL: The name “Dolly Copp” basically comes from a lady who was an early pioneer or settler in the North Country here in New Hampshire. She and her husband settled in the area which is now known as the White Mountain National Forest. Dolly Copp is a campground, and it was named after this lady. They started a farm early on, and it is a rather difficult farming area because of the short growing season since the altitude makes it a little cold. So, she and her husband, started serving meals and renting out rooms along the main road. I guess you could call it an early form of a bed and breakfast. This was back in the pioneer days. I admire the story behind her. She seems like a strong willed independent woman. The most interesting part about her was probably when she announced on her 50th anniversary that, “50 years with one man is long enough.” After that, she moved out and moved in with her daughter. So, I just kind of figure she was a strong and independent woman. I have just always fancied her, so I took her on as sort of a stage name. (He further states) I camped at Dolly Copp from the time I was about nine to 15 years old. I was spending every summer there, and I had a lot of great memories. That is kind of why I took on that name.

CP: How long have you been playing poker?

RL: I started playing poker in the early 70s. I was a high school teacher back then, and we would get together biweekly and went from one house to another and played dealer choice. We used to play for nickel, dime, and quarter type stuff, so we didn’t get into any big money, but we enjoyed ourselves.

CP: What was your first poker experience like?

RL: I graduated from high school at a rather young age, I was about 17. I joined the Navy two weeks after school ended. The first shipper I was on, I happened to walk by a bunch of guys sitting in a circle on the floor playing a poker game. As I stood back and watched, someone said, “Come on, join in!” and I said, “I don’t really know how to play.” They said, “Don’t worry, we will teach you how to play.” The money I had in my pocket lasted about 15 minutes, and I got up and walked away and said, “I don’t think I want to play poker anymore.” So, I didn’t play for about 8 years until I started teaching. I started playing again and really enjoyed it. My first experience was like, gee, what a good way to lose money.

CP: Do you consider yourself a recreational player, amateur or professional poker player?

RL: It is my hobby, so let’s call myself recreational. I have a lot of other hobbies, and what I usually try to do when I get into a hobby is get to the best I can at it, and then once I hit a wall, and think I have done the best I can, I move on to try something else. But, to be honest, I don’t see any walls popping up in the future for poker. It is one fun game. I really enjoy it, and I have really started studying it a lot. I would like to keep going until I win the million dollars, wouldn’t that be good?

CP: Do you think SpadeClub is a good learning ground for people who are looking to start playing?

RL: You know, I have looked around, and I think it is probably the best, I really do. At some of these other places, the players just kind of go nuts, but SpadeClub forces you to play correctly. You play for points, not for money, and if you want to get into money games, you have to win points to get into these monthly and weekly tournaments. I think SpadeClub players mimic deep-stack tournaments better than other sites I have played on. Yes, you are going to get a lot of good experience on SpadeClub. I have given up on other sites and am playing this exclusively.

CP: Was this the most money you have ever won in a poker tournament?

RL: No. Last fall, I played at Foxwoods, and there were about 575 players in the Foxwoods World Poker Final. I actually made it to the final table but was the “TV bubble boy” because I got knocked out in seventh place. It was a WPT event, and I actually won $162,123. I was excited about that.

CP: When do you plan on cashing out your winnings, and do you have any plans for the money you just won?

RL: I am filling out the paperwork right now, and I will probably be sending it in tomorrow. Yes, I have plans for the money. I have actually signed up for the WPT boot camp champion’s course in Las Vegas on May 21. So that is pretty much going to cover my expenses to get out there and get into the champion course. I am always trying to be better at poker, so I am always reading and taking courses. To be truthful, I have taken WPT boot camp before, about a year ago, and that has probably improved my game more than anything else. I would recommend it to anyone.

CP: Was there a particular key hand that you played in the tournament that helped lead you to victory?

RL: Not really. What I guess I do is play premium hands in the right positions and use a lot of patience. I try to move up slowly and keep an average or better stack while looking for golden opportunities to double up. A little bit of luck always helps too. During this particular competition, I just really played solid poker.

CP: What advice can you give to other SpadeClub members looking to go deep in these tournaments?

RL: If I have big pairs like pocket aces or pocket kings, I have a little notebook I keep that says, “Never ever, ever slow play large pairs,” and I don’t, because when you try to slow play, and a couple of people stay in, you just can’t let the damn things go. It kills you. I like to limit it down to one person against me, and then take them out of the hand early because those giant pocket pairs really ruin your game if you have to see the whole five cards play out. Another thing is that Ace-King is a great starting hand, but if nothing happens on the flop, don’t be afraid to let the darn things go if somebody bets out over the top of you.

CP: Have you participated in any of the community features on SpadeClub?

RL: I would like to, but unfortunately, I am not computer savvy, but I have a grandson that is a computer geek. He is going to come out and help me. I chat a little during the games, as a kind of social thing, and it is enjoyable. Like the congratulatory thing but I try not to spend a lot time doing the chat. I like to pay attention to the game and maybe that is a little advice to give to players as well, pay attention to what you’re doing instead of what everyone is talking about.

CP: Have you met anyone interesting at the tables on SpadeClub?

RL: There are a lot of interesting people. What I do is click on their little avatars to see their profile. I like to see what they enjoy doing and which are their favorite players and casinos. I find that interesting, but I haven’t developed a friendship where I do a lot of chatting back and forth or e-mailing after a game, but maybe in the future.

CP: Tell me a little about your life outside of poker?

RL: Right now, I am president of Alpine Machine Company. I have a small machine shop in New Hampshire that my brother-in-law and I are co-owners of. We have about 15 people working for us. I enjoy going to work everyday. I also enjoy hunting and fishing with my grandkids and my own sons. The wife and I like hiking. We actually hiked down into the Grand Canyon last year when we were in Las Vegas. We hiked down in the Bright Angel Trail and enjoyed it. She and I do a lot of traveling this time in our lives. I am 61, and we figure we want to do a lot of traveling while we are still able to, so we take a cruise every now and again. I just consider myself an ordinary fellow that has been awful lucky; lucky to be born in the United States, lucky to be born in northeast New Hampshire. I’ve just been very fortunate I guess.