Most poker players have a hard time handling bankroll swings. Try taking on the volume and variance of 30 players simultaneously. This is what Jeremy “thechemist83” Gaubert deals with every day.
Gaubert, who lives in Thibodaux, La., is a professional player who stakes about 30 players at a time. He’s one of the most respected and well-liked members of the online poker industry.
He’s not just a smart businessman; he’s also a top player across all online sites. This top-ranked online player has wins in the PokerStars $1K flagship Sunday Million ($233K), PokerStars Sunday Warmup ($80K) and the FTOPS XVI Event 15 H.O.R.S.E. ($46K). Gaubert also has some amazing live success, including a victory in last year’s Gold Strike World Poker Open main event ($192K).
Gaubert met with Ante Up’s Garrett Roth to talk about his poker career.
When and how did you first get into poker? I’ve been playing five-card draw and similar forms of poker for as long as I can remember. I started playing no-limit hold’em in 2004 while doing a chemistry internship at LSU. My friends in Baton Rouge were playing a small home game and that eventually got me to deposit money online.
What are some of the motivating factors in poker that drive you? The main motivating factor is always money and providing for myself and my wife. Aside from that, it’s the perfect job for my health problems. I can be my own boss, make my own hours, and work from home whenever I want to.
What’s the biggest difference between a good player and a great player? Great players know how to adapt to each situation they encounter. They know when it’s better to sit back and play tight and when to run over the table with aggression. They know the perfect times to three-bet, four-bet, bluff, etc. They are just very good at stack theory and changing gears when they need to.
How did you get into staking players and what are some of the advantages of being backed and/or owning pieces of another player? I got into staking people because I was originally backed by “JohnnyBax” (Cliff Josephy) and “sheets” (Eric Haber). I realized how profitable it could be if you had a bunch of winning players playing for you. After I was playing on my own again, I approached my partner “8balldeluxe” about the idea. We created a website with an application process and ran with the idea.
The main advantage of being backed is that your own money isn’t at risk. You’re allowed to play buy-ins you might not have been able to comfortably afford on your own. For most people, it’s less pressure not having to worry about losing money you already have. In staking agreements, you’re usually allowed to cash out your profits each month, so you won’t have to worry about losing that money once it’s cashed out. When you play for yourself, it’s important to keep a large amount of money online to deal with your own variance. When being backed, you no longer have to worry about this.
What are some of your goals and future plans in poker? I don’t really have any long-term goals with poker. I put myself in the best spots to make the most money possible for myself. If I start making goals, I may get distracted by them and miss out on other great opportunities that come up along the way.
