Cliff Josephy (JohnnyBax) Interview with Poker News Daily

Poker News Daily: In many people’s eyes, you’re the top online poker player in the world. Is respect from your peers important to you?

Josephy: In anything you do, respect is important. I don’t know that people think I’m the top online poker player in the world, but respect is good.

PND: Of all of your accomplishments, what’s been the highlight of your poker career?

Josephy: Being able to win a World Series of Poker (WSOP) bracelet in Stud was pretty cool. That would have to be it. I just like to go out there and play.

PND: How did you get started playing poker?

Josephy: I played in high school just a couple of times and in college just a couple of times. I played in games with all sorts of variations. I played in a home game that was more serious and for more money. I was certainly one of the fish in the game. I was earning a good amount of money in the stock market and just didn’t care about the money. I was the guy who I now love to have at the poker table with me: I had a lot of money and didn’t care about it. I made the transition when I found out about online poker and decided to take it seriously.

PND: How big of a leap was it from recreational poker to taking it seriously? How long did it take?

Josephy: I think I made three deposits and then there was no looking back after that. It didn’t take too long.

PND: You’re an instructor for PokerXFactor, a major poker training site. Describe how you became involved with PokerXFactor and the challenges of your role there.

Josephy: Scott “mindwise” Pendergrast had the idea for PokerXFactor. He approached me and I wasn’t sure if I wanted to do it or not. I wasn’t sure if I wanted to teach everyone how to play. I was very concerned that my income would go down significantly and that the income I would gather from the site would not be enough to offset what I would lose.

What I like about the site is that I get a lot of satisfaction from people who thank me on a daily basis for helping them out. I also get a smoother income stream. More importantly, I can spend time with my kids and family because I don’t have to play poker all day long. I put in the time, make my videos, and then the money comes in.

PND: You’re friends and work with Eric “sheets” Haber. What can you tell us about his game and his influence on poker?

Josephy: Eric and I go back to somewhere around 2002. A reporter put us in touch because he knew we lived near each other. He was starting a hedge fund and I was creating research for hedge funds as a stock broker. I found out that he played poker, so I spoke to him about it and he started to teach me right away. He was a phenomenal teacher and really helped me a lot.

His game has gotten so much better since then. He is an incredible student of the game. He never wants to stop learning. He never wants to stop talking about hands. He’s truly insatiable and that’s why his results have gotten so much better lately. He refuses to let anybody catch up or not stay ahead of the curve. He makes sure he learns more than everyone else and that’s what I love about him.

PND: What advice do you have for newcomers just getting started in poker?

Josephy: If you’re there to make money, you have to treat it as a job and you have to work hard. There are a lot of learning tools out there. There’s PokerXFactor and a lot of books to help your game. I sat in a card room for years and was a donator because I didn’t care. Once you start to care, there are a lot of learning tools available. It’s not a game where everyone can win; there have to be some losers, but if you’re one of the guys who are taking the time to read this, then you’re more interested in the game than just going and playing.