Titan Poker Team - Joël Benzinou, Belgium

Name: Joël Benzinou

Country: Belgium

City: Brussels

Joel Benzinou is 24 years old and has been playing poker for just two and a half years, beginning with Freeroll games online. Starting with $50, he built up his bankroll step by step and achieved some good results. After practicing online, he wanted to start playing live events, so he booked a flight to Las Vegas where he won an event for a tidy sum of $19,300.

Since then, Benzinou has made excellent headway in major events including third place at the June 2009 Deep Stack Extravaganza III held in Las Vegas, and 25th place at the World Poker Tour (WPT). His total winnings of $74,050 were accumulated from June 2009 through January 2010, so he is likely to see a lot more dollar signs over the course of his poker career.

Total amount of Winnings:

$189,289

How many years have you been playing poker?

I started to play with friends and online 3 years ago.

What was your favorite poker moment?

The final table of the extravaganza event in Vegas (finished 3rd).

What did you study and what is your career path?

I finished high school in Brussels and I started studying business and marketing after that at the University of Brussels.

Do you have advice to players who wish to join the Titan Team?

Find the poker game that you are best at (cash game, tournaments or SNG). Try to focus on one of these specifically. Playing a big volume of hands is the key to success. Like in anything else, you will have to work very hard in order to be a good and winning player. Be patient, you’re not going to become a millionaire in a few days.

What is your life philosophy?

Positive thinking is definitely my philosophy. Being a poker pro is not at all as easy as people might think it is. It comes with huge downs that can be very hard to take. But I always have faith in myself and I know that in the long run it will pay off. The most important thing is to enjoy what you do. I play for fun because I love poker. I also try as much as I can to have a life outside of the tables. Sometimes you just have to clear your mind for a few days. Hanging out with friends, doing some sport or spending quality time with the family help me stay focused.

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