online poker pro

GARY DeBERNARDI:
DEBO'S GOT IT GOING ON

by John
Vorhaus

Imagine you're Gary DeBernardi. You live in beautiful Oregon with your wife, Erin, and your son, Jarod. You've become so adept at online poker that you've been drafted onto Online Team UB. You're known wherever you go, and liked wherever you're known. And if you ever happen to take an online bad beat (hey, it happens to everyone) you can just stroll a couple hundred yard down the road and cool off... in the Pacific Ocean. Yep, if they ever made a movie about la Vida Online Loca, Debo34 could write the script.

Debo (as he's known to one and all) grew up in Bend and went to Washington State University. He found a passion in working with his hands, served a four year apprenticeship as a carpenter, then spent the next eleven years building hospitals and schools. Maybe he'd have stayed in the trade forever if he hadn't discovered online poker, but he did, about four years ago, and in the last two years has made it his full time job.

Debo brings a cool hand and a cool head to the poker realm. Thoughtful and analytical, he goes into every tournament with a well developed game plan. "I tend to play a little loose at the beginning of a tournament," he says. "I usually look for an early double-up. If I don't get it, I tighten up and look for big hands. If I get a decent chip stack, I play conservatively in the middle portion and try to turn it up a bit as it gets toward the final table."

Gary offers this advice for tournament and cash game players alike: "Develop a strategy that works for you, and then stay as consistent as possible in using this strategy each time you sit down to play." He further counsels, "Try to learn something each day. Knowledge is the key to becoming a good poker player."

Having made poker his career, Debo often finds himself being asked if he'd recommend it to others. For young people, without a lot of debts or responsibilities, he says, "Go for it! You only live once. In ten years you don't want to be wondering if you could have done it." If it doesn't work out, he says, "You can always go get a 'real' job. That being said," he adds, "you'd better have built a bankroll big enough to withstand droughts and bad runs. Don't go into debt trying to chase a dream."

These days, Gary chases the dream to such far flung locations as the World Series of Poker, World Poker Tour events, and, of course, UltimateBet's tournament in Aruba. Like so many pros, Debo says it's his favorite tournament venue. "It's just flat out fun. You get to know a lot of people and make new friends. Aside from poker is that from a married man's perspective, its a great place for a get away with my wife. We always have a great week there."

Modest about his own achievements, Gary is generous in his praise for those who have given him aid. "My parents always encouraged me to do what I wanted, and my wife stands behind me and supports me 100%." He also offers special thanks to his poker brain trust, such online luminaries as KrazyKanuck, Shawn Rice, and many others. "These players helped me get to where I'm at, through advice, help, and development of my game. Without them I wouldn't be as successful."

But successful he is, and whether he's racking up online tournament wins at his Oregon seaside home or hitting the road to play in the world's biggest events, he's living every poker player's dream, and making that dream come true. Maybe it should be called "La Vida Debo" instead.

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? Graduated high school in Bend,Or.Attended college in Oregon and at Washington St. University.Took a 4 year appreniceship school and became a Union Carepenter.Spent 11 years working for my Father in laws company buliding commercial buildings such as schools,hospitals,etc on the north coast of Oregon.Started playing Online poker about 4 years ago.Quit my job as a carpenter about a year and a half ago to play poker full time.I am 34 years old.

  2. WHERE ARE YOU TODAY? WHERE DO YOU LIVE AND WHAT'S YOUR CURRENT FAMILY SITUATION? I currently live on the North coast of Oregon, about 1/4 mile from the beach. Ive been married to my wife Erin for over 12 years,and have an 11 year old son Jarod.

  3. OKAY, ENOUGH OF THE PLEASANTRIES, LET'S GET TO THE POKER. IN A NUTSHELL, WHAT'S YOUR PHILOSOPHY OF THE GAME? To develop a strategy that works for you,and then stay as consistant as possible in using this strategy each time you sit down to play.Try to learn something each day,knowledge is the key to becoming a good poker player.

