Poker professional Steven Gee is currently in the midst of one of the greatest back-to-back main event performances in the post-Moneymaker era. As of around 4:30 p.m. local time Sunday in Las Vegas, Gee had a very healthy stack with just 47 left in the 2013 no-limit hold’em championship. He finished ninth for $754,798 in 2012.
Gee might have cashed for a huge sum last year, but he has been miserable since the elimination. His final hand involved a massive bluff gone wrong. He failed to make any additional money after waiting for months to play the final table in October in front of a nationwide audience. The hangover has been vicious.
Gee chatted about what this deep run is offering in terms of being able to forget the past.
Brian Pempus: Are you doing anything differently this year than you were last year?
Steven Gee: Not really. If you saw the cards, you’d noticed I’m playing the same as last year.
BP: You and I talked about a month ago about how finishing ninth was “an albatross” on your back. Has this deep run been making your feel better?
SG: I think if I can make the final table this year it will be redemption enough for me to finally forget about what happened last year — not think about the bust out at night. We’ll be talking about the back-to-back, instead of my flame out.
BP: Do you feel extra pressure this year?
SG: Yeah, the pressure comes mostly from me. I am a very competitive person…Even if I don’t win, it’s going to be OK. I won’t feel as bad as I did last year. I don’t have to win. I just need to make the final table. There is also pressure from others. No one expected anything of me last year. I was under the radar. I was a low-profile player. This year is completely different.
BP: How are you sleeping this week?
SG: I’ve been getting just about four hours each night. This stress isn’t really from the money, but trying to achieve something, do something great. I want to make the final table again so bad. I don’t care about the money jumps.
BP: What was it like playing right next to Greg Merson the other day?
SG: It was surreal, sort of like a little reunion. I hadn’t seen Greg in a long time.
BP: Do you feel like you are better player than you were last year?
SG: Yeah, I do. As poker players we are always striving to get better. I don’t want it to seem like this is my plateau. You are always trying to make tweaks to your game based on what others are doing. I think I am better, especially with all my experience under pressure.
