Michael Binger brings more than his bluffing skills when he takes to the tables of UltimateBet and plays online poker against his peers.  The Team UB member has a Bachelor of Science in Physics from NCSU, a Master of Science in Physics from NCSU, a Bachelor of Science in Math from NCSU, and a PhD in Theoretical Physics from Stanford, and he’s not afraid to apply his knowledge to the game that millions of people live and play.

Binger’s got the numbers to back up all the letters after his name:  A third place finish in the 2006 World Series of PokerMain Event that needed him $4,000,000.  A third place finish in the 2007 WSOP that rewarded him with $300,000. $317,280 for taking first place in the 2008 Five-Star World Classic at Bellagio Hotel Casino. Over $125,000 for beating the competition and coming in first in thee 2008 LA Poker Classic.  What makes Binger tick?  Why is he so consistent at the tables?

When asked if he was an immediate success, Binger responded with typical grace and honesty: “Once I started taking the game seriously and reading and studying, I began winning consistently at limit hold ‘em. It took a lot longer to become a winning No Limit Hold’em and tournament player.”  Michael worked hard to become the player he is, applying his math skills to the game.  He also credits his focus for a reason for his success: “Never whistle while you piss” is his mantra, telling himself to maintain his focus on the hand in front of him, not the tournament in its entirety.

What’s the most important advice he can give other players and what they should try to do when playing? “[Keep] your cool playing online because just a few minutes of tilty clicks can cost you a lot. Also, keeping your patience in brick and mortar casinos can be hard compared to online because you get far fewer hands.”

It’s easy to see how Michael’s focus and math skills have helped him, but there’s more than just these factors behind the scenes of his poker game: a special alchemy that his idol Albert Einstein would have been proud of.

This entry was posted on Wednesday, November 11th, 2009 at 8:35 am and is filed under Pacific poker. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Responses are currently closed, but you can trackback from your own site.