Catching Up with FTP Ambassador Martins Adeniya
Last month Martins Adeniya was announced as one of four Full Tilt Poker ambassadors brought in to represent the online room at all stops of the United Kingdom and Ireland Poker Tour (UKIPT). His first assignment was the FTP UKIPT Galway Festival, which has been playing out over the last week on the west coast of Ireland.
Adeniya discovered poker while studying business at the University of Bath and quickly worked his way up from low-stakes home games to multi-tabling $10/$20 NL Hold’em online. After earning over $180,000 for a third place finish in the FTOPS Main Event, Martins decided to focus 100% on poker.
Since then Adeinya has become a rising star in the poker world with $487,965 in career earnings dating back to 2009. Among his notable accomplishments are a seventh-place finish in the 2011 EPT/UKIPT London Main Event for $134,964; 13th in the 2010 World Series of Poker $25,000 No Limit Hold’em – Six Handed for $58,699; 9th in the 2010 WSOP $2,500 No Limit Hold’em – Six Handed for $40,547; second in a 2010 Venetian Deep Stack $500 No Limit Hold’em for $28,265; and 474th in the 2009 WSOP Main Event for $25,027. The only win on Adeniya’s résumé came in 2012 in the £500 London Super Stack Series – High Roller for $16,899.
Even though he busted on Day 1a, PokerNews has been keeping tabs on the Londoner all week to see what his life is like. We recently spoke to Adeniya, who was hanging out in the Players' Lounge in the FTP Village on Day 2 of the Main Event.
PokerNews: When we last talked to you on Friday, you were here having a few drinks and checking up on friends. What have you been up to since then?
Adeniya: I've been basically hanging out throughout the day with people, and I played a bit online as well both today and yesterday. We wanted to go to Pure Skill [a nearby sports complex] but a few people are still in the Main Event so we're waiting for them to either bust or get a big stack together. So yeah, it never came together... yet.
Who are you cheering for in the Main Event?
Jake Cody has got some chips at the moment.
He actually just busted.
Oh no. Well, yeah ok, I'm not sure who is still left in then. I need to have a look around the room and see who is still in.
Changing the subject. There's a party here at the FTP Village tonight. Can we expect to see you in attendance?
Yeah, I'm actually looking forward to the party tonight. There was an opening party at the start of the week which had a good turnout. It was a good chance to meet a lot of people. Tonight is going to be even better because everyone is winding down and looking for a good time.
What's your drink of choice at parties?
Vodka Red Bull
What's your favorite game to play here at the FTP Village?
I'm actually enjoying the Pac-Man, and I'm enjoying the pool as well. I suck at both of them. I'm just learning.
So no aspirations to top Gus Hansen's Pac-Man high score?
I've been watching him play a bit and I don't think I'm going to be able to catch him this trip, or even this year. He puts in like eight-hour sessions, longer than I do online.
Between you and your fellow FTP Ambassadors, who is the best pool player?
I'd say it be close between Sin and Dermot. Dermot is actually the best. I had a game with him the first day and asked him if he was any good at pool. He said, "No, I'm not that good." Then we played and he cleaned up, just cleaned up from the break. How could he say he wasn't very good. He played for a pool team that traveled across the country playing.