Interview with Chris Lindh: "You Can��t Play Scared in this Tournament"
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Chris Lindh has been one of the most active players here on Day 7, and as a result his stack has oscillated throughout the first five hours of the day. During the break, we briefly spoke with Lindh about his tournament experience, the big swings he��s been dealing with, and his mental game.
PokerNews: You��ve cashed in a handful of events each year traveling the circuits. Is your background mainly in tournaments or cash games?
Lindh: In the beginning I was almost exclusively playing tournaments but then I switched over to cash-games about a year and a half ago. I think it��s important to excel in both aspects of the game to become a well-rounded player.
Why did you make the transition from Bear Sterns to playing poker professionally?
I was laid off from Bear Sterns so I looked to poker as a supplement. I was always playing poker anyway so it made sense. Plus I was given a nice severance package so I took that and used it as my starting bankroll. It��s been some good times and I��m fully happy with how things are working out.
This is your fourth WSOP Main Event but your first cash. What changes did you make that are helping with a successful this year?
I think just being around better players and discussing hands has helped me a lot since I��ve started. I��ve really surrounded myself with a knowledgeable group of players who have all seen success at one point in their careers, so it��s beneficial to a person like me who still has room for growth. I had a little bit of coaching for online poker but I haven��t had any for live tournaments or cash. I think you can really apply what you learn by playing online to live because online you are able to take more risks, play more hands, and pick up on things faster than you would just playing live.
You lost a big hand against Ryan Riess. Did the decline in your chip count affect you mentally at all? If so, how did you recover?
It didn��t really affect me at all. I still opened like 60 percent of hands after that hit and chipped right back up. You can��t play scared in this tournament. With so few players left, it is important to take shots and build your stack so you can have plenty to work with if you make it to the final table. Plus, losing is part of variance. It is how you handle it after that matters.
If you make it to the final nine, will you continue playing poker?
Continuing to play poker isn��t a question for me. I will definitely continue to play because I think I still have a lot left to accomplish. I��m already scheduled to play in the WSOP Europe so that will be next on my calendar. I think I am also looking into the $10 million guarantee tournament in Florida. I have absolutely no plans to stop.