MARK KROON:
HIS MOTHER MUST BE SO PROUD

You have to wonder what was going through Mark Kroon's mind the day he decided that his screen name should be P0ker H0. After all, it's not the most politically correct handle in the world, nor even the most elegant. However, it has become one of the most well known, at least among fans of online poker, where the name P0ker H0 has become synonymous with a slash-and-burn tournament style that leaves hapless opponents broke and scratching their heads.

And while he has a reputation for being a wild man at the poker table, he says that patience is the real key to poker success. "Even though I play aggressively, being patient is the most important thing in no limit hold'em. You have to watch other players and learn from them." And to patience add determination: "You will not learn no limit hold'em unless you watch thousands of hands."

Mark comes by his poker chops naturally. A resident of Madison, Wisconsin, he's been playing poker for almost 20 years there in a little joint called the Players Sports Bar. It was in that very joint, in fact, that he met Madison's other favorite poker son, Phil Hellmuth, and while Phil went on to, you know, other things, Mark decided that he liked his home-away-from-home game so much that he bought the bar and has owned it ever since. To this day if you've got the nerve, you can drop by and play internet poker there, while the whole bar watches on a 52" plasma screen monitor – and razzes your play, no doubt.

A larger than life personality who is widely known and intensely well liked throughout the online poker playing community, Mark regularly travels to the big events on the poker tournament calendar, such as the World Series of Poker® and the Aruba Ultimate Poker Classic. Like pretty much everyone else who's ever been there, Mark sings the praises of the Aruba event. "You could hold that tournament in Alaska," says Mark, "and it would still be the best tournament around. We have become a family."

Well, that may be, but don't expect Mr. Kroon to go easy on anyone – family or no family. He credits aggression as the number one strength of his game. "By being aggressive," he says, "I can control the situations at the table." A man of deep self-honesty, Mark isn't above naming his weaknesses, too. "I go on tilt too easily," he admits. "When I get a bad beat, the remainder of my play is not up to par or close to my abilities."

When not playing poker, Mark can be found bowling, playing softball or, especially, on the golf course. "I love to golf... just get away and let my mind wander." Wander, no doubt, to thoughts of the next tournament, and his standard plan of attack, which he describes this way: "Sit back and watch the players at your table and make note of the image you are giving there. Sit back, relax, and have fun."

And that's Mark Kroon in a nutshell: He sits back, relaxes, has fun – then goes for the throat in a hyper-aggressive dash to the winner's circle. Especially look for him to turn up the heat as the money payouts near. Mark says he likes to... "play strong around the bubble because there is no other point in the tournament when you can accumulate so many chips." And accumulating chips is something that this poker-force-to-be-reckoned-with has gotten particularly good at. And in case you're wondering, yes, his mother is proud of her son's achievements. You can often find her at tournaments, sweating her son and wearing her favorite t-shirt – the one that says, "Mama H0."

TWENTY QUESTIONS WITH ONLINE TEAM U.B.

It's a little game we call 20 questions. It has nothing to do with "animal, vegetable or mineral" and everything to do with you and what makes you the formidable poker force you are. Please be detailed and articulate in your answers, for we will use this interview to introduce you to all those UBers out there who want to get to know you better. Honesty would be great, but lie (see question 5) if you have to.

1. TELL US ABOUT YOURSELF, YOUR BACKGROUND, EDUCATION AND UPBRINGING; HOW DID YOU GET WHERE YOU ARE TODAY? Very active in sports, college soccer and hockey and today active in bowling, softball and golf. Own a sports bar (in the army for 3 years)
   
   
2. WHERE ARE YOU TODAY? WHERE DO YOU LIVE AND WHAT'S YOUR CURRENT FAMILY SITUATION? Own a local bar that you started playing poker at with Phil Hellmuth and decided to purchase the bar. Local games – knew the owner , bought the bar. Players Sports Bar – bought when Phil won the WSOP®. The bar is where he met Phil
   
   
3. OKAY, ENOUGH OF THE PLEASANTRIES, LET'S GET TO THE POKER. IN A NUTSHELL, WHAT'S YOUR PHILOSOPHY OF THE GAME? Have fun first – winning is fun! Have fun as long as you can if you don’t have fun then stop playing.
   
   
4. WHAT'S A STRENGTH OF YOUR GAME? WHAT DO YOU DO (OR THINK YOU DO) BETTER THAN THE FOES YOU FACE? Aggression – by being aggressive I can control the situations at the table.
   
   
5. WHAT'S A WEAKNESS OF YOUR PLAY? WHAT DOES IT TAKE TO PUT YOU ON THE DEFENSIVE, OR EVEN FLAT ON YOUR BACK? I go on tilt too easy – when I get a bad beat, the remainder of my play is not up to par or close to my abilities.
   
   
6. IT'S SELF-EVIDENT THAT REALWORLD POKER AND ONLINE POKER ARE WORLDS APART; WHAT DO YOU CONSIDER THE MOST SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCES FROM A STRATEGIC POINT OF VIEW? The main difference is the ability to be aggressive – meaning if you get knocked out online you can just sign on and play another game whereas playing live, you are done for the day.
   
