Three final tables with Ylon Schwartz
I do not pretend to understand what makes Ylon Schwartz tick, and anyone who claims to get him can just take a spot over in line #3 at the Liar Store. Some people have called him “spooky.” Others say “peculiar.” I think it’s safe to just call him “good” and leave it at that.
It’s hard to know exactly when Schwartz is having some fun with you and when he’s completely serious. That’s likely what makes his poker game so good. For instance, recently when asked about his new Team Pokerstars Pro signing, Schwartz quipped, “When I’m too lazy to get up and look in the mirror, I can just log on to PokerStars and look at my face in the lobby. Then I say ‘Goodnight, Ylon’ and go to sleep.”
No matter whether he’s joking off the table, his time at the table is almost exclusively unspoiled by silliness. Take for instance his performance in the Sunday majors at PokerStars. In just one day this weekend, he made the final table of three of the biggest tournaments at PokerStars. Schwartz placed eighth in the $215 Mixed Hold’em event and $215 HORSE tourney . Schwartz then picked up a ninth place finish in the PokerStars Sunday Second Chance tournament.
By way of explanation, Schwartz said, “My friends and I are opening a wine bar and the bar needs money. I had to add a li’l’ extra seasoning to my game this Sunday in the hopes of a good score to hopefully quell my buddies’ economical blues.”
And then he added, “Also, I ran quite well.”
One thing is clear about Schwartz: he can play across a variety of disciplines. “All poker games are the same,” he said. “People get confused by the different names and proposed strategies for each individual form. But a few key factors should be constants.”
At this point, it would be easy to believe Schwartz is back to having a little fun, but it’s clear he is serious and knows what he’s talking about, even if it may be above the head of some of the people listening.
“Time, pressure, inertia, switching gears, and memory apply to all games. Mastery of these key factors will give anyone good chances to make deep runs,” he said. “In the more exotic games where groups of cards are stacked, one must learn to blend waves of information into a single cohesive stream. Thus many ideas form a clear path to controlling chaos and weighing the table down to slowly enhance one’s stack.”
If at any point during that you said, “Um….yeah,” you should know that Schwartz closed it in a way you might understand.
“And, of course,” he finished with a smile. “You must run well.”
Congrats, Ylon, on your recent finishes. And here’s to you getting that wine bar open sooner than later.
For what it’s worth, I like something in a dry red.
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Perhaps better known online as TenthPlanet, Ylon Schwartz is no stranger to live poker. A regular on the East Coast live scene, Schwartz has been around long enough to have paid his dues. Now the chess expert, lover of all games, and PokerStars is looking to get away for a while.