Interview with MOCA CHOCA89

How you discover poker?

Well when I was 16/17 I was going out drinking and hanging around a lot not much to do when you are young and not much money. I had a group of peers with big egos and we didn't like to back down from other groups when they started fights, where I'm from you can't show much weakness. This lead to a serious incident when a gang of thugs jumped my friend when was meant to be a 1/1 and held me and my friends off with knives, they ended up killing my friend that night in front of my eyes. This to me exploded something inside as you can imagine. I went through the next year with nothing to lose and really not giving a shit about anyone and the never back down mentality really became part of my nature. I really felt I had something to prove to the people who were friends and family with my friend. I then one night got involved pretty badly in a fight with an older group where I ended up in hospital nearly losing my life after an artery split and I lost a lot of blood, doctors said I had half an hour of bleeding left in me.

I came out of the situation a new man. I really seeked a better life for myself from this day forth. I promised never to put my mother or myself or other people through such physical and mental pain again.

My friend who wasn't egotistical and never got into fights introduced us all to the game of poker. My other friends chose the gym but as I couldn't go to the gym due to still recovering I chose the local poker room to use up my spare time. I found no violence, just a lot of weak ego's and people that showed no threat to my physical state. My ego found rest in this envirornment. I fell in love and knew it was a positive thing for my life.

WOW, what a story! In UK you can go to the casinos from 18years, right?

Yeah.

How long did you play live before discovering online poker?

Well the card room I played in had computers you could play online. I found online poker pretty much straight away, actually my first day playing online I won $2 180man out right.

I remember a lot of aggression and playing pretty much every hand towards the end while everyone else just folded and let me take all the pots down, I was such a noob clicking buttons, but it worked.

How long did it take to discover husngs and to play them regularly?

Well I studied 9man strategy first from' Beanmos' videos on Sharkscope and was instantly over night a consistant  9man sng crusher! And then moved to 45mans and 90mans using 'Pimpindonks' video when the 9mans dried up a bit, I busted my small 4figure rolls twice to husng's and then decided 'ok there must be a sit out there that coaches HU' and then I found it, it was probably over a year into my poker experience I found HUsng.com and literally again over night of just buying the video pack that had a couple of croixdawg's videos, a hokiegreg video, a xscwx video and a rypac video. I used to watch them over n over all day all night until I decided to sign up for a full membership. I really imitated croixdawg at deep stacks and hokie and xscwx at the more shallow stacks

Who was best husng players back then when you started?

Well I have never ever been a fan boy of poker. I literally always just got on with playing and if you were't in my circles I probably didn't know about you. But obviously adonis and skilled sox stood out because of the Sharkscope leaderboards so can be safe to say that they were, a lot of people rated skates highly. When Merseneary started coaching I believed him to be one of the best also, but like I said I only knew about what I exposed myself to which was mainly on husng.com at the time. Flippetyflop was the one person in my circle I felt was at a high high level before his time but guess the rest of the world wouldn't have known about either of us at these times. We spoke strat 247 back in those days.

Tell me your main weaknesses which you successfully eliminated from your game?

I was an in position player when I used to play normal speed games, I mean it was so optimal to be a nit oop and play everything in position against the fish up to $100 games. I really worked hard on my oop game when stacks got shallower and stakes got higher and players ranges got wider. Also I have to say I pay of the river wayyy to much, still a leak I am working on, I guess you can call me a POW (pay off wizard)

How would you describe your game? What is your competetive advantage against the field?

I am an intuitive player with a good understanding of math. My main strength against the field is really adapting in the moment and staying with the flow of the game.

What poker advices you would give to a  new players who are dreaming to reach high stakes?

I would say which ever given style of poker you choose there is a lot of information out there. Remember that your brain is a sponge and will take in information, when it is new information it will be dominant and can reject opposing information so for this reason research any coaches results and their credability in the game before spending time to listen to their theories. Always play with good bankroll management, you shouldn't ever have any stress if you always play in you bankroll. If you do feel stress from a loosing session and it is making you play bad it probably means you are not playing within your bankroll. Being aggressive with bankrolls isn't optimal anymore, it used to be when the games were weak but in this tuff field you must be over rolled opposed to underrolled. Patience is a major part of the game, your shining days will come and go and come again if you work hard enough it will be a cycle. Don't ball out when you start making money, it's cool in the moment, but you really do need the bankroll to make it into the highest stakes.

