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Taking down a field of 569 players is always a challenge, especially when there is $10,000 on the line. Ryan “isuckatpoker” Monlux of Oregon made this lofty goal a reality on March 2 when he won SpadeClub’s first $40,000 Mega Monthly event.
Just one day after joining SpadeClub, isuckatpoker made his first cash of $50 for placing third in a $300 event. He has now been a SpadeClub member for a little more than two weeks and has already banked $10,115 by reaching the final tables of four cash events. Card Player recently met up with Ryan “isuckatpoker” Monlux to discuss his SpadeClub success.
Card Player: First, the question that’s on everyone’s mind, do you still think you suck at poker?
Ryan “isuckatpoker” Monlux: (Laughing) No, no, not anymore. I was having a really bad run online a few months ago and had just kind of lost confidence in myself; that’s where the name came from.
CP: How long have you been playing poker, and how did you get started playing on SpadeClub?
RM: I have been playing for about five years. My buddies and I used to play in a home game pretty religiously until we all discovered online poker. I’ve been playing online for about three or four years now. I first read about SpadeClub in Card Player magazine; obviously I’m a subscriber. I also subscribe to the Card Player newsletter, and I read about it there, too, and decided to join.
CP: Do you consider yourself a recreational, amateur, or professional poker player? Do you think SpadeClub is a good learning ground for people who are looking to start playing?
RM: Probably somewhere in between recreational and amateur, but I’m trying to move up to the next level. I absolutely think SpadeClub is a good learning ground. I think it’s great for players of all skill levels in terms of risk versus reward. It’s a very small investment every month for the chance to win a lot of money (laughs).
CP: What do you think of the format for the tournaments on SpadeClub? Do you have a favorite tournament?
RM: My favorite is definitely the $40k! I really like the bigger starting stacks, while the blinds still start out low. It enables you to play a lot more hands.
CP: Speaking of the $40,000 monthly event, you went into the heads-up match as the chip leader. The chips then went back and forth for a while, and then your opponent suddenly gained more than a 2-1 chip lead on you. How did you recover from that?
RM: When we first got into the money, I was just happy to make it. I started moving up in chips, and when we got to the final table, I definitely had one goal in mind — I really wanted to win. When we were heads up, I was all in with pocket deuces against pocket tens, and I caught a very lucky deuce on the turn. This hand helped propel me back into the chip lead. Then I just tried to keep a cool head and continued to stay focused on my goal of winning the tournament.
CP: What is the most money you’ve ever won in a poker tournament? Do you have any plans for the money you just won?
RM: This is definitely my biggest so far. [Monlux took home $10,000 for his first-place finish]. I’m going to take my family on a vacation, my wife and three boys. I think we’re going to go to Hawaii.
CP: What advice can you give to other SpadeClub members looking to go deep in these tournaments?
RM: I think it is best to play tight-aggressive. Wait for premium hands and bet them big. Aggression becomes more important as the tournament goea on, especially at the final table.
CP: Have you participated in any of the community features on Spade Club? What do you think?
RM: I really enjoy the player profiles. I like looking at their badges and seeing their interests. It’s nice to get to know your opponents on a more personal level.
CP: Have you met anyone interesting at the tables that you’ve chatted with a lot during the games?
RM: I’ve met some really great people and very talented players, and hope to meet a lot more! There was one person chatting with me at the final table who was from the same town as me. He was cheering me on the whole way, which was really cool.
CP: Anything else you would like to add?
RM: Thank you, thank you, and thank you to SpadeClub for giving me this opportunity. Thank you Shulman family! What a privilege it is to be part of poker’s future!
For your shot at next month’s $40,000 event join the club now. Become an Exclusive member by visiting SpadeClub.com.
