Road to Vegas Meets r/Poker

Part of GGPoker’s ideology is to ensure that everyone has the opportunity to play poker. We also try to share the experience of poker with as many people as possible. This led us to a relationship with the r/poker subreddit and its thousands of players. GGPoker put up two seats to the World Series of Poker Main Event, exclusive to the members of the subreddit. 

PLAY AT THE WSOP

We were able to catch up with one of those players, who took some time for an interview and described his experience with GGPoker and the WSOP Main Event. Let us now formally introduce Remi Alamian, a student from Hamburg, Germany, who is now living in Heidelberg while studying for his Bachelor’s in Mathematics. 

I first managed to catch up to Remi during level 3 on Day 1C of the Main Event. Wearing a clean white hoodie, sunglasses, and a dark green hat, he appeared as any other poker player, albeit a bit younger than most of the people in the room. It wasn’t until I met him in the GGPoker lounge that I saw he was very tall, but to be fair, it could have been my perspective, as I am not tall. He was an absolute delight to speak with and someone I have no doubt we will be hearing from again. 

Meet Remi Alamian

GGShawn: Hi Remi, welcome to the GGPoker Lounge. I hear this is your first time in Las Vegas.

Remi Alamian: Yeah, this is my first time in Las Vegas. It’s actually my first time at a live table. Up to now, I have been playing online and at some home games with friends. I did play a low-stakes cash game last night, which was my first time at a real table in Las Vegas. I did it just to get a feeling for it. But the WSOP Main Event was a whole new experience. It was absolutely great, but unfortunately, I did bust out on Day 1.

GGS: Oh, I’m so sorry to hear that. What happened?

RA: Yeah, it was going great until level 4, right after the dinner break. I was getting the right hands, but not the right run out. That combined with my lack of live experience, plus some of the players at my table were quite good. I believe there was a French pro to my right. But overall, I had a lot of fun. It was a great experience.

GGS: Well, for what it’s worth, I think you did great. Your first time in a live event, and you managed to survive until just after the break. And, it’s the main event, the most prestigious poker tournament in the world. There is something about it that makes it special. It was also your first time playing the main event. I would say that this was a success. And that is on top of your story of how you got here.

RA: It’s actually kind of funny how that happened. I was looking through the tournaments on GGPoker and came across the Reddit freeroll. I went right to the r/poker subreddit, looked up the information, and thought, ‘yeah, this is a great opportunity, why don’t I play it.’ I was playing just the first heat. It was another great tournament on GG, and I was just playing on my phone. It was a normal night with my friends. We were hanging out, watching football, and I made it to the top 50. I didn’t give it another thought until the final tournament.

GGS: What a great story, and doing it with your friends right there with you. You’ve played on GG before, and I am sure the people want to know who won the Reddit challenge, and more importantly, what you think of GGPoker.

RA: My username is EppiAll-in. As far as GGPoker goes, I like it there. I think it’s the best site to play on. I like the different game options and being able to change to what I am in the mood to play. I used to really enjoy the Spin & Gold, but now it’s mostly cash games and tournaments. I like the overlay and interface. They are easy to use, so yeah, I like GGPoker.

GGS: We know you don’t have any experience with the WSOP prior to this year, but what are your thoughts on the WSOP+ App?

RA: It was convenient and helpful. First of all, the registration was quick and easy, and you got your seat very fast. You could also see information about the other players at your table. Yeah, I had no issues with it at all.

GGS: You stated previously that you found the r/poker subreddit because of the Freeroll. I presume that means that if you weren’t before, you are now part of the subreddit. Are you enjoying it and do you find the posts useful?

RA: Yes, sometimes. I also like to hear about other players and their hands. I’ll read through the comments and learn from the conversations.

GGS: So the community building and the information that is offered there, these are all positives from your perspective?

RA: Yes. I enjoy having these conversations and learning more about the game and other strategies.

GGS: I’m guessing that in light of your success here, you will continue to play poker. Do you have plans to play any more tournaments while you’re here for another week or so?

RA: I will continue to play. I was thinking about playing some more, but I am just a student, so I don’t have the bankroll to play any big tournaments right now. I was given an opportunity through this promotion, and I did the best I could with it. I might jump into another low-stakes cash game. We’ll see.

GGS: With what you’ve learned this year, what changes will you make to how you approach and play the game?

RA: Oof, that’s a good question. I guess what I underestimated the most was the difference between live and online tournaments, because there is a considerable difference between them. People play differently online than they do live. It’s just the way it is. When I play my next live tournament, I will definitely approach it differently than this time and yeah, I wll certainly study a bit more.

GGS: Great outlook, but looking back at your play online to date, what the biggest or most exciting moment you’ve had at the tables?

RA: The biggest online tournament I’ve won was the r/poker tournament, and it was also really exciting, particularly the last hand. The player who finished 2nd had bluffed me earlier with king-ten offsuit. He had a king high, and I folded ace-nine with top pair and a wet board. He showed me the bluff and sent emojis laughing at me.

GGS: He was needling you hard.

RA: Yeah, and it happened with around 30 people left, but it stayed with me. Chips went back and forth until it was just the 2 of us. There were points that he had 90 big blinds and I had 15, but I always came back. Eventually, we got to a point where I had a four-to-three chip advantage right after he had lost a big hand. He bet big on the flop and turn, and I thought, ‘he really needs a win right now. He wants to get the chips back as quickly as possible.’ Then he went all-in on the river, and I called with second pair. And I was correct. That was the best feeling ever. I knew I had won the ticket because I knew he was bluffing.

GGS: That is just a fabulous story. Just inspiring. You followed your gut and were rewarded. Remi, that is all we have for you today. You are welcome to come back anytime, and we hope you enjoy your stay and your experience in Las Vegas.

So Long For Now Remi

And that, folks, was Remi. A young, well-spoken, vibrant mathematician from Germany who is poised to excel at poker. What he learned from playing live will undoubtedly change his game, and he will become a force to be reckoned with. For now, he will relax for the rest of his time here, while he counts the days until he can get home to his girlfriend, whom he stated he misses dearly. Personally, I’m just glad he doesn’t visit my local poker rooms.

Article written by: Shawn Altbaum
All photographs were taken by Tim Ash and are owned and are the exclusive property of GGPoker.