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Somewhere amongst the jostling, pushing and hand to hand combat that is a European Poker Tour event on the Normandy Coast, Patrik Antonius wandered over to say hello to us during one of the breaks. The last time I’d seen Patrik was when he came second at the WPT Bellagio 5 Diamond event in December. Having seen off the likes of Doyle Brunson, JJ Lui and Phil Laak in a fascinating final that delivered all it promised, Patrik handled the post game interview with Mike Sexton and a cheque for $1,046,470 with the ease and grace of someone beyond his years. Like he knew it was coming... 
Having already cashed twice in the WPT (previously 12th and 15th), won the Scandinavian Open in August, placed second at the EPT in Barcelona (September) and winning the EPT event in Baden (October) the Bellagio result in December wasn’t a bad way to crown an already incredible year. 
On the way to winning in Baden - John Duthie looks on
One of Marcel’s protégés and a member of the Circle of Outlaws, Patrik is quickly making a name for himself and in a world that churns up and spits out many a one trick pony, this is one poker player who’ll be staying the distance. If there’s a poker equivalent to David Beckham…he’s currently it. What started out as a quick hello, turned into a chat and that chat turned into an interview…no script…no preparations…but plenty to talk about.
Patrik Antonius: Hi fellas, how is everything?
David Lloyd: Hey, how are you doing…we thought you were just staying in Las Vegas these days? What brought you back to little old Europe so soon?
Patrik (laughs): I need to go to Switzerland. I go back soon though, I need to be in LA on the 15th for a Card Player event, so I just came for one week.
David: What’s happening in Switzerland?
Patrik: I have a meeting with my Banker…I may take up citizenship there…I’m now resident in America but I need to sort out my tax position.
David: I was talking to Rehne Pedersen ($2 million winner of WPT 5 Diamond Event at Bellagio in December) earlier and he tells me that in Denmark he had to pay 60% of his win to the tax man…can’t even deduct flights and hotels! Was it as bad for you in Finland?
Patrik: In the Finland the tax is between 60% and 70%...it’s just crazy. These days I do not receive any of my prize money…it gets paid to my company and my company pays the taxes.
Stephen Bartley: What happened at Bellagio? It looked like you were going to win that one…
Patrik: Maybe, If I get lucky. It was pretty funny, but I got so many beats in that tournament. I was lucky in one pot, a 2 million pot - I was lucky. But I lost so many pots by being unlucky. I guess you get lucky because you’re good. If you get a result you have to be lucky, but I never hit anything. I played my best tournament ever. 
Sweated on the Bellagio Rail by Noah Boeken & Luca Pagano
David: Did you do a deal with Rehne (Pedersen) once you were head to head?
Patrik: No, I didn’t do anything with him. I don’t want to make deals. People fear you more!
When I saw my AK against his A4, and all the cards were running for me I went to say to the audience, ‘Give me some luck! I need luck!’ I knew that it was a coin flip for me. But when I saw that flop I was drawing dead! (laughs) 
With WPT new girl Courtney Friel...it's a hard life
David: How are you liking it over there?
Patrik: I moved in something like October or November. I like it there, I can do a lot of things and I’m enjoying my time there a lot.
David: Where do you play?
Patrik: I still play online most of the time because they don’t have live games for me. When I want to play live I play at least 1,000/2,000 and it’s very rare when they have games. I’ve played a few games 1,000/2,000 and Jennifer Harman is teaching me seven card stud because that’s kind of my weakest game now, and if I want to play the mixed game…
Stephen: You’re going to play THAT game?
Patrik: Yeah, I’m gonna play the game but it’s going to take a while, I don’t want to play before I’m ready for it. I’m gonna play – I would say it will take one year and then I’ll be really ready for it, but I’ll really play this year, maybe some of the time. There are so many things going round.
THAT game…it’s too big for me – I’m not ready! I don’t want to lose one million so I’m kind of playing mixed games more now, different games, to prepare myself and sometimes they have a smaller 1,000/2,000 and I’ll play.
David: Do you play mainly at Bellagio?
Patrik: Yeah…they have 800/1600 I like…It’s like playing online - 800/1600 is like 1,000/2,000 online, it’s fast.
David: Any short handed games?
Patrik: It’s like maximum eight players. Maybe five people. When the sixth player comes it changes the game though.
David: It all sounds good…
Patrik: I’m working out well, sleeping well, eating really well – I like it there.
David: It looks like you made a lot of friends over there. If you’re looking for someone to teach you seven card stud, Jennifer Harman is not a bad start.
Patrik: Yeah. She’s a really good instructor. I’ve been spending a lot of time with Marco Traniello and Jennifer. I know a lot of people. I don’t even have time for all those people I should kind of meet. A lot of friends have been coming over, Finland and all over, but I have to work so much and do my thing – I’ve been really busy lately. 
Marco (Jennifer Harman's old man) & Patrik
David: So you have an apartment over there now? Living in town. You’re not staying in a hotel?
Patrik: I got a house last July but I’m still remodelling it. It’s going to be ready in March or maybe April.
David: So we’ve got somewhere to stay when we come over?
Patrik (laughs): Yes! Yes! Absolutely!
David: What have you been up to over there?
We shot a TV commercial in Vegas and that’s going to be really nice. It’s going to be shown on MTV Nordic at least – we have four contracts for TV channels in Europe. Really good – we shot four days all day long – that’s why I couldn’t go to Atlantic City or Tunica.
David: Foxwoods in April?
Patrik: Yeah I think so. I don’t know my schedule. I have a ticket for Monte Carlo in March and I have to be there. I might have to go to Cannes, for the film festival. They want Martins poker there.
Stephen: It’s a hard life, isn’t it?
Patrik: I don’t like to travel, especially over the Atlantic. I’ve been travelling so much that I’m looking forward to having just one flight somewhere and play a tournament, not like two flights. I like it here in Europe. You can’t go any time over the Atlantic.
David: You’ve got a good record here from Barcelona on.
Patrik: I had a really sick run last year. I almost won everything else but the World Series. Scandinavian championship, EPT championship, almost the WPT. It’s been good.
How about the World Series this year – did you play many events last year?
Patrik: Yeah I nearly cashed in three tournaments – $5,000 no limit, $2,500 No Limit and the $5,000 PL. All hold’em. No, I didn’t cash in the 5k pot-limit but I cashed in, what’s the one? (Shrugs in a can’t remember way)
I made one of the biggest mistakes in the $5,000 tournament – I was leading after the first day and I ended up 27th. I was third in chips with 27 players left and I lost all my chips to the chip leader - I got a read on him, that he had a really good hand and I played my Ace-King so badly! I hit the king, he hit a set but I just put all in with him and I made mistakes in the hand. I didn’t raise enough pre-flop. But I keep learning by my mistakes – that’s how you get better! (laughs). 
$300-$600 - play money?
At that point the tournament re-started and we wished him luck…it didn’t help…even the best of young players need to hit cards from time to time and it wasn’t long before we had Patrik for company again, this time playing online $300-$600 Omaha with his friend Noah Boeken for company. They spent the next two days beside us, playing online, an audience of seemingly never less than a dozen crowded round the screens…What was always apparent was the fun they were having doing it, with smiles on the go whether winning or losing…not a bad way to look out on the world. Photographs by David Lloyd
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