If you missed the first part of this interview, click on the link below to hear how Benny discovered poker, why he focuses on Mixed Games, and what he enjoys most about traveling the world.
Was your approach to the game serious from the very beginning?
When you're young, you don’t have a fully developed rational mindset. Especially when it's a hobby, you tend to mess around. You might try to get better, but you don’t really know how. It wasn’t until I realized I could make money from poker that I started taking it more seriously and shifted my approach.
How did you develop this skills?
"Bang your head against the wall until you learn from it." But in general, I spoke to friends, observed how others dealt with it, and tried to figure out how I could improve. It wasn’t easy for me, honestly. I struggled with it, especially when it came to managing my emotions. I was constantly looking for ways to get better.
What other skills have you learned?
Emotional regulation, both on and off the table, was difficult for me—especially not letting the challenges of poker affect me or carry over into other areas of my life. I had to learn to treat it as something separate. I've learned emotional separation, which is a really tough skill to develop.
Can you share your tips with us?
There are various things you learn when you treat it like a profession. You start focusing on the decisions. Did you make the best decision at the time, based on the information you had? If you did, then essentially, the results don't matter. You have to learn that skill—focusing on the process, not the outcome. Whether it's a pre-flop decision, a river call, or an all-in round, the key is to concentrate on making the best possible decision in that moment. That's what's within your control. And what’s not in your control isn’t worth stressing over.
What are your future plans for this year?
I think I might go to Monte Carlo, but I’m not sure yet. I’ll play SCOOP and the World series, probably EPT Barcelona as well. In December, I’ll decide based on the schedule—either the Bahamas or the WPT in Vegas.
Are you following other poker players?
These days, I don’t really follow poker players as much as I used to. Occasionally, I’ll draw inspiration from certain aspects of various people, but it’s not as intense as before. Back when I was really focused on improving, I used to follow a lot of players closely. Probably the one I watched the most was Viktor Blom, known as 'Isildur1'—he’s incredibly talented and a very creative poker player. I used to analyse his play and found it really fascinating; he was always entertaining to watch.
Other players, like Phil Galfond, are quite different. Isildur is more emotionally driven, while Phil is more theory-oriented—more balanced and rational. Phil seems to have a really steady mindset, and that’s something I’ve tried to take inspiration from.
What skill do you want to focus on now?
In poker, there are various aspects of study I could focus on more. In life, there are a lot of things as well—focusing on other areas that will help me grow in different ways, probably outside of poker. Overall, in the long term, this will make me happier, along with improving other psychological aspects, like emotional regulation. I’m trying to shift my mindset a bit from a career-driven focus to one that prioritizes happiness.
Do you have hobbies you would like to focus on more?
My main hobby is guitar and music. I started playing guitar when I was 6, so it has always been my main passion, along with music in general. I wish I had more time for composing and activities like that. It’s something I would like to dedicate more time to.
What do you think, can a person make their hobby fully as profession?
It depends on the person and their personality type. For me, it has clearly been my job for the last 10 years, and honestly, I don’t find it fun to play anymore. So, on rare occasions, I choose to play voluntarily. Most of the time, I treat it seriously, almost like it’s my job. There are rare moments when I play just for fun. For someone else, though—especially someone early in their poker journey—it might be different. They might still find it fun, or they might love the game so much that they want to keep playing it as a hobby.
Do you think in the future you will do something new professionally?
Yes, for a while now, the last couple of years I’ve been hoping to get somewhere in music in some way. But it’s been difficult to start that while traveling so much. So, I’m planning to travel less and play less, but there will always be events—like the Wold Series—that I want to be a part of. I’ll still attend those for a long time. Hopefully, by next year, I’ll have settled down somewhere and will be looking to start something new.
Thanks a lot Benny, we wish you all the best!