Get Your Money in Good
Get Your Money in Good with Evelyn Ng
The World Series is a pressure cooker. Everyone knows that. But to Evelyn Ng, because of the big starting stack and slow blind increases, the Main Event is "steady" and even "relaxing."
"It is such a deep-stack event with such a large structure." she says. "And you hope that skill will override luck. You try to avoid the situations where someone can get lucky against you."
The strategy is to not take too many large risks and to play smaller pots."
If she got any more comfortable, she would fall asleep.
"My game is evolving all the time. Every tournament I gain knowledge and more experience. I feel better about my game than last year, and I've had a lot of deep cashes lately, so my comfort level is higher."
Her style is selective aggression and getting the best of it. "I try to look for the right spots and get my money in good," she says. "There's no hurry to double up. No pressure. A relaxing tournament."
Evelyn used to deal poker in private clubs in Toronto, then turned pro and eventually moved to Vegas. Her roommate is fellow Bodog Rat Packer David Williams. Ng played cash games for years, but today she plays tournaments almost exclusively. She'll be playing as many World Series hold'em events as she can this year, but only if she's fresh and rested.
Being able to recognize the tough players is another factor keeping her heart rate down.
"Definitely you are aware who the novice players are and who are the tough professionals at the table, and you don't want to go up against the tough players."
How do you tell an inexperienced player?
"How they handle their chips, if they look nervous, and I know most of the pros on the circuit, so I'm familiar with faces even if I don't know names."
Do you have any advantage at the table, Evelyn?
"As a female, I have an advantage right out of the gate. A lot of people will underestimate me or if they've seen me on TV, maybe they'll be a little intimidated."
Can notoriety work against you?
"Sometimes novice players will want to play a big pot against me to see if they can bluff me off a hand or something, but usually I can spot those guys pretty easily because they make it known that they are out to get me."
Speaking of guys, can looking hot put male players off their games?
"I don't use sex overtly as a tactic, but I have no problem with it. I think women should use that to their advantage," Evelyn, 30, says. "I dress body-conscious and fashionably if I can, but I think in a long tournament comfort overrides everything else."
So no matter what happens in the Big One, you can be sure of one thing: Evelyn Ng will be cool, calm and collected, and comfortable!