Andrew Moreno Gets Another Crack at the WSOP Monster Stack
Table Of Contents
It's Day 3 of the $1,500 No-Limit Hold'em Monster Stack and the field is thinning, getting closer to the first-place prize of $1,008,850 and a coveted gold bracelet.
Sitting in the top five counts is professional poker player Andrew Moreno. What makes this deep run extra special is Moreno finished in sixth place in the same event in 2016, earning his biggest career cash of $219,632.
"It's really easy to get caught up in all the excitement. All these factors, all these pros that are at your tables. But just simplify everything."
"I definitely feel the experience," Moreno told PokerNews. "Like yesterday, I had a couple big hands that went my way, and then when I started to lose some chips back, I could feel the experience having been there before." He continued: "I didn't feel the need to rush anything or jump back in and make up chips that I lost. I felt a sense of calmness that comes with age."
Experience is something Moreno has a lot of, being a cash game and tournament player for many years. He recently came in second place in the WSOP Circuit Main Event in Los Angeles for $130,295 back in March, after a gap of no tournament results in 2018.
Staying Focused
"The thing that's really supported me as poker has gotten so difficult, is that I really saw that as an opportunity to grow myself," explained Moreno. The pro has almost $800,000 in lifetime earnings, and now has a real shot at eclipsing the $1 million milestone and earning his first gold bracelet.
"The way that my brain works is that I am really good at just being present and blocking other things out. There's nothing else happening for me. It's the hand I'm dealt, who's in the pot, where are people seated, how many chips do they have. The second my focus goes anywhere else, it's kind of an indicator for me to bring it right back to the present moment," said a focused Moreno.
"I felt a sense of calmness that comes with age."
Moreno talked about being in a long period of stagnation when poker was "easy". "For me, it was just an invitation to work harder. Because I saw everyone around me getting better, and as human beings we have a chance to either jump on the train or watch it go by," said Moreno.
Remaining Calm on the Big Stage
In a time where it's easy for new players to get shell-shocked by the big stage and famous pros, Moreno offers up some advice on how to deal with it all.
"It's really easy to get caught up in all the excitement. All these factors, all these pros that are at your tables. But just simplify everything."
In stressing the importance of staying focused and being in the moment, Moreno urges players to focus on themselves. "You play the game of poker and you have your own strengths and your own weaknesses. Just play to your strengths, and don't get caught up in other people's games," said Moreno.
Andrew Moreno is deep in the $1,500 No-Limit Hold'em Monster Stack at the 2019 World Series of Poker and looks to make yet another final table. Follow along on PokerNews.com for Live Updates in this massive event.
