Debi
Forum Admin
Administrator
This is part of this interview series:
Cardschat Interviews - Online US Poker Players Who Have Re-located
Ryan Laplante
Better known as "Protential" in the online poker world, Ryan Laplante has been in love with the game since high school and pursuing it as a career since college. He was quick to cash in his first world series of poker at the age of 21, and he made a final table that year in a $1,500 NLHE event as well. But online poker has been his passion, not to mention his bread and butter. He has nearly $900K in cashes to date, most of which came from the pokerstars tables in multi-table tournaments with a few cash games here and there. Still in his early 20s, young Laplante is widely regarded as a skilled player leading the new generation of poker grinders.
CardsChat (CC): When did you move from the US?
Ryan Laplante (RP): My boyfriend and I first moved out of the US in November of 2011.
CC: To where did you move and why?
RP: We moved to Toronto and lived there for six months, then we returned to Vegas for a few months, and then we went to Cabo San Lucas for a couple months. Then it was back to the US, Toronto for a few months, and Rosarito for a few weeks before the World Series. We've hopped all over the place. We enjoy Toronto a decent amount but it's really, really, really expensive. Also, you can't stay longer than six months out of the year. The way our timing worked out, we figured it would be best to try mexico for a while. We were fine with it because it was cheaper, but we didn't like being so far away from our friends and family. And there the whole culture shock part of it, too, which was a bit rough to deal with. After the Series, if we do well enough, we'll just stay here in Vegas. We're getting sick of traveling, having lived in six or seven different cities in the last few years, traveled 60,000 miles or so. It's been really cool and a great experience, but it doesn't allow you to have pets or my boyfriend to go to school. We'd like to have a home, to settle down here in Vegas, and then I'll just travel down to Mexico for major online series in Rosarito. Otherwise, we'll go to Rosarito until we can afford to move to Vegas full time.
CC: What did your family and/or friends say about the move?
RP: They were all fine with it. My parents are supportive of whatever I decide to do, as long as I'm working hard and trying to do well for myself. They're supportive of poker, and having several wsop final table definitely helps, but everyone's been fine. My parents and his mom were a bit concerned about us moving to Mexico just because of kidnapping and drug cartels and things like that. There are things like that that make parts of Mexico dangerous to visit, like Mexico City, but Rosarito Beach is very safe. There are tons of poker players there, a lot of friends of mine are there, and they all love it. There have been no issues there or in Cabo San Lucas. My boyfriend was mostly against Mexico, but he's pretty fine with everything. He dislikes traveling in general, but we've had some interesting experiences that have been good for both of us.
CC: How much online poker do you play on a given day?
RP: My average weekly play time is about 80 to 90 hours a week. I average about 10 to 11 hours a day on weekdays, 12 or 13 on Saturdays, and 14 to 15 on Sundays.
CC: What games (tournaments and/or cash) and stakes do you play?
RP: I play only multi-table tournaments with just a few satellites. I play low- to mid-stakes, running around a $30 to $40 average buy-in, depending on which day of the week it is. I play anywhere from 12 to 28 tables at once, averaging about 16, which seems to be my sweet spot for the most part. During a big series like SCOOP, because the games are a lot deeper and tougher, I average probably nine to 12 tables at a time, since I'm playing a lot higher.
CC: What kind of online poker setup do you have?
RP: I generally have a big gaming laptop and a separate monitor.
CC: What type of bankroll management do you use?
RP: I've been backed pretty much my entire career, essentially, since I started playing semi-seriously about three and a half years ago. I didn't have much money at the time. I built up a bankroll from freerolls, but I wanted to be able to use my own money for living expenses. I found a backer right away with Baza88, and I was with him for two years. He coached me, too. I'm switching backers right now. I've generally been running from $20 to $60 average buy-in, and they dictate what games I play to some extent. Most backers are pretty open, which can be a good thing. I'm pretty nitty with what I play, though, and I don't want makeup to get out of control. I haven't always been good with bankroll management and have had near six figures in makeup before, which can be pretty brutal to deal with. It's easier to have lower variance and consistently grind to make money. It's much easier than chasing after the big scores.
CC: How do you cope with swings, and is that different from your coping mechanisms before the move?
