Find the first part of the interview here:
As you mentioned, you have worked with many star names known in other fields. Can you recall any interesting experiences related to that?
“Let's take Boris Becker. When I photographed him in Dortmund many years ago, something interesting happened. German journalists, including Bild, were invited to photograph Mr. Boris Becker for the first five minutes of the tournament. Coincidentally, a person who looked like Boris Becker sat next to him. So, all the German journalists focused on his neighbor, and when the real Boris Becker arrived, they were all surprised to realize it wasn’t him.”
And did anyone have any star-like behaviors you can talk about?
“Star-like behaviors... When I was shooting Neymar in Monaco, he had security preventing people from taking mobile photos with him. Everyone understandably wanted a selfie. Whether that’s star behavior, I don't know; basically, everyone behaved normally.”
What about poker professionals you've worked with? For instance, Negreanu, Ivey, Hellmuth...
“I had Negreanu in the PokerStars team. Daniel is great, I like him, he’s a chatty guy. When I run into him somewhere, he says ‘Hi Tomáš,’ and I reply ‘Hey Daniel.’ It’s all good. I really like ElkY (Bertrand Grospellier). A nice guy, fair, and we've always gotten along well over the years. Of course, I could name many players who are absolutely fine. I greatly respect Orpen (Orpen Kisacikoglu), Greenwood. I appreciate Steve O'Dwyer. These are players I've worked with for years, and they’ve never let me down. There are many of them. You know what was toughest for me? It wasn't really tough but rather unpleasant. Because I have good relationships with the players, during COVID, I was responsible for the High Roller in Prague at the EPT. I practically had to go to everyone and ask them to wear respirators. I think if someone else had done it, it wouldn't have ended well. I had to tell people like Leon (Tsoukernik – editor’s note), Tony G, and others at the Super High Roller. They all respected it because they knew I was doing it for a good reason, and I have normal relationships with everyone.”
Do you think that some players wouldn't respect it from someone else?
“Definitely not. Trust is key, and when you build relationships with players over the years, even friendly ones, it’s important not to let them down. And they know I won't let them down, and I know they won't let me down.”
How do you see the poker community now? Where is it heading? With all the scandals and such?
“Scandals and other issues have always been and will be. It's often about publicity, whether negative or positive. Take Bryn Kenney, for instance. Bryn Kenney is a nice guy I know personally. I spoke to him in the Bahamas this year. I won't comment on what happened (cheating suspicions – editor's note), but even negative publicity is publicity for him. He always seemed okay to me. Regarding other controversies, like Martin Kabrhel's… I know Miki, and he would never do that. The only mistake he made was standing up from the table and slightly overdoing it in the High Roller. However, he adhered to all the rules, and just like Leon, I would vouch for him in this case. Often, it seems to me that players retaliate because they don't like seeing someone at the table. And that's not fair, as everyone has the right to play. It’s up to them and their style. Miki plays his style, but many people don’t like that style.”
Now, as we talk, it's shortly after the Lichtenstein WPT Prime. How did you like it there and how was the work?
“Look around, at all the greenery. Liechtenstein is a beautiful country. Even though it's a bit more expensive than we're used to, WPT was a huge success. The final table, even though there weren't any big names, the people enjoyed it. It was very nice and successful. WPT broke a European record, and I am happy to have been part of the team and part of the success.”
While we were in Liechtenstein, you shared a fresh, almost tragicomic story. Could you share it with our readers?
“Oh, you mean with the pants. Well, since I wanted to do the best job as always, the casino recommended I go to the roof to photograph the fireworks. Knowing what I'm doing, I wanted to have the casino and the fireworks in front of me. That unfortunately meant going about a kilometer into the field. So, I grabbed two tripods, two cameras, and ran for about 10 minutes. I stood at a safe distance from the fireworks to capture them. It was damp there, which I didn’t notice. When I returned to the casino, I was muddy up to my knees. I had to solve it. By sheer chance, which doesn’t happen often, I opened my suitcase and realized I didn't have spare jeans. So, I ended up playing laundry and washing them. And since Liechtenstein is quite humid, which would have never crossed my mind, the jeans took two days to dry. Meanwhile, I had to use my flying pants. But eventually, they dried, and everything turned out fine.”
So, sometimes you really have to go through such things for a great photo.
“Of course. For a great photo, sometimes you have to play MacGyver and improvise.”
A question perhaps for the aficionados: What equipment do you use, and how has it changed over time?
“I started photographing tournaments with one of the first SLRs from Olympus, which back then cost a fortune. Then I switched to Nikon, and I'm happy with it to this day.”
Who do you respect the most in Czech and Slovak poker?
“I can tell you that exactly. It's someone who built something from scratch, took care of the Czech online scene, and treats players very nicely. He has my respect, and I value him. It’s Leon Tsoukernik.”
Do you have time for any hobbies outside of this job?
“I always liked knives and have always wanted to learn how to skillfully sharpen them. But I never thought I could make them myself. During COVID, while also taking care of the kids, I tried making my first knife. The first one I made was from Damascus steel. I found I enjoyed it and that it has meaning because it will remain after I'm gone. So, I've made a few in my life and given some away. But I'll never do it for money, I do it for fun. When I do make knives, I can say I also use them fishing. As I travel a lot, I sometimes find time for it. When we were in the Bahamas once, I went fishing with a photographer from Argentina. We fished from the shore, and it was amazing. We caught something but mainly had one of the best moments of my life when I saw giant manta rays jumping. That's something you don’t see every day. We met a local native there; we asked why those giant mantas were jumping out of the sea. He said because sharks were attacking them. I googled it, and there’s some truth to that.”
It's great that you find time for this. Players go to the tables to catch other fish, and you go fishing with a rod.
“Exactly. And as for other things, like most men, I enjoy driving. Sometimes not entirely slowly, but for specific reasons, I can't say how fast. I've driven quite a lot in my life. You know, for example, the last time in Rozvadov, one of my friends, high stakes player Emil (Emil Bise – editor’s note), came with his Lamborghini and asked me, 'Tomáš, please, I want you to drive my car.' I said no because I was tired, but when he came several times and had players around him wanting a ride, I decided to drive. I went out and saw Emil had a brand-new Lambo from a limited edition. It was insane. When I accelerated, the WSOP bracelet fell from the dashboard, luckily, Emil caught it. I enjoyed it a lot. But then on the return journey, I asked him to show me its full potential. And yes, dear friends, let me put it this way, I spent the next three hours wondering if I would throw up or not. I managed, but it was tough. That Lamborghini had a big acceleration, even for me. But back in '96-'97, when I used to drive to Germany, we drove some ultimate cars for the time. They drove up to 290 km/h. So, I’ve driven fast and far. I still have one dream left that I hope to fulfill someday - to go over 300 km/h, I'm still missing 10, so keep your fingers crossed.”
How long do you see yourself in this job in the future?
“As long as it makes me happy, as long as I bring joy to people with my work, I will be satisfied. If I ever can't manage, I'll hang up my boots and retire.”
Is there anything you'd like to add at the end?
“To everyone who read up to here, I’ll give one piece of advice. Be nice, be positive, and success will come. Even when downswing happens, it also has an end. And then comes the upswing, and that’s what it’s all about. I also want to say that when we were in Liechtenstein, when I saw the final table from you (Spadepoker crew), I was thrilled. I’m glad you’re doing well, and I’ll always support you. After all, we are compatriots, ‘Czechoslovaks,’ and I'm proud of it.”
