Póker Fórum Archívum > English topics > The Well - Andrew Brokos aka "foucault82"

The Well - Andrew Brokos aka "foucault82"

In our recent player profile article you could get to know Andrew a bit, but we are sure you still have many questions for him. We asked him whether he'd like a "The Well" forum topic, and he gladly said yes. So shoot your questions!

Andrew Brokos blog on Pokerakademia

Andrew Brokos original blog

Hi all. Thanks for having me as a guest on your forum. I've never been to Hungary, but I have a poker playing friend from Hungary with whom I shared a room at PCA and spent a few days traveling with him around the Baltimore/Washington DC area where I grew up. So that's about the extent of my experience with Hungary, though he's convinced me that it's a beautiful place I ought to visit soon!

Just to clarify, I'm no longer a member of Team Online - it was a great experience, but I decided to leave at the end of 2011 because I didn't want to commit to spending so much time outside of the US to be able to play on PokerStars. At the moment I'm mostly playing live cash games plus the occasional tournament series, either live or online (I left the country to play the WCOOP and will probably do the same for SCOOP). I also do a lot of writing for Two Plus Two Magazine, Card Player, and my own blog, and I co-host the Thinking Poker Podcast.

Some of that information might be in the profile linked above, I'm not sure - my Hungarian isn't too good ;-)

OK fire away!

expected time of poker legalization in the US? :)

your opinion about the asian markets? a lot of asian will grind from the lowest stakes for living or a new gold age coming?

expected time of poker legalization in the US? :)

your opinion about the asian markets? a lot of asian will grind from the lowest stakes for living or a new gold age coming?

Can't say I have a lot of insight into either of these points. Seems like the US market is pretty much guaranteed at this point to start off on a patchwork, state-by-state basis. Eventually this will probably lead to something happening at the federal level, but my (uneducated) guess is that this will take a lot longer than most people are predicting. I don't know what to expect from the state-by-state thing, probably it will be a lot better for the casinos running the sites than for the players.

I don't even know enough about the Asian market to speculate that much, I'm afraid.

Sorry I don't have better answers for you!

What advice would you give to a beginner?

What advice would you give to a beginner?

Have fun! Never play so many tables that you can't think through your decisions - this is how you get better. Try to be aware of why you're doing what you're doing rather than just following rules you read somewhere. Consider alternatives and don't be afraid to try new things. Even if they don't work, you learn by trying. This is why it's important to be bankrolled for the games you're playing, so that you don't feel afraid to make mistakes. Have fun!

Hi, What kinda brm would you suggest for a low stakes online grinder (nlhe 6m cash)?

What would you suggest for a winning ssnl player to beat msnl? What's your opinion about main differences between these games?

Hi, What kinda brm would you suggest for a low stakes online grinder (nlhe 6m cash)?

I think 30 buyins is a decent rule of thumb, but I'm not really basing that on anything. You can afford to be less conservative if your bankroll isn't all your money in the world. Like if poker is a part-time thing for you and you have another job, such that it's possible to replenish your bankroll if needed, you can be more aggressive than that at small stakes. Once you're at a point where you couldn't easily cover an uncommonly large loss from non-poker income, though, you'd have to get more cautious with your poker funds.

Hi Andrew, thanks for doing the well for us, highly appreciated.

In Hungary live play is very immature, only low stakes available and players struggle to make a living from it. Online seems to be much more easy to deal with.
Online vs live poker - which would you prefer and why? (let's assume online poker is legalised in the US :) )


To be a poker player in Hungary is hardly accepted profession by the society. Most of the time the lifestyle of the players is strengthen the prejudices.
How important do you think is the balance between poker and life for a professional player?
What are your plans in poker and in your personal life for 2013?
What about in the next 5 years?


The poker boom is definitely over in Hungary but there are lots of players in the country who still would like to learn the game and try to earn some money.
What would be your top 3 advice for a recreational player who wants to make a living from poker?