   
7. I WAS PLAYING ON UB LAST NIGHT AND GOT SUCKED OUT ON BY A GUY WHO HIT LIKE TEN ONE-OUTERS IN A ROW. TELL ME THE TRUTH, BROTHER, ISN'T INTERNET POKER FIXED? No poker is not fixed. You just see way more hands in online poker than you do in live games in a smaller period of time. When you see more hands, you get more bad beats thus making it seemed rigged. But it is not!!
   
   
8. PARANOIA AND CONFIRMATION BIAS NOTWITHSTANDING, THERE DOES EXIST AT LEAST THE POSSIBILITY OF COLLUSION/CHEATING ONLINE. WHAT'S YOUR TAKE ON ALL THAT? Collusion online is about the same as it is live. The majority of the sites monitor this pretty well. If you feel like there is collusion you should report it and move to a different table. (just like you would at a live table)
   
   
9. BACK TO STRATEGY: IF YOU WERE TRYING TO GIVE SOMEONE THE FASTEST, BEST ADVICE ON NO LIMIT HOLD'EM, WHAT WOULD IT BE? Even though I play aggressive, being patient is the most important thing in no limit holdem. Watch other players – learn from them. You will not learn no limit hold em unless you watch thousands of hands. You need to learn to play within your means.
   
   
10. WALK US THROUGH YOUR APPROACH TO TOURNAMENT PLAY, ESPECIALLY FULL-FIELD, BIG BUY-IN EVENTS. My approach to a big field is to get a feel for the table. Sit back and watch the players at your table and make note of the image you are giving at the table. Sit back and relax and have fun.
    
    
11. HOW DOES YOUR TOURNAMENT STRATEGY DIFFER BETWEEN ONLINE AND REALWORLD PLAY; COMPARING, SAY, STONE COLD NUTS TO THE WSOP® MAIN EVENT? WSOP® is a week long tournament – long fight. Get lots of sleep and rest up. Prepare. Online is so much shorter – but patience is not such a big deal. You have to be a lot more aggressive in an online tournament.
    
    
12. WHAT BAD ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE A POKER PLAYER YOU WERE TRYING TO HURT INSTEAD OF HELP? I would never do that! But my advice would be to play in all the big money tournaments and not play in any small dollar tournaments. (you’d go broke quicker) 
    
    
13. A 23-YEAR-OLD COLLEGE GRADUATE HAS HAD SOME SUCCESS IN BOTH ONLINE AND REALWORLD PLAY AND HE'S THINKING OF TURNING PRO. STIPULATE THAT HE'S SINGLE, DEBT-FREE AND REASONABLY SANE. WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE HIM? Why not?? Go for it but remember to play within your bankroll so you never go broke. Don’t risk more than 10% of your bankroll Play a lot online so you can experience lots of hands.
    
    
14. NOW TALK TO THAT KID'S MOTHER. HOW WOULD YOU JUSTIFY POKER TO HER AS A CAREER/LIFESTYLE CHOICE? Try to encourage him as much as possible. If that is his passion, you should encourage. Give him a couple of years.
    
    
15. YOU'VE BEEN TO THE UB ARUBA POKER CLASSIC MANY TIMES. WHAT MAKES THAT TOURNAMENT SO SPECIAL? (I'M NOT SHILLING FOR ARUBA. I JUST LIKE HEARING PEOPLE TALK ABOUT THE PLACE.) The event by far is superior due to the people. You could hold that tournament in Alaska and it would still be the best tournament around. We have become a family and it is the one tournament that I look forward to every year.
    
    
16. CARE TO SHARE SOME QUICK TIPS, TRICKS OR SITUATIONAL PLAYS I CAN INCORPORATE INTO MY GAME? Play strong around the bubble cos there is no other point in the tournament when you can accumulate so many chips.
    
    
17. GIVEN THAT "MAN DOES NOT LIVE BY POKER ALONE", WHAT DO YOU DO FOR FUN OR DISTRACTION WHEN YOU JUST CAN'T FACE ANOTHER FLOP? I love to golf and get away – let your mind wander.
    
    
18. THERE ARE TIMES WHEN WE'RE ON SUCH HEATERS THAT WE THINK WE'LL NEVER LOSE AGAIN -- AND THEN TIMES WHEN IT SEEMS LIKE OUR GAME IS BROKEN BEYOND REPAIR. HOW DO YOU DEAL WITH THE HIGHS AND -- ESPECIALLY -- THE LOWS OF POKER? The hardest part to poker (negative and positive) there is nothing more fun than winning and nothing worse than losing. Don’t get too in love with the highs and lows – keep emotions in check and around the middle.
    
    
19. PLEASE SHARE WITH US ANYTHING ELSE YOU THINK WE SHOULD KNOW OR WOULD LIKE TO KNOW ABOUT YOU, OR ABOUT POKER, OR ABOUT THE CELESTIAL ALIGNMENT OF THE STARS, OR BEER. I love beer – anything cold. Sports bar, Phil Hellmuth – people come all over the state to play poker 52" plasma – play online in front of players who have the desire to play.