Two-time EPT Champion Coren Mitchell: Playing Poker Isn't Just About the Prize
Two-time EPT champion Coren Mitchell, for a while, Coren Mitchell said she was “a respectable face in poker.”
“Although now you can also say I'm the degenerate face of the quiz,” she told reporters.
The writer-turned-poker player is best known in the poker world as the first player to win two European Poker Tour titles.
Now, eight years later, 40 kilometers from the coast where she won that historic title, she talks to us about returning to the Tour.
The return of EPT
Coren Mitchell is a regular at EPT Monte Carlo and has played in every game since 2016. With the return of the EPT in Prague, attracting a record number of screenings, and more than three years since her last trip abroad, she said it was great to be back.
“Sam Grafton texted me and told me there would be an EPT Monte Carlo race this year and I thought it would be a good holiday!”.
“I'm not surprised that a lot of people have wanted to play over the past few years”
“[EPT] It always felt like they had a lot of people. You always think, ‘Oh my God, that's a huge amount of money! Where did these people get their money from? Where did these people find the money to play? It always feels like a lot. “
A well-known phobia of flying – the therapist she saw to dispel that fear died in a plane crash – means Coren-Mitchell always travels by car or train to the south of France. This time she drove and spent a week seeing some of France in the process, including what she described as a “creepy medieval festival”.
“Having these people walking down the street with helmets on, chasing sheep and goats ahead of them, and beating drums. It's really the most terrifying thing I've ever seen. It's absolutely terrifying to think that someone is about to die. After that, I'd like to say good luck if you want to scare me with your 3-Bet all down!”
strike the right balance
Coren Mitchell, who welcomed a baby girl with husband David in 2015, said she tried to approach poker with a balanced perspective before and after the baby was born.
“I'm drawn to the dark side, the dangers and the risks of poker, and I'm drawn to the fun of the game. Both of those things. It's nice to think people remember me playing poker, but I'm worried about that responsibility.
“I'm playing a lot less because I have a kid now. But you come to a different place, enjoy the sun, take a turn in a big game. And don't get strapped for hard work! There's absolutely nothing in that Change.”
Even so, Coren Mitchell admits that during her poker career – during which she has amassed more than $2.5 million in professional earnings – she has considered becoming a pro.
“Sometimes, I think about playing forever. I think ‘I seem to be doing a good job at poker. I can make money doing this. And it's really fun. But I resisted the temptation.
“Because I always thought, maybe then it wouldn't be fun anymore. Or it might feel like a job. Or I might have a terrible losing streak and then where would I go?”
The importance of enjoying playing poker
Coren Mitchell points out that one of the people who strikes the perfect balance when playing poker is Brighton and Hove Albion FC owner Tony Bloom.
“I used to always think that as long as you do a lot of different things and juggle a bunch of stuff, it's usually normal to have a little chance.
“I've always admired people like Tony Bloom. He's one of the great poker players. He probably won't be talked about now unless people know who he is and that he has a football team, but for me , he's a guy who enjoys playing poker and makes a decent profit every year. He's never lost that much, and it's part of a series of things in his life. To me it's absolutely admirable of.
“I've never put myself in a position where if I don't cash out or win a poker tournament, I'm in bad shape. There are a lot of people playing poker and winning a lot of money, some great players, some players some me know, some don't.
“For me, it's less about winning than not playing too many games. If you can beat the game – or not break the bank – it's a really good way to play the game, do some travel , and have some fun in the game.
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