Alienface: 2008 Bodog Tournament Leader Board Champion

by Bodog Poker | Jan 6 2009

Although the results are not yet official, it’s already a lock that 2008’s Bodog Tournament Leader Board Champion is Brad “alienface” Smith of Asheville, North Carolina. As the yearly leader board champion alienface will receive T$5,450, which is enough tournament credits to enter into every single $100,000 Guaranteed Tournament next year.

Topping the Leader Board was obviously an impressive fear considering it’s stacked with some of the best online poker players in the world like Bluff’s Online Player of the Year “The Maven”, and two-time Bodog Yearly Leader Board Champion “Nevertilt22”. But what makes this all the more impressive is that in early 2008, alienface was so new to poker he didn’t know an ante from a blind.

We recently had a chance to get to know Brad “alienface” Smith a bit better and ask him a few questions about his meteoric rise through the ranks of online poker players.

First of all, congratulations on topping the Bodog Yearly Tournament Leader Board. It couldn’t have been easy. Can you start by just telling us a bit about yourself, like what your job is and what you like to do in your spare time?

Thank you.  And thanks to Bodog for this opportunity. You're right, it wasn't easy. This was my first year playing poker, so it's been a big learning experience. I've spent the better part of the last several years hiking around the Blue Ridge Mountains. 

To me, poker was just something that was popular on television. I started a small business while I was in school at the Univ. of SC. After graduating, I decided to sell the company to focus on more leisure activities, which had eluded me for so many years.

After spending a few years taking road trips and hiking mountain trails, I considered going to law school.  I was actually on a trip to visit the Charleston School of Law when I found out about online tournament poker. 

I was staying at a friend's house, known online as payems.  He noticed that I enjoyed playing chess online, and proposed that I might be a good fit for online tournament poker.  This was last December (2007).

Is it true that you’re so new to poker that as recently as early 2008 you didn’t know the difference between an ante and a blind? If so, how did you manage to improve so quickly?

It is true.  This time last year I didn't know the difference between a blind and an ante.  The first time I saw online poker being played was in December of 2007. I watched payems and Sweet Cakes play for a few days, and thought it was a fascinating game. Then I went to daisyxoxo's.

I spent most of those next few months watching him play.  This definitely laid the foundation for me, as a player.  I also had the opportunity to watch The Maven play.  There were a few weeks out of the year that I had the privilege of watching them both play.  And I'm not talking about just playing a few tournaments. These guys would both play like 45 tournaments per day, every day, for a week. 

Those weeks were some of the most intense study sessions of my life.  They were also a lot of fun.  Big thanks to both of them for making it happen. Of course, I've learned a great deal by just playing and playing. I've played about 4,800 online tournaments in my first year (including about 600, 45 man sng's), and that first hand experience has been crucial.

How did you get interested in poker? And when did you realize you could do really well at it?

I became interested in poker through other strategy games, mostly chess. Then, when I had the chance to watch daisyxoxo play last December, it really piqued my interest in the game. I remember towards the end of my second month playing, I won my first 10k guaranteed tournament.  It ended up being a tough heads up match against alcarmo, who played very well.  After the match, I remember thinking for the first time that I really had the potential to do well in tournament poker.

How has poker changed your life over the course of 2008?

Well, I don't get outside as much.  I'm much busier than I really ever have been before.  But more profoundly, I have noticed that immersing myself so intensely into the game has affected the way I think through other life situations.  I catch myself analyzing real life situations like poker hands.  It's funny, like finding the most +ev parking spot, or doubling up at the bar.

What does it mean to you to be the 2008 Bodog Leader Board Champion?

It's a confirmation that I've learned how to play winning tournament poker.  It's a satisfying feeling.

What are your plans for 2009? Will you be playing in the WSOP or any other big live events?

Keep playing.  I'm looking forward to learning more about the game next year.

I would like to branch out and play live events eventually, but my tournament selection will always be a function of my skill level and bankroll.  So I will see what happens as the year progresses.

You’ve had an amazing year with some great cashes and definitely deserve to celebrate. Do you have any big plans for New Year’s Eve?

Thanks.  I think my first year has been an overall success.  No big New Year's Eve Plans.  Gonna try to win the monthly, weekly, 12 Days of Poker, and yearly leaderboards since I'm at the top of them all right now. 

I'll take a few days off after those are all over.

Definitely looking forward to that, since the last day I didn't play was November 5th.
After the New Year, I'll probably take a cross country road trip, see a couple beaches I've never seen- get my alienface away from the computer monitor... one time!

Thanks again to Bodog and all the great players who have helped me learn the game. Cheers!  Happy New Year!

Thanks for your time Brad, and again, congratulations on topping the Bodog TLB.

Alienface won’t be the only one celebrating a good run on the Bodog 2008 TLB. The 12 monthly TLB winners will be facing off in a 12-person tournament in January where the top two finishers will win a seat in the 2009 WSOP Main Event as members of Team Bodog.

As 2008 comes to a close the TLB will be wiped clean and made ready for a new battle to the top. Start earning tournament points early for your shot at weekly, monthly and yearly Tournament Leader Board Prizes.