With how many buy-ins you would recommend to go into a higher limits?

It is really different for different players and their win rates. I would always say <1% risks is a good way to live at the lower stakes and at the higher stakes <.5% is a good way to live. Make sure you keep money aside from poker too, it is important to have savings you don't play with and don't consider poker money.

What’s your opinion about balancing poker with other live activities and how you do that?

I am not the best to answer this question as I am a bit of a fish with structure. I haven't had structure since the day poker came into my life. I kinda just live in the moment and if I desire doing something else I will. But I just play when I get to a computer and shut off poker when I am not. I really am not a balanced person though. Maybe one day when I settle somewhere for long enough I will create a balance and some structure, but for now I eat when I'm hungry, I sleep when I crash and while waiting for games I work on any other projects I am involved in. Major multi tasker.

Who are your best poker friends? What did you learn from them?

Well 1stly Millz_uk has been my most loyal brother since the day I met him. When I met him he was 25 working in a shop and said to me 'you can make money in poker? I want in' I replied 'bro every1 thinks that but it's a life choice of dedication and a lot of work, it's not that simple' he said 'I will do anything it takes' I replied 'ok, I will show u where to get ur information, I won't waste any time I will just point you in the direction I learned in, if you do that and listen to everything I say even if it goes against what you think is right you will make money' he deposited $50 and  with my guidance to this day has been consistant winner ever sense and now sits comfortably at the $200 stakes.

Out side of him I have to shout out my brothers Flippetyflop, Scott Shelly, Rocmar87, Rainmanrja, Giabest, campbell-gee my closest alies in war and life Gifted08, Chadders n v2the3.

And really big shout out to a man who is more like an uncle to me than anything, a man who has guided me through bad times in poker and in life and man who has my back which ever avenue I go down. Mr Cog Dis. Any1 who wants coaching in this game and at a steal of a rate, look no further than this man.

How long did you play turbos before discovering hypers? Did you start grind hypers right away when they were offered?

I never really played turbos until I started playing the $2k ones and the odd $5k one back in 2012. I moved straight from normal speeds to hypers, I pretty much was one of the first full time players on them, Serkules was a close friend and he crushed them for a few months before I decided to make the switch full time following his massive success. We used to meet up in cool locations and talk strat and just crush!

From 2011 till 2012 you were a huge winner. However Your highest profit point was almost 2 years ago and you are down about $120,000 from it. What happened?

I am near my peak now when you add in the rake back for being SNE 2 years in a row also, but I would say there is a lot more regs and I have edge on 95% of the ones I have played so I just play them for the marginal edge and the rb bonus.

Are you sharing with all $500 regs? How about $1k games? Who are sitting you in those?

I share with people who I don't have clear edge on over very large sample and the people I have had respect for from a long time. Let's not get too politcal here.

Do you play any turbos or non-turbos these days?

Nah strickly hu hypers, it's clearly my best game, guess when I get more money than sense I start playing other games for fun, but I am only playing hu hypers these days.

Do you remember your most profitable session?

I remember coming second in an mtt back on full tilt days where I won $55k I think that is still to this day my most profitiable day. I was very calm and collective as my brother jumped around the room. I went into my mum and told her what had happened and then shed a lil tear when I went to sleep that night. It was the most proud moment for me even though I came second, it was a cooler.

Do you use hud? Is it possible to win in a long run - in husngs hypers - without it?

I never used a hud, I still don't, I review sometimes but I play in the moment and adapt in the moment. I am learning to use a hud now as I am giving away edges vs fish when I am playing multiple games vs different fish. I believe hud's can damage the memory and people become very co-dependand on them and I have beaten all the regs with out using one. I do have all my hands though so I know ev

Olivier Busquet once told me that he is also not using hud. It was like year ago.

