|
In a luxury hotel suite overlooking Bangkok, Sampo Löppönen reclines on the bed, running a computer mouse over white sheets to collect his winnings. Like a growing number of gifted people, he funds a GQ lifestyle through online and offline poker. International interest in the game has rocketed over the last few years. However, strict new internet legislation in the US and tax uncertainties threaten to restrict the flow of money onto the digital table and into players’ pockets.
In November, Asia’s first high stakes poker tournament will commence in Singapore and many of the world’s best players are already descending on the region.
Sampo, how did you first get into playing poker?
Well, a friend of mine, he made pretty good money at poker, and we used to play at high school with friends. He wasn’t such a great player [laughs] and I thought, ‘If he can do it, I can do it.’
I studied at the School of Economics and Business Administration, going very fast at the beginning, doing a lot of study. After working for half a year, I didn’t feel like going to school so I tried Poker. I read a book about it, y’know, I played some more and thought some more, and started to play bigger and bigger games.
Was there a moment when you realized that you could play professionally?
Yes, there was maybe about six months that I was struggling and making maybe three thousand dollars a month. If it had not become better, I wouldn’t have continued, but I thought I could play better, I just needed to move up. When I realized I could play with higher stakes, and I could win, I saw the money coming and realized it was something I could really do. 
What brought you to Bangkok as a place to set up?
One year ago, when I was just moving from $2-3,000 a month to $10,000, I took a round the world trip. I was in USA, then Japan. I was here for about one and a half months… When the weather gets shitty in Scandinavia, I pretty much want to go somewhere else.
Did you have some big losses early on?
I only played with my profits, but I had some big losses too, y’know. [laughs] Very bad ones, but that comes with the territory. When I play now I take to the table two thousand, it’s perfectly normal for me to lose eight thousand up to four times. That happens. Big losses are hard to take, but you just roll with it.
A friend of mine is coming to Bangkok in one month. He made $50,000 in the last two months. In the summer, he was playing very small games. And before that, it was very bad for him. Now, he’s rolling like a maniac. Maybe if you interview me in December, things could be not so good. You cannot get too used to it, you know.
Is online poker very different to playing for real?
They are both poker. It’s the same game, the same fundamentals… 
Except you can hide your emotions?
Exactly. One aspect of the game is seeing the other player and you don’t have that. So, you could say, there is something missing, but people who don’t play poker usually think it’s all about the face. It’s not all about it. It’s one part, not the biggest. But I admit there’s something missing. I prefer to play live. I think I have a better edge because I can see how people are. And I’m still a young player. The older sharks who have been playing a lifetime or ten years, they have a big edge over me because I’ve played less than they have. But, yeah, there’s definitely some people who are not pro - you can just tell what they have. The way they are trying to hide what they have, it’s just crazy, sometimes they just say it. Most of the time, you can’t tell. You might have a little hint if he’s bluffing or not, but you can still be wrong. It’s part of the game.  I read about a poker player who wear reflective glasses and he’s quite a big guy?
I think that’s Greg Raymer, the guy who won the World Series in poker.
Would you ever try anything like that?
[Laughs] I don’t think I would want to. But if I was playing for millions of dollars with people who I know are above my level. If I feel I am the fish and they are they are the sharks, I might wear the sunglasses, but I wouldn’t wear it normally. But it’s part of the image and there’s nothing against it. But if you’re a confident, cool player, you don’t have to.
So, is that the kind of image you’ve cultivated for your place: the young, cool player?
I don’t try especially to create an image, but in poker, you have to be confident.
Do you play everyday?
Nowadays, I don’t play that much. Maybe 20-25 hours per week. If I wanted to work 100 hours a week, I couldn’t because I have to really think. If I’m tired, I will lose my money because I will make stupid mistakes.
Thailand seems to frown on internet gambling, though they have generally not tried to crack down on individual gamblers. What’s the deal?
