With the help of his poker-playing friends, including Fedor Holz, Koray Aldemir now has more than $7m in live tournament earnings. Koray Aldemir is part of poker’s most talked-about group: a bunch of young Germans who swap strategy tips and stake each other in high-roller poker tournaments. Their unofficial leader is Fedor Holz, with $23m in live tournament earnings to his name, but Koray Aldemir is not doing so badly with more than $7 million!
When did you start playing poker?
Koray Aldemir: The first time was at New Year’s Eve, l think 10 years ago: 2007 l think, was it? Yeah. I played at a friend’s place, l didn’t know the rules, l didn’t know anything, but l somehow won – because the others were bad as well, l assume! And yeah, l won and liked the game and started playing a couple more times. Won a couple more times again and yeah, l started playing more and more. That’s how l got into it.
How did you improve your play?
Koray Aldemir: I always had friends that played poker and we talked strategy and some of them were, like, a little bit better than me which is always the best thing, so l could learn from them and improve and ask them if l was unsure about certain things. And yeah, that’s how l got better.
What do you like about poker?
Koray Aldemir: l like games in general. l like the challenge, l like competing with others. But poker l like that it has different aspects: it has psychology, it has math, strategy. Yeah, also getting to know people if you play live. It’s a very nice combination of things.
What are your greatest moments in poker?
Koray Aldemir: It was probably my first bigger win, or it wasn’t even actually a win, it was a second place in the Summer Solstice WSOP event last year. So a very large field, $1,500 buy-in, and l got second for, what, $300,000 l think. It was my first bigger win and the beginning of a good run. Two weeks later l got third in the One Drop which is the first very, very big buy-in that l played. So that was very big as well. A couple of months later in Manila, there was a Triton which was my first major victory. That was a pretty nice one as well.
What advice would you give to your younger self?
Koray Aldemir: l should have started much earlier to watch videos, do strategy online, to talk with friends. At first l thought l was doing everything right and didn’t listen to others. And yeah, if l had started earlier then l would have been more successful much earlier, l think.
What strategy advice would you give to a beginner?
Koray Aldemir: Don’t fall in love with your pre-flop hands if the board changes. Like Aces, Ace-King, if there’s a straight or flush on the board it’s just not good anymore. But also don’t be too tight if you get shorter, if you only have like 10 big binds, you can’t just always wait for a premium hand. You just have to go for it sometimes!
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