Andy Bloch
Andy
Bloch is a fascinating person. He was a part of the MIT Blackjack
team that
played around the world and beat the casinos everywhere they
went. There is a documentary or two on how it all went down and
after reading this I suggest you look for it. It is a wonder how
he
ever got through airport security with those balls
of steel.
Now
a professional poker player he is has shown he knows a little
more about cards than how many are in a deck. Last summer he finished
second to Chip Reese in the 50k H.O.R.S.E. event and is considered
by his peers to be one of the best.
We
are honored to have him answer some Random Questions.....
LaB:
Other than your peaceful prayer vigils, how many times have you
been thrown in the slammer?
Andy:
Being a serious blackjack threat to casinos, I've been arrested
4 other times (in 3 countries, plus a Native American reservation)
, but either no charges were filed or they were eventually dropped.
The casinos make up some excuse and call the cops in to scare
us.
LaB:
You have to keep a billboard in front of your house displaying
one or the other for 1 month, "Yankees Blow", or Boston
Swallows"???
Andy:
Boston Swallows. If I have to to avoid
arrest, I can change it to "What is the air-speed velocity
of Boston Swallows?"
LaB: Are we still in this strange hat phase?
Andy: Well,
the hat's proven its worth. Actually, I think it helped me
get picked for the NBC Heads Up Championship, so I'll keep
wearing it,
at least until I win a couple of bracelets.
LaB: Does his hat protect him from Chris Ferguson's well published
mind reading abilities?
Andy: I
don't know if Chris can mind read, but he's definitely put
a curse on his hat if anyone else wears it. The two times I've
put it on
for a few hands during a big tournament, I busted out soon after.
LaB: If you were charged with having to add ONE rule to the poker
books, what would it be?
Andy: You're not allowed to lose 4 all-ins in a row.
LaB: What is the biggest pitfall for professional poker players?
Is it any different for pro Blackjack players?
Andy: Believing
you're better than you are is the biggest pitfall in poker.
The biggest pitfall for a blackjack pro is playing when the
risk
of getting kicked out is high.
LaB:
When it
comes to particular games, Texas hold em, omaha, stud, lowball,
etc. What's the next popular game we don't know about yet?
Andy: Badugi, or however you spell it!
LaB: Favorite chick flick?
Andy: Birds.
LaB: Which clique did you hang with in high school?
Andy: The one that played cards in the basement instead of hanging
out in the lounge.
LaB: If you were asked to help improve this years WSOP, what modifications
would you suggest?
Andy: First,
I'd fire a certain member of the tournament staff who was careless
with chips and wouldn't bring in new decks. I'd use RFID chips
and automatic shufflers, and get those companies to supply
them cheap or for free in exchange for publicity.
LaB: Favorite 80's band?
Andy: Does Barbara Streisand count? LOL
U2.
LaB:
If you owned a farm, what would you grow?
Andy: Pickles.
LaB: You had some pretty bad beats w/ Chip Reese in the $50k HORSE
and handled them pretty well, any tips for keeping your cool in the
high stakes?
Andy: There's no such thing as bad beats, just good plays that went
bad..
LaB: What that match was like and the field of that tournament?
Andy: Making
it to the final table was truly an honor by itself. When we
got heads up, I knew it would take a long time, but I didn't
expect that long!
LaB:
Do you think it will be the "prestige" tournament
this year?
Andy: I think it will be a close second to the main event.
LaB: Which took you longer to master, Blackjack or Poker?
Andy: Poker.
Blackjack is much more straightforward and solvable. To succeed
at poker, you have to learn to adapt to your opponents, at least
when multi-way.
LaB: How much wood would a woodchuck chuck if the dealer is showing
an 8?
Andy: Not as much as if the dealer was showing a 6.
LaB: How often do you have to discourage Phil Gordon from climbing
the Empire State Building to swat at airplanes?
Andy: I
just remind him that he lost his job to Hellmuth, and he forgets
whatever he was thinking about.
LaB: Do you have children? And if so, does Full Tilt require you
to slap a logo on their forehead at birth?
Andy:
No, and my first child won't be called Chip either.
LaB: How do I go about getting the officially licensed Full Tilt
jock strap?
Andy: I don't think there is one, but I've heard of FTP tattoos
in some private places.
LaB: Who is the most physically imposing person you've met at the
tables?
Andy: Men Nguyen.
LaB: ...the most mentally imposing?
Andy: Mike Matusow
LaB: ...straight up nuts?
Andy: Howard Lederer
LaB: If you gave poker and casinos up and went back to do any other
job, what would it be?
Andy: Law or computer engineering.
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Personal home page: www.andybloch.com
Play poker against him at www.FullTiltPoker.com
Get his blackjack DVD at http://www.expertinsight.com/?aff=35
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