I don’t know exactly. [laughs] As far as I know, the legislation is where the online place is registered. I don’t think it’s illegal. You can access poker sites, but from Thailand you cannot access betting firms. 
We heard in US, internet gambling is becoming ‘less legal’.
On Saturday, there was a big blow to the poker industry: Americans will no longer be able to play online poker. It’s a blow because over half the poker players are from the USA. It’s not going to collapse, but if you take half the fish away… they move to Thailand or Mexico, do what they have to do. So, you still have all the sharks, but less fish. It’s a problem for every poker player.
The biggest poker site, they lost half of their market value overnight. It doesn’t come to effect immediately, but it will in less than half a year. It was part of these new terrorist laws. They didn’t really care about the gambling, it was just part of the bundle. Americans love to gamble, so I don’t if the new law’s going to stay or not, but people are very, very worried.
Do you think gambling online helps boost people going to like Las Vegas?
Oh yes, definitely. It definitely boosts live poker. Since one guy qualified online and won the whole thing, you know two million and everyone thought, “Wow, he could do it online!” And it’s been tripling every year since that. Now there are 8,000 people playing. Ten years ago, there must have been 300 or something. A phenomenal boost.  Do people ever get robbed of their winnings when they’re leaving the casino?
It was part pf the poker player’s life a few decades ago. The pioneers, they were robbed many times and they might have carried a gun. Nowadays, there are big casinos and no one is going to rob you. If you have serious cash, you don’t want to walk out with it.
You have to play in small, low-key, back-room illegal poker games anymore. You have legal gambling in Las Vegas, Atlantic City, the East Coast. And in Europe, every capital has a poker room. So, you don’t have this element of crime.
Tell us about the big match in November.
It takes place in Singapore. It’s the first big poker event in Asia. Everybody knows Asians like to gamble [laughs]. Officially now, in the US there will be a lot of marketing and a push toward the Asian market. There’s this one and one in Goa.
How many days does the event last?
There are a few different tournaments: smaller ones and bigger ones. They main one is a $5,000 buy-in. There will be about $2 million in the prize pool.
I can’t say I’m at the level where I’m winning big tournaments like this. For me it’s more of a fun thing. I don’t expect to make a lot of money, but if I do, I’m happy. I do feel I have a good chance, but every poker player will tell you the same. [Laughs]
 What’s the atmosphere like in a big tournament?
You can really see some sort of pecking order. You see the guys who qualify from smaller events like me. Then you have guys who play very high-stakes poker with money, money. They really push the amateurs. It’s quite friendly, but people don’t chat, it’s very serious. The professionals who are very comfortable with money, they talk freely. Usually, the young guys are very serious. It’s fun. [Laughs]
 Your banking is done in Scandinavia, so how much do you have to give to the taxman?
In the EC, winnings are tax free if they’re won in the EC, but if I go to Las Vegas and win a big tournament, tax might have to come out. The problem is that it’s a new thing, it’s hard to say how much tax you have to pay.
In Scandinavia, you pay 55% tax at least. It pretty much makes participating in tournaments outside the EC worthless. If you play a cash game, nobody will know, but if you have your face on a magazine, it’s a bit hard to say you didn’t make anything [laughs].
Is it like in Bond movies when you’re winning and a pretty girl turns up at your shoulder?
No. When you play live, 90% of the people are guys, it’s boring. It’s not really the place to meet hot chicks.
In Finland, when girls ask you what you do and you say “poker player,” it’s like, “er. Okay. Bye bye!” [laughs]. They don’t take it seriously at all. If you want them to take you seriously and understand that you make a lot of money doing this, that’s also uncool because no girl likes a bragger.
My friends, they all share this notion: if you want a girlfriend, it’s a big downer that you play poker.
What would you say to anyone who wants to get into poker?
I think, first thing, read a book, play with more money. If you’re winning, play with your winnings.
And don’t quit your day jobs [laughs].
By Laurie Osborne & Karuna Gurung
 |