  4. WHAT'S A STRENGTH OF YOUR GAME? WHAT DO YOU DO (OR THINK YOU DO) BETTER THAN THE FOES YOU FACE? Being able to put my opponent on a particular might be my biggest strength.

  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 try not to spend much time on my back.A bad run of a few weeks can really get me questioning my game and make me play too passive.

  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? Online poker requires you to learn betting patterns .In live poker you have physical reads,but your reads in online poker come from betting patterns and somethimes timing of bets.

  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? If i thought it was fixed i would risk feeding my family by playing it.The amount of hands you see vs. live poker can be so much greater,especially in multiple games that you are going to see far more bad beat situations than in live poker.

  8. PARANOIA AND CONFIRMATION BIAS NOTWITHSTANDING, THERE DOES EXIST AT LEAST THE POSSIBILITY OF COLLUSION/CHEATING ONLINE. WHAT'S YOUR TAKE ON ALL THAT? Well im sure it happens,and a player needs to be aware of it.If you suspect collusion at your table,report it immediately and go to another table.Thats the great thing about online poker,you have hundreds of tables to choose from.

  9. BACK TO STRATEGY: IF YOU WERE TRYING TO GIVE SOMEONE THE FASTEST, BEST ADVICE ON NO LIMIT HOLD'EM, WHAT WOULD IT BE? Try to dictate play.You are much better betting than you are calling.Gives you 1 more way to win the pot.

  10. WALK US THROUGH YOUR APPROACH TO TOURNAMENT PLAY, ESPECIALLY FULL-FIELD, BIG BUY-IN EVENTS. I tend to play a little loose at the beggining of a tournament.I usually look for an early double ,if i dont get it i tighten up and look for big hands.If i get a decent chip stack i play conservitive in the middle portion and try to turn it up a bit as it get towards the final table.

  11. HOW DOES YOUR TOURNAMENT STRATEGY DIFFER BETWEEN ONLINE AND REALWORLD PLAY; COMPARING, SAY, STONE COLD NUTS TO THE WSOP MAIN EVENT? I try to play both exactly the same,according to my game plan.Only factor that would change that would be slight differtences due to style of opponents at each table.

  12. WHAT BAD ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE A POKER PLAYER YOU WERE TRYING TO HURT INSTEAD OF HELP? Would tell them to ignore the math and odds in poker.

  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? Go for it.You only live once.In 10 years you dont want to be wondering if you coulda done it.You can always go get a" real job".However, that being said, you better have built a bankroll big enough to withstand droughts and bad runs.Dont go into debt trying to chase a dream.

  14. NOW TALK TO THAT KID'S MOTHER. HOW WOULD YOU JUSTIFY POKER TO HER AS A CAREER/LIFESTYLE CHOICE? Poker can allow him the freedom to to do alot of things in life.He will be able to see parts of the US and the world that he might not have seen otherwise.If hes good enough he can make alot of money.

  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.)Its just flat out fun.You get to know alot of people and make new friends.Aside from poker is that from a married mans perspective,its a great place for a get away with my wife.We always have a great week there.

  16. CARE TO SHARE SOME QUICK TIPS, TRICKS OR SITUATIONAL PLAYS I CAN INCORPORATE INTO MY GAME? A good tip is you use your hand history button on UB.You can obtain alot of information from other players as even if your not in the hand.If a hand is called down after the river and 1 plaers cards arent shown,go look in the history.You can get a gauge on what they are up to.

  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? Walk to the beach.Take the family to the movies or anywhere away from poker.Anything away from the game.

  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? When im running bad i usuallt first take a step back and see if i can find anything im doing wrong.After that i try and play my way out of a slump.

  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 got to where i am because of certain people.My parents always encouraged me to do what i wanted.My wife stands by me and supports me 100% (even though im gone alot).Also special thanks to players p0ker h0, Krazykanuck,shawn rice,leggggggggy,nut_flush, showingthenut,knucklehead,fatcats,and many others.These players helped me get to where im at,through advice,help and development of my game.Without these guys i wouldnt be as successful.