‘’Relive The Moment’’ with Eirik Kristiansen: I like to have fun
It is said that those who live without the past live without the future. Therefore, today, on the day when the new year has lasted two days, it is appropriate to remember the events that happened before.
In our "Relive The Moment" series of memories, we are taking you back to June 2022, where Eirik Kristiansen managed to beat a field of 552 entrants and won the Main Event for a nice payday of 56,100! For many players such a result is life-changing, and due to this, we are trying to give you an insight of what such a victory does to a poker player. We catch up with our Norwegian winner of The Festival Series Tallinn.
The Festival (TF): Hi Eirik, congrats again on your win! And thanks for contributing here. How would you describe your overall experience of The Festival Series in Tallinn?
- Eirik: Winning the Main Event in Tallinn was my best live tournament result so far, and my experience with the event was phenomenal from start to finish. Considering I finished it on such a high-note, I might have some emotional bias, but it truly was a great event. I love the game of poker and playing poker with such a wide variety of people, from so many different parts of the world is really awesome. There were a lot of memorable moments during The Festival, and naturally winning the ME was the highlight of it all.
TF: By checking your live results a bit on the internet, this was your biggest 'registered' cash prize won. After the main event you had a couple more cashes. How did the win change your life, if at all?
- Eirik: The win in Tallinn is indeed my biggest live tournament cash prize. I have however played mostly online, with the exception of the Norwegian National Championship of Poker, which I have attended for more than a decade. My win in Tallinn has not really changed anything in my life or my approach to the game, but it did feel like a long overdue live tournament win. Instead of playing a lot of poker, I enjoy studying the game through game theory and solvers. This has profoundly enhanced my game in the last year or so. I finished 10th in the ME in Norway shortly after The Festival Series in Tallinn and ran otherworldly bad when we were at the FT bubble, but that is how poker is sometimes. The Festival Series in Bratislava was next in line, and I busted right before the money there in the ME, but still broke even on the trip.
TF: If you would have to describe yourself as a poker player then who do you consider yourself to be?Recreational/semi pro/pro player?
- Eirik: I am definitely a recreational player, but that does not mean that I have not spent a lot of time studying the game. Rarely do I have time to play online poker anymore, but I do sit down with the solvers several times per week. Live tournaments are what I enjoy first and foremost, but also high stakes live cash games. If I enter a game to win, then I will always have 100% focus on the game and my opponents, but I am also known to punt when I am not taking the game too seriously. So, in a friendly environment, especially in cash games, I like to have fun and gamble. There is sadly not that much time for me to play poker anymore, considering that I run several companies, but I might go back to playing more when I eventually retire.
TF: Are we going to see you during our next festival series in Nottingham (UK)? Or in sunny Malta in May?
- Eirik: If my hectic schedule allows me to fit in The Festival in Nottingham, then I will surely fly over to play some poker. Also, I am living in Malta, so there will be no chance that I will miss that event at least! I recommend everyone that has the opportunity to attend The Festival Series either in Nottingham or Malta, and I am looking forward to seeing everyone again very soon.
If you also want to join us at our next festivals, then don't forget to visit the online satellites section. For $1 or €25, it's definitely much nicer to win an ME or why not a whole package than to pay full price for everything.
We also wish everyone a Happy New Year and better cards for the poker rivers.