RP: The swings have been amplified by moving around so much. Before Black Friday, I spent about $10 or $15,000 a year for total living expenses, and now I average about $60,000 a year. That kind of jump is why I'm still backed. If I'd been able to stay in the US, I'd be on my own dime and making a lot more money. But having to pay so much more for living expenses and travel makes doing that a lot more difficult. To go on my own at this point, I'd need at least $50,000 a year in living expenses and $30-$50,000 roll, and adding in taxes, it requires a pretty big year.
CC: What do you do outside of poker?
RP: In Toronto, we did a lot. We had a weekly Dungeons and Dragons group with a bunch of gay guys and a straight girl that we met, and they all enjoyed gaming. We played video games and board games, too. It's generally pretty easy to meet other people in the gay community who are into that stuff, and we have a really great circle of friends in Toronto. So once or twice a week, we'd hang out, have dinner parties, play games, and relax. We also do some of the touristy stuff in the major cities that we visit. When we were in Monaco, we walked around a lot because it was so pretty. We try to make the most of every trip. The last time we drove to Vegas, we drove through Yellowstone, which was so amazing and beautiful. We want to do more than stay at home and play poker all day.
CC: What would you say to others who are considering a move for online poker?
RP: Honestly, don't do it. Unless you're really keen to put your entire mind, body, and soul into it, it really isn't worth it for very many people. I'm not exactly a top-tiered tournament player, but I'm probably in the top one percent of grinders, maybe top five percent. And even at this state in my career, it's been worth it and a good experience, but only barely so. I do have the added expense of having someone to take care of, but the total cost of traveling and moving around is so, so, so expensive. Even if you're on your own dime and able to play and afford a lot of that stuff, it's a very high stress situation. Very few people are properly suited to do the high-stress move along with the high stress of poker. Because it takes so much out of you and you have to work so much, you don't have much balance in life. I'm fortunate enough to have my boyfriend, and he's forced me to have balance. I've been able to stay sane and deal with downswings just fine, but I've seen tons of my friends get burned out and destroyed by the variance and stress. Obviously, if you're set on doing it, try to do it cheaply and with the least amount of stress and maintain balance. Adding financial risks to poker risks is something that very few people can deal with.
- Interview by Jennifer Newell
Cardschat Interviews - Online US Poker Players Who Have Re-located
Ryan Laplante
Better known as "Protential" in the online poker world, Ryan Laplante has been in love with the game since high school and pursuing it as a career since college. He was quick to cash in his first world series of poker at the age of 21, and he made a final table that year in a $1,500 NLHE event as well. But online poker has been his passion, not to mention his bread and butter. He has nearly $900K in cashes to date, most of which came from the pokerstars tables in multi-table tournaments with a few cash games here and there. Still in his early 20s, young Laplante is widely regarded as a skilled player leading the new generation of poker grinders.
CardsChat (CC): When did you move from the US?
Ryan Laplante (RP): My boyfriend and I first moved out of the US in November of 2011.
CC: To where did you move and why?
RP: We moved to Toronto and lived there for six months, then we returned to Vegas for a few months, and then we went to Cabo San Lucas for a couple months. Then it was back to the US, Toronto for a few months, and Rosarito for a few weeks before the World Series. We've hopped all over the place. We enjoy Toronto a decent amount but it's really, really, really expensive. Also, you can't stay longer than six months out of the year. The way our timing worked out, we figured it would be best to try mexico for a while. We were fine with it because it was cheaper, but we didn't like being so far away from our friends and family. And there the whole culture shock part of it, too, which was a bit rough to deal with. After the Series, if we do well enough, we'll just stay here in Vegas. We're getting sick of traveling, having lived in six or seven different cities in the last few years, traveled 60,000 miles or so. It's been really cool and a great experience, but it doesn't allow you to have pets or my boyfriend to go to school. We'd like to have a home, to settle down here in Vegas, and then I'll just travel down to Mexico for major online series in Rosarito. Otherwise, we'll go to Rosarito until we can afford to move to Vegas full time.
CC: What did your family and/or friends say about the move?
