Our Verdict:
Anybody who feels there is no difference between online and offline poker should have a word with “KrazyKanuck”, the Canadian whose online exploits have made him a sponsored player with UltimateBet.
The man also known as Jim Worth freely admits when he looks back on his days frequenting bricks and mortar casinos, from 1992 to 2001, he can’t honestly be sure whether overall, he made a profit. As soon as he changed to the online game, however, his fortunes changed forever.
As he explained in an interview with texasholdem-poker.com: “I moved from Toronto to Calgary in 2002 and I just started playing. Shit, I played online poker for three months probably 16, 17 hours a day.
"In those three or four months, I won board races at UltimateBet, at PokerStars, at ParadisePoker. I just won everything that you could win on the net in four months. I turned so many heads in terms of how many tournaments I was winning at UltimateBet that they asked me to go down and speak at the Bellagio about online poker.
“They also asked me to play in the World Series that year, and I did well in some events. Things just started coming together, so I decided in the middle of 2002 to give playing full-time a run for a year and go from there. And, plain and simply, I’ve never looked back from that day.”
Since going pro KrazyKanuck has not only established a winning reputation online but he has also broadened his portfolio by becoming a well-respected writer for a number of international magazines such as Canadian Poker Player and Bluff. You can also read of number of articles he’s written at UltimateBet giving beginners and experts alike tips on how to improve their play.
Ironically his online experience means his days of going broke in live play are now behind him as well. In October 2006 he placed fourth in the WPT North American Poker Championship at Niagara Falls to collect $257,338. He has also finished fourth at the WSOP Circuit Championship Event in San Diego in February 2005, winning $158,840.
There is plenty you can learn from KrazyKanuck by reading his online articles, but here’s his key advice for new players:
”There isn’t any place in the world to learn the game in today’s changing environment like you can online. There’s no question that the game has changed dramatically in the last three years and it’s been because of online poker.
“If you want to compete in today’s aggressive environment, you’ve got to learn how to play the game aggressively and how to play it against those big fields. And the only place you can do it is online. If you don’t adapt and practice, you’re going to get run over. And the only place you can do it is online.” Aspiring pros should take note.