1. Melanie, you had a great WSOP for the third year running--including an impressive run in the main event.  How did it feel to go deep?

It was really cool as you can probably imagine--going deep in any major live event is always exciting but this one is something on another level, it's very special and incredible and the tension is palpable at the tables, there's really no other poker event in the world like it. Each day was pretty exhilarating to be honest, since I have actually never made it past the first few levels of day 2 in the past. It was cool to be a part of the broadcast, and it felt great to be able to execute some good play on TV and handle the pressure with grace.



2. Tell us about some of your memorable hands/moments.

Two of them are the hands from the analysis, which made TV and which I'm pretty proud of, for different reasons which I'll go into depth in there. I got to play with Ronnie Bardah a lot on day 3, who is very gregarious, and him and I really had a lot of fun playing together at the TV table. The best moments were stacking giant pots--having such huge towers of chips in the main was incredible.



3. How did you end up going out of the main? Did you have any memorable moments in the other tourneys you cashed?

I ended up getting into an unfortunate sort-of-cooler spot  for a sizable amount of my stack that I maybe could have gotten away from on the river, and then I elected to flat AA 20bb deep vs a specific player who was opening far too wide to make jamming profitable. Unluckily for me, he flopped 2 pair with Q5 and that was the end of my tournament :( I had some great times in other events too, specifically the heads-up, where I had a super fun time playing Chino Reem. He's always unpredictable and we ended up playing a crazy hand where he ran a huge bluff in a spot where I couldn't exactly figure out what he was doing, and I told him what I had and he said I shouldn't fold it, so I didn't :P



4. What poker rooms do you play on these days? Are you playing live? Online?

I've been playing a bit on Stars/Tilt/Party online, but I'm playing more live and being a bit more selective about the live events I play this year as I've been going nonstop on tour for four years now. This part of the year is gonna be a bit of a breather for me as I take more time to fulfill some passions outside of poker, and hopefully a good reset for my drive and energy, not to mention the launching of legalized poker in the US, will make for a great WSOP 2014 and beyond.



5. You're a pole vaulter! Tell us about that.

One of the greatest things about poker playing is the wealth of freedom with regards to your schedule. You can basically work poker in around any hobby or passion or pursuit outside of it, and this year I really decided to take advantage of that. I saw the Olympics live in London in 2012 and really loved the women's pole vault final. I had always loved the sport but seeing it in this arena cinched it for me---I had to do it! So I found coaches who trained at universities where I was traveling, and spent three months in Melbourne last year training six days a week with Melbourne University and competing in some beginner stuff. Pole vaulting is like poker in a way---you can do it everywhere you travel, as it's a small community and training squads always welcome people to come jump with them, no matter your level. I've now trained in Australia, Scotland, and the US in several places. Hopefully I'll be able to do something cool with it and compete at a higher level in a couple years. It's a lot of work but it's incredibly fun and a great way to keep fit while partaking in my other passion-- great culinary adventures around the world.

6. Any great food adventures lately?

I actually went to an incredible place in Johannesburg recently called Cube Tasting Room. It was a strange little place--it was divided into 2 restaurants, and didn't have a beer/wine license so one of the waiters ran to a liquor store to get us some wine! But it was the most unbelievable food journey, and one of the top places I've ever been to. They have a seasonally changing, 12-course menu that is just absolutely stunning, from visual artistry to unexpectedly fabulous flavor combinations. Anyone going there for poker needs to make sure they get there!



7. You were a figurehead for the World Poker Tour in South Africa last month, and some of your pictures from the tour made a big splash online. What was it like there?

It was great to work with the WPT in this tour stop, as South Africa is an adventurer's dream. I loved being able to bring publicity to an incredible event that is in one of the greatest countries I've ever traveled to. There are so many incredible things to do there (and the poker is fantastic!) Cape Town is the most scenically breathtaking city I've ever been to, and anyone who hasn't been on a safari needs to make sure they get to the WPTSA next November. Being on a safari is a transcendent experience and will absolutely change your life.



8. It's been a tough couple of years for many players in the community, post Black Friday and amidst the battle for regulated poker and pros relocating. What has your journey been like in this regard?

There's no question about it, Black Friday was a game changer for everyone, and the entire community suffered in one way or another. I was definitely hurt by it, as I was really in a great position with Full Tilt and had just signed a lease on a place in New York two weeks before it happened, so relocating was tough for me. I ended up getting a place in Canada and touring non-stop, just at the time that I had decided to play more online and not tour so much! It's a good thing that one of the most integral skills for poker is adaptation, and I definitely had to do a lot of that. It's been tough not being able to play at home or live in the US, but I've also had some great opportunities for travel and had a phenomenal time living in Australia temporarily. As far as the future goes, we've witnessed many problems in the unregulated territory, and I am in full support of regulation---the sooner the better! New Jersey is a big step in the right direction, and hopefully we get to a point where it becomes workable for states to be able to all play with eachother on the same network. I believe this is very important for a much-needed influx of enthusiastic amateur players in the economy, as the games are pretty dry at the moment.



9. What are your goals for 2014, both in poker and in life?

This year I'd like to really be diligent in my work ethic, both on and off the table. Sometimes when you play poker for too long, you start getting a bit lazy about things because the lifestyle is so non-structured, and I'd definitely like to reel that all in and get a bit more disciplined this year, from setting time aside for specific game study as well as structuring plans for non-poker things I want to get better at. I have a good idea of where I'd like to be game-wise and some goals with regards to my vaulting and getting back into some music and acting things that I put to the side the last four years, so my real challenge is to create a good gameplan for the year and stick to it with some discipline!

10. Since you started making a name for yourself five years ago, there's been a noticeable increase in female interest in poker. Do you think that the success/ popularity of players like yourself, and other female pros, have influenced female interest in the game?

I really hope so. There's a great group of women in poker right now who have accomplished a lot in recent years and established themselves to be as high a caliber of contender as the greatest male players, and I'm incredibly proud to be a part of it. I know that we all want to pave the way for other smart women to enter the poker arena, and putting our money where our mouths are--putting up results and battling against the best, really does that. Being able to represent and inspire other women to play and go for success in the game is definitely a highlight of the journey.



11. Anything exciting happening in the near future in your life?

I do have some exciting ventures in the near future, but nothing is set in stone yet so you guys will have to wait for my news :)



12. What is some advice you'd like to give to today's players based on your experience this last year in poker?

I'd say it's really important to listen to yourself and be able to be in tune with how well you're playing at any given time,  and take notice of what situational or emotional factors dictate that.You shouldn't force yourself to play long sessions when you aren't feeling it, or travel to events because you feel like you can't miss a tournament. Sure, lots of tournaments or particularly juicy games  seem "unmissable" and we don't want to turn down value, but the real value you're losing is if you're not playing your A game. I've learned a lot about my mindset this year and the most important thing is to walk away from any tournament, any session, any hand really, knowing that you played to the utmost of your capability, and to learn how to make sure you do put yourself in a position to do that every time you play. If you can do that, you can truly have no regrets.