International interest in All Africa Poker
John Tabatabai is fast becoming a poker player to be reckoned with. His aggressive and seemingly undependable style of playing proved too strong for the local players.
He is probably one of the most level headed 22 year olds around, and has achieved so much already in his few years of living than many will achieve in their whole lives. His first passion was chess and was so good at it that he played in European and World Championships. At university he turned to poker and used the strategies used in chess to enhance his poker skills.
His unique playing style, which has more to do with the opponent than the cards being played, is the exact "philosophy" that helped him make it through to the first two days of the 12th All Africa Poker Tournament. If he were a lesser poker player the cards he was dealt would not have made it to the final table. The final table made up for all the stress by blessing him with great hands and friendly flops that helped him eliminate all nine finalists single-handedly!
Tabatabai came second in the WSOPE (Europe) and says it was the best and worst experience of his life, because he enjoyed the players and game so much but coming second was heartbreaking and left him shell shocked. It took Tabatabai more than two months to recover from the sheer disappointment.
His advice to the young players out there is to not try and become a pro or make poker your only income. You will play better if you have a back up that takes off the financial pressure. Never assume that you are the better player. Listen to everyone, even players you consider weaker than yourself. They will give you an insight into how they think, which will help you play against them.
His first major tournament that he has won is the All Africa Poker Tournament. He had high praises for the tournament organisation, the dealers, the players and the two beautiful new countries that he has discovered. He is unable to defend his title in May but will try for the tournament after that. His next event is the EPT event in San Remo, so be sure to keep your eyes on this youngster!
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