The Round Table – Chad ‘m8kingmoves’ Batista is Series-ly Trying
Chad is ranked the #1 online tournament player on pocketfives.com with multiple wins in major events on PokerStars, PartyPoker, and Full Tilt. He has cashed for almost $3,000,000 online and is trying to bring that same winning game to the live tables. Chad joins The Round Table to share a little about his 2008 World Series experiences.
KL: Where are you from and how old are you?
Chad: Florida and I am 27.
KL: How many years have you been coming to the series?
Chad: Just last year. I had a free seat to the Main Event. My first tournament, I got off parole/probation in November of 2006, I went to my first tournament ever because I could never play. I went to a WSOP circuit and I got 4th out of 200 people and then the next day, the $5000, I won it out of like 170 people. I came to the WSOP last year and I got 5th in one event. I have only played maybe like 20-25 live tournaments in my life, that’s it.
KL: Which do you like better, live or online?
Chad: I don’t like either! [laughs] I hate poker!
KL: Why are you playing then?
Chad: It’s my job; it’s what I have to do. I like the lavish lifestyle and it’s the only way I can make any kind of decent money.
KL: How many events did you plan on playing prior to coming into the series this year?
Chad: I planned on playing a lot of them. It’s been going pretty bad but I feel like I’m playing really well and it’s real depressing that a lot of other people are doing good. Normally you can’t chip up in the beginning and I’m chipping up in most tournaments and once the all-ins start coming, I can’t win an all-in. Hopefully it will change and turn around.
KL: You can’t win races?
Chad: Not even races, like 3-1 all-ins preflop. I can’t hold a hand. I’m only a couple pots away from getting deep in the tournaments so it sucks.
KL: What do you do to not get discouraged or frustrated?
Chad: I’m not one to answer that! I get very discouraged, tilted, whatever. I am very emotional.
KL: Do you think that there are mistakes you have been making at the table or mostly it’s not your fault?
Chad: It’s definitely not my fault. I mean, maybe 1 hand where I lose a couple thousand chips, other than that I am playing really well. There is nothing I can do.
KL: How are the players playing against you?
Chad: They are all horrible. Most of them are horrible, even the top pros, a lot of them. They all have leaks.
KL: Does it change anything if people know who you are?
Chad: Sometimes people know. A lot of times I don’t talk to many people so at the table I don’t know who knows me or who doesn’t. I think it’s a disadvantage.
KL: What games do you play? Just no limit?
Chad: And pot limit Omaha. I have been sick for a couple days so I missed a couple.
KL: What is your favorite tournament at the Series?
Chad: I hate the Main Event. The 1k rebuy is probably my favorite or like the $5,000 6-man…that would be my second favorite. They have like 5k PLO rebuys, 1,500 PLO rebuys, but two $1,000 no limit rebuys. Why can’t they make some of the buy-ins bigger and make some of the prize pools bigger. Nothing has even paid a million dollars yet. There should be a $2,000 rebuy. There are all these other big tournaments for all the other games and most people don’t even play those other games.
KL: How do you like to play re-buy? Do you play fast and get in there and gamble?
Chad: Not in $1,000 re-buys or whatever. I like my thousands of dollars. I would rather keep them and not go in for them. If I have to gamble, though, I will.
KL: What are your future plans?
Chad: I’m going to keep playing. The $1,000 re-buy I got 50th in last year, that’s coming up. I want to play the $5,000 6-man, that’s like the best tournament left but it’s the day right after the 1k rebuy so you can’t play both. I am going to be playing most of the Bellagio Cup tournaments. My girlfriend is coming today and we are going to take a look at some houses out here. I’m just going to buy one off the bat for a year and see how everything goes for the next year and hopefully I can buy nicer!
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