Ylon Schwartz Critiques the 100 Day WSOP Main Event Break

Ylon Schwartz is a member of the World Series of Poker November Nine, the players at the Main Event final table. He is passionate about the fact that the conclusion of the tournament should not have been postponed and now finds himself in the middle of the fray, holding the fifth largest chip stack when play resumes.

Poker News Daily: What have the past 100 days been like for you?

Schwartz: Miserable. There have been a lot of things going on. I’ve had people calling me and asking tons of questions. I’ve had friends trying to borrow extra cheese. I’ve had railbirds on my tail.

PND: From a player’s perspective, describe the feeling of being down to the final nine only to have to wait four months to determine the outcome.

Schwartz: It’s very bad. It ruins the integrity of the tournament. The purity of old-time Las Vegas is gone. The antiquity and purity of the tournament have been liquidated into pure greed and capitalism. The beauty of poker is that no matter how greedy people get, though, it still maintains its artistic and psychological values. It’s a beautiful game and you have to use your memory. Your soul comes into play and you have to live well away from the table. If you have no empathy and are shrouded in darkness, then you’ll never win.

PND: By “greed,” do you mean ESPN and Harrah’s deciding to pause the tournament for four months?

Schwartz: You don’t make the body grow by pulling a move like this. You get it to grow by making people who aren’t interested in poker interested in it. They’re trying to say that the break allows for the public to get to know the players. I got involved in poker because of the underground. I didn’t want to have a day job or be a part of the mainstream. Poker was a great opportunity to make a living. I don’t need to be Scott Baio.

PND: What has stood out to you the most watching the tournament unfold on ESPN?

Schwartz: Everybody seemed to play well. They’re all nice guys and we’ve actually spent some time together. I haven’t seen anything out of the ordinary that would give me a lane into their thinking. The final table is a completely separate tournament anyway. Everything will be completely different. I can’t say that anything I see now will give me a window into their thought process when we resume.

PND: Talk about your chip stack size, which is the fifth largest at the final table.

Schwartz: It’s nice to have more chips and some flexibility. Nobody is in any danger. The seating assignments haven’t been released yet, but if all of the big stacks are sitting next to each other, any critical hand could get someone broke. We’re all deep and the levels are long. I expect a long session, but it’s poker; anything could happen.

PND: Do you plan to alter your strategy headed into the final table?

Schwartz: I’ll make some minor adjustments. You can’t change who you are in three months. I would adjust for a deep-stack sit and go tournament, which requires a different style. I have to see how my opponents are playing. Are they going to sit back and relax or come out swinging? Poker is adjusting to the moment.

PND: Talk about how you’ve played since the end of the Main Event.

Schwartz: I’ve played in tournaments and done well, going deep a few times since the break. Once you program your mind to get ready for something, though, it’s difficult to play regular poker. This is it. This is the Big Kahuna. You take this one down and you’re the man. Nobody can ever say anything to you again about poker.

PND: Talk about your relationship with PokerStars, the world’s largest online poker room.

Schwartz: I love PokerStars. I will represent them for a while and then probably retire. After all, I’ve been gambling for about 20 years. PokerStars had an option where you could wear their gear and they’d give you $1,000 and I took it before the tournament started. I’m very happy with them. Everyone I’ve met has been very cool.