Last year, Teunis Kooij finished fifth in the 2017 Winamax Poker Open Dublin Main Event, and he's back in the Irish capital this week aiming for more success.
Yesterday things didn't go his way as he fired two unsuccessful bullets, but he says that it's made better being in such an amazing environment.
"The City West is just an amazing venue and location," he told us shortly before play got underway today. "When you look around it's just amazing. I feel really nice when I come and play here; there's a nice atmosphere, nice people, and everything is well-arranged."
Winamax offers players an affordable 6-Max experience on specially designed six-handed tables. Kooij says he really likes that format.
"It's nice to have the 6-max format because it means you have opportunities to put a little bit more pressure on your opponents. You have to play from the start because you can see that some people are sometimes a little clueless about what to do with so many big blinds!
"Today I'm going to try and build up a stack for Day 2. Hopefully, I make it today. I'm confident."
Not only is the format appealing to players, but the off-the-felt activities are also just as much of a draw, and Kooij is no exception.
"I like the side things also. It's just really nice to hang around with friends and other people. The dealers are also a little bit friendlier and you can interact with them a little bit more so that's nice also.
"There isn't a tournament like this. It's a bit smaller, but the atmosphere is really nice."
First Kooij has to make Day 2, but he admits that another final table run would be his ultimate goal.
"Making another final table would be really amazing so I'm going to try my best for sure!"
Photos courtesy of Caroline Darcourt
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Teunis Kooij