Yeah I think they have their pros and cons, let's just say I now have it running but will only refer to them in certain spots, I will never be co-dependant on them

How do you handle stress which comes with poker?

I generally handle it really good, but I do have my moments when I am taking big downswings where I can be a bit of a tilt tard. But it is really rare, when I am 247 grinding nothing is stressful, I just put on my music and take what ver the game throws at me. I guess it mainly gets stressful when I take small breaks and I come back to loosing session after losing session. But I am on the 247 grind atm so loving poker right now :D

Could you comment your recent downswing? How do you feel mentally after it? You was the biggest winner in this january (+60k) but now your 2014 balance is -15k~

I was silly to play in some of the games I played in and in the mindset I was in. How can I be anything but happy when nothing has really changed, I am even for the year and it's only 2.5months in. I really am not a result orientated person. I am sooooo confident in my hyper game and my mindset is very focused at the moment. I really feel good right now.

So you are basically playing all day long now? Do you have any strategy or specific tips how to stay fresh and sharp for as long as possible?

Good music and NO GIRLS around when on the grind. I have to be very clear on this, I have only ever had big downswings when a female is present in my life. I will only settle down when I am done with this game. Until then, playa 4 life mentality goes ;) or a woman who can understand what focus means and doesn't ask you every minute 'how's it going?' Anyone know any? If so hook a brother up :D

Do you remember the longest session you play?

34hours 2 breaks lasting maybe 2hours each

What do you buy with your fpps?

I always cash the $1,6k bonus, but used to buy into some tournaments with them

Tell me something about your travels.

I have many interesting stories, I guess one fun one I will share was near the beginning of my travels. I went to visit Niceiq25 at his home in Romania along with Serkules, Wowkka and Jacktheshipper. It was the first night and we got some table service in a bar, we drank bottle after bottle, I was drinking straight from the bottle, I was chatting up many girls which was just a blurr to me, then going home (I don't remember this at all) I was smashing phone's up in phone boxes and saying 'look how weak the phones are here in Romania' then I got home and in his building (again I don't remember this) I started pulling all his neighbours flowers out of their flower pots. Then I got on the grind, I can't say I was conscious for the beginning of it, but Serkules and myself sat next to each other grinding until early afternoon times the next day through which I sobered up very much so, I remember winning around $18k that night and Serkules the same.

Which country is your favorite and why?

My favorite place has to be Huntington Beach California. I went there to visit Jyg4me before the American market crashed. I guess the reason it is my favorite apart from the wonderful beaches/ scenary and good weed but the people I was introduced there have really embraced my presence and really made me feel at home there. Shout out the Cali Family!

What is the biggest amount which you spend on a party?

It was after moving to Pokerstars and turning my $2k deposite into $160k in 5weeks, I went to Vegas with all the boys I grew up with. I fronted the first few bottles and they chipped in some after, the bill came to $8k. Was a baller Cobana/room with the Jacuzzi in front of it, we had 8 girls to 7 guys, of course I tried to be a hero and made out with two of them which didn't end up being a good idea because they ended up arguing and cock blocked myself totally.

I really don't drink much anymore, Actually last year I took a prop bet to stop drinking for a year which I made it 10months in and then my friend agreed to call it even when I was going to meet a woman who I definatly wanted to party with. I am now trying to stick to 5beers maximum but Gifted08 is visiting me here in Bali next week so will probably have a big blow out with him one night because he likes to party hard!

Do you believe that we only live once? Or at least do you think we should live according to this saying?

We live every day we only die once!

My last girlfriend said it to me when I said yolo to her haha. I liked it a lot.

What are your goals for 2014? Both poker and non poker related?

I am in the process of building villa's here in Bali. The project includes 3 villas the other investor is Gifted08. To have the 1st one built and the other two on the way to being built would be a great goal accomplished. To make some sales by the end of the year would be a great accomplishment.

My clothing brand is dropping it's 2nd drop in the next month, to market that and to make a good profit and some more brand awareness is my 2nd goal. Check out www.whynotcollective.com for more information.

To advance as an artist is my 3rd goal.

In poker I want to make profit and achieve supernova elite and maintain ev on shot takers.