13
The Rich Get Richer
Perhaps trying to gain a monopoly on the brightest minds in the game, Full Tilt keeps adding poker stars to its already talent-laden roster. One of the latest additions to the team is Eric “E-Fro” Froelich, who leapt from the realm of online poker onto the poker world’s greatest stage at last year’s World Series by winning the $1,500 Limit Hold’em event. His Full Tilt jersey bears the number 18, which represents good luck (literally “chai” or “life”) in Hebrew. While many of his colleagues were out on the tournament floor playing for the $50,000 HORSE bracelet, E-Fro was relaxing in the Full Tilt lounge.
SR: When did you sign on with Full Tilt?
EF: Right before the World Series. I was really hoping to join Full Tilt. It was my first choice. They’ve got the best players, and the way they do everything is so much better than all the other sites. So far I’ve been really happy with it.
SR: How many events are you going to play this year?
EF: I have a pretty set schedule: it’s every day. Although I didn’t play the HORSE day, and there was the one day where there was just the stud event, and I’m not that into stud. I needed the off day anyway. The next two weeks straight I should be in there every day.
SR: What’s your best finish so far this year?
EF: Two cashes. I finished like 40th in the $2,500 no-limit and I cashed in the first event too, finishing like 90th or something.
I’ve been a little card dead. I’ve gotten dealt about 5,000 hands. I’ve made it to Level 10 in half the tournaments I’ve played. I’ve gotten dealt aces twice, kings twice, jacks three times, and queens four times. I should have gotten each of them twenty-something times so it’s been a bit of a struggle. I’ve had to really work to earn my pots. And I’m running dead in coin flips, so it’s been hard. But it’s been a decent start to the World Series. I’m hoping to do a little better in some of the later events. I’m going to be playing in the next twelve so… hopefully.
SR: How did it feel to win a bracelet last year?
EF: It was kind of a surreal experience. They made it really rough. The format’s gotten a lot better. Last year they made us come in at noon and we played until about 3:30 in the morning and then we had to come back the next day at noon again and then they made us play out the final table that night until 5:00 am. It was really grueling. This year it’s so much better. You get a day before the final table AND you don’t have to come back until 2:00 pm AND you don’t have to play until three in the morning. By the time it was over last year, I couldn’t even think straight.
