Dan Melan is Back for the 2008 Main Event. I met Dan and his wife Danielle on our plane heading to the 2007 Main Event. Dan was gracious enough to hook us up with Lewis Black tickets at the MGM Grand and a friendship was born. As our man Chris Voto fell midway through the second day of the WSOP main event, Dan went on to cash to the tune of over $45,000.
For the second year in a row, Dan has qualified on-line and will partake in the main event. Dan is a very thoughtful poker player as evidenced by his outstanding cash in last year's main event. Recently, I spoke to Dan about his approach towards the 2008Main Event. He credits a supportive wife, poker-related reading and a consistent breakfast menu to his success.
I have a good feeling about Dan. He is very grounded in his poker game and not the type to get over-confident or tilt-like. Let's hope he sustains his A-game and that the poker gods take a liking to him.
Good Luck Dan !!
Chief Disciple: For the second year in a row, you have qualified on line via the Internet. This is certainly no easy feat. What was your strategy in gaining qualification for the 2008 Main event?
Dan Melan: First off. I have to thank my wife Danielle for my qualifying for the main event. I had some success this year in live tournaments but not a lot online. After 5 unsuccessful tries (a 7th, 3rd, and 8th), Danielle encouraged me to keep trying and that same night I won the seat. My strategy was to play very few hands and be aggressive when I played a hand. I also took notes
on who I was playing and looked up their stats. When we got down to heads up I let my opponent bet into me and I would either slow play or re-raise him.
Chief Disciple: How will you mentally prepare for the Main Event as well as prepare in general?
Dan Melan: Well I have been preparing for it for about 3 weeks now. I have played in many online tournaments to get increase my play. Now with just 11 days before I play I am going to stop the online play and read my poker books. I purchased a book recently, Full Tilt
Strategies from the Pros but I am really going to focus on rereading my other books like Harrington on Hold'em, Tournament Poker by Sklansky, Hold'em Wisdom for all players by Daniel Negreanu, and Making the Final Table by Erick Lindgren. I read these books last year including Negreanu's on the plane ride over to Vegas. Also my daily routine won't change. I'll have Cornflakes and a Banana for breakfast, shower, play MLB on my PSP to take my mind away until I head over to the Rio about 1 hour before play.
Chief Disciple: What will you try and do differently this year versus last year to improve your chances of going deeper in the event?
Dan Melan: I think since last year's main event I have learned to read people and situations a lot better. Of course my goals are the same, survive day 1, make the money, and head to the top of the leader board but it think this year I can use more of my talent to get there instead of just relaying on getting the top 5 starting hands.
Chief Disciple: Were there any tells you picked up from players last year at the WSOP, that could be applied this year? How important are tells in your overall game?
Dan Melan: I think last year I didn't rely on tells more of a gut feeling. This year should be different. I can pick up on limping with monsters for UTG and position raising. Also I have been picking up on how most players change their bets based on their hands, whether over-betting draws or under betting monsters. I am also hoping this year I do not get moved around so
much at the beginning so I will not have to earn the respect of the table every few hours. I feel tells are more important in my game but I still love to confuse my opponents by letting them second guess my hands with my checks and calls then coming out with a bet when a blank hits.
Chief Disciple: If you accumulate a ton of chips and cruise into the money and stand a real shot at a top 100 finish how do you hope your game will respond versus being just a chip average guy, but still in the money (this includes potential TV coverage as well)?
Dan Melan: Well I feel if I were to accumulate a ton of chips my game wouldn't change that much. I don't believe in the bullying the table theory but to pick my spots and make the table pay to see cards. I believe too many people lose their big stacks by raising and calling raises with 89 suited or jack 10 just because they can but in reality they are just making later decisions that much tougher and costly. Any TV appearance shouldn't change me or my game any. Norman and Lon
might wonder what the heck I'm doing sometimes but my table manner or chatter will not change.
In general, my plan is not to get into many preflop battles because even aces are not invincible but rather bet hard and heavy when I have the nuts or at least think I have the nuts.
Frank thanks for taking the time to talk and blog about me. Danielle will be updating everyone on our blog site http://melanpoker.blog.homepagenow.com
The site isn't very colorful but it allows up to update not just blogs but pictures too.
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