Felipe Ramos: "Emotions Make Poker More Fun"
PokerStars Team Pro Felipe Ramos has enjoyed great success at PokerStars events in the past six months, cashing in tournaments in the Bahamas, London, Panama, Macau and Monte Carlo as well as his native Brazil.
Ramos now finds himself in Sochi at PokerStars' first event in the country. Currently playing in the National Championship, which attracted nearly 800 entrants, he spoke to PokerNews about his recent SCOOP exploits, playing with Russian poker-players, and how he's looking forward to seeing his favourite person of all-time in poker: Chris Moneymaker.
"I got here a couple of days ago," said Ramos, "It's my first time in Russia. I stayed in Moscow for two nights just to do some tourist stuff. It's an amazing place and I liked it very much. Then I flew to Sochi.
"It reminds me of south Brazil! It's a little cold and with the mountains and the pure air - I like it very much and it��s a very nice environment at the casino. There's been a good turnout for the National event which I��m playing right now."
The event is close to the money now, but the Brazilian is taking it one event at a time.
"I'm looking forward to winning this, and playing the main event next. Hopefully they'll be the only two things that I play. You always focus on the tournament you're playing, and the next event. That's my game plan.
"Obviously, if I bust then of course I'll have to check the schedule. You need to play a full schedule just to maximise your time at an event. I might play the PLO High Roller, although I might still be in the Main Event. If not I'll hop in like in Macau [where Ramos finished 3rd for $53,918]."
There is plenty of other fun activities for Ramos to enjoy away from the table, including karaoke, bungee jumping and the Stars player party. He's looking forward to enjoying them with some of his fellow PokerStars Team Pros.
"These events are the best. Whenever you play poker for a living you��ve got to make the most of this poker lifestyle. Two of my favourite people in the poker world are Liv Boeree and Igor Kurganov, and they're going to be here. It's always so much fun hanging out with them.
"And then, my favourite person of all time in poker is Chris Moneymaker. He��s just an unbelievably nice guy. We are going to go bungee jumping and I said to him ��Don��t worry Chris, I��m your friend. I'm going to give you a hand��
Ramos laughed as he mimed pushing someone in front of him.
"You know how us poker players know our pushing ranges!"
Cue more laughter from the Brazilian as he looked around the tournament floor.
"It��s a really nice atmosphere here. I like the Russians. They��re very passionate. I really appreciate that and I really think they're awesome. If everyone could love the game like they do, we would have such a better environment.
"I see people winning hands and cheering, I think that��s pretty cool. On Day 1 this guy was hitting rivers and giving me bad beats, hitting the table. He was apologising to me and I said to him: 'That��s fine, you gotta do what you feel like!'
"These emotions make poker more fun."
Having enjoyed playing SCOOP online while travelling the live circuit, Ramos is looking forward to travelling to Las Vegas for the World Series of Poker later this month.
"Sochi ends on the 31st, and on the 1st I fly to Vegas to start my WSOP grind. I always look forward to playing all the events I can while the WSOP is going on. I think there��s no point in playing the big ones, like the $100,000 event. There��s no point.
"I think there��s value in some of the events such. I��m looking to play wherever I��m a winner. So that��s how poker players need to think. I��m trying to become the first Brazilian in the GPI top ten. That would be really something."