RP: They were all fine with it. My parents are supportive of whatever I decide to do, as long as I'm working hard and trying to do well for myself. They're supportive of poker, and having several wsop final table definitely helps, but everyone's been fine. My parents and his mom were a bit concerned about us moving to Mexico just because of kidnapping and drug cartels and things like that. There are things like that that make parts of Mexico dangerous to visit, like Mexico City, but Rosarito Beach is very safe. There are tons of poker players there, a lot of friends of mine are there, and they all love it. There have been no issues there or in Cabo San Lucas. My boyfriend was mostly against Mexico, but he's pretty fine with everything. He dislikes traveling in general, but we've had some interesting experiences that have been good for both of us.
CC: How much online poker do you play on a given day?
RP: My average weekly play time is about 80 to 90 hours a week. I average about 10 to 11 hours a day on weekdays, 12 or 13 on Saturdays, and 14 to 15 on Sundays.
CC: What games (tournaments and/or cash) and stakes do you play?
RP: I play only multi-table tournaments with just a few satellites. I play low- to mid-stakes, running around a $30 to $40 average buy-in, depending on which day of the week it is. I play anywhere from 12 to 28 tables at once, averaging about 16, which seems to be my sweet spot for the most part. During a big series like SCOOP, because the games are a lot deeper and tougher, I average probably nine to 12 tables at a time, since I'm playing a lot higher.
CC: What kind of online poker setup do you have?
RP: I generally have a big gaming laptop and a separate monitor.
CC: What type of bankroll management do you use?
RP: I've been backed pretty much my entire career, essentially, since I started playing semi-seriously about three and a half years ago. I didn't have much money at the time. I built up a bankroll from freerolls, but I wanted to be able to use my own money for living expenses. I found a backer right away with Baza88, and I was with him for two years. He coached me, too. I'm switching backers right now. I've generally been running from $20 to $60 average buy-in, and they dictate what games I play to some extent. Most backers are pretty open, which can be a good thing. I'm pretty nitty with what I play, though, and I don't want makeup to get out of control. I haven't always been good with bankroll management and have had near six figures in makeup before, which can be pretty brutal to deal with. It's easier to have lower variance and consistently grind to make money. It's much easier than chasing after the big scores.
CC: How do you cope with swings, and is that different from your coping mechanisms before the move?
RP: The swings have been amplified by moving around so much. Before Black Friday, I spent about $10 or $15,000 a year for total living expenses, and now I average about $60,000 a year. That kind of jump is why I'm still backed. If I'd been able to stay in the US, I'd be on my own dime and making a lot more money. But having to pay so much more for living expenses and travel makes doing that a lot more difficult. To go on my own at this point, I'd need at least $50,000 a year in living expenses and $30-$50,000 roll, and adding in taxes, it requires a pretty big year.
CC: What do you do outside of poker?
RP: In Toronto, we did a lot. We had a weekly Dungeons and Dragons group with a bunch of gay guys and a straight girl that we met, and they all enjoyed gaming. We played video games and board games, too. It's generally pretty easy to meet other people in the gay community who are into that stuff, and we have a really great circle of friends in Toronto. So once or twice a week, we'd hang out, have dinner parties, play games, and relax. We also do some of the touristy stuff in the major cities that we visit. When we were in Monaco, we walked around a lot because it was so pretty. We try to make the most of every trip. The last time we drove to Vegas, we drove through Yellowstone, which was so amazing and beautiful. We want to do more than stay at home and play poker all day.
CC: What would you say to others who are considering a move for online poker?
RP: Honestly, don't do it. Unless you're really keen to put your entire mind, body, and soul into it, it really isn't worth it for very many people. I'm not exactly a top-tiered tournament player, but I'm probably in the top one percent of grinders, maybe top five percent. And even at this state in my career, it's been worth it and a good experience, but only barely so. I do have the added expense of having someone to take care of, but the total cost of traveling and moving around is so, so, so expensive. Even if you're on your own dime and able to play and afford a lot of that stuff, it's a very high stress situation. Very few people are properly suited to do the high-stress move along with the high stress of poker. Because it takes so much out of you and you have to work so much, you don't have much balance in life. I'm fortunate enough to have my boyfriend, and he's forced me to have balance. I've been able to stay sane and deal with downswings just fine, but I've seen tons of my friends get burned out and destroyed by the variance and stress. Obviously, if you're set on doing it, try to do it cheaply and with the least amount of stress and maintain balance. Adding financial risks to poker risks is something that very few people can deal with.
- Interview by Jennifer Newell