QUALIFIERS - Tony  Smith

What’s your home town?
Edison, N.J.

Where did you go to school?
I went to Wagner College in Staten Island. I received a scholarship to play football which was the main reason I picked Wagner.

What’s your marital status?
I am engaged to my beautiful fiancée, Jacqueline Safatle, whom I met while attending Wagner.

What do you do for a living?
I’m a mortgage broker.

Any kids?
I have no kids yet.

How long have you been playing poker?
I have been playing poker since I was 13.

What or who inspired you to start playing?
My father taught me how to play poker.
 
How long have you been playing at Bodog?
I’ve been playing at Bodog for about five years.

Tell us about your best poker win…
The best poker win I had might be this one. I was down to 180 chips with the blinds $100/$200 and came back to win it. I had a couple friends over watching and we went crazy when I finally beat the last guy.

How did you win your seat?
Like I said, I came back from 180 chips to 40,000 chips heads up against a guy with 17,000 chips. The first hand he went all-in and I called. He had 8-7 offsuit and I had K-5 both spades. The flop came 8-8-7; he flopped a boat and doubled up. I thought I was screwed because that had happened to me once before where I was way ahead and took second in this other tourney. I waited a little, stole some blinds and got A-A. I was praying that he would go all-in to me and he did. I won and we went crazy; I stormed into the bedroom to tell my fiancée.

What do you think your chances are of winning the WSOP*? 
I think my chances of winning the World Series are just as good as anyone's. I am considered an amateur but play like a pro and against a lot of pros. When there are that many people you have to get lucky a bunch of times to survive. Skill can only take you so far; after that, the cards talk. I’ll tell you this though, I will never make a call and be behind; they will have to suck out on me to win.

Who is your favorite poker player?
I am my favorite poker player, and will have a fan base after the WSOP* is over..

Anything else?
I have two tattoos one my left arm. One is of my father’s initials (he passed away in 2000) and the other is of a cross in memory of him. If I do win the World Series, it will be with his guidance.

What would you do if you won?
If I won I would buy a couple of houses around the world and just go from spot to spot every couple of months. I would also donate some to a charity for autism. My youngest half-brother is autistic and many charities need money for research to find out why it is so common now.
 
How much would you need to win to make you quit your job?
I would quit my job if I made it to the final table. I would travel a lot and play all the big tourneys around the world.

What would your tagline be if you turned pro?
All my friends call me “Tsmizzle,” which is my name on Bodog. All the guys I play against in Staten Island call me "The Kid, Sweet Tony." I don’t know why but it’s funny. “Tsmizzle” will do.

What single story best defines you and your life?
I don’t know what story best defines me but I know that I’m a hard-working person and I hate to lose. I don’t care what I am playing, I really hate to lose. I will be disappointed if I don’t win the World Series of Poker*. Even if I take second I won't be truly happy.

How will you spend your time off in Vegas?
When I do have a free minute I will go down to the pool and get some drinks. I’m gonna try to stay away from the clubs unless I don’t have to get up early the next morning. I’m going to need at least eight hours of sleep every night to be able to play great poker.

What type of player are you?
I am a tricky poker player. It really depends on the table and how the other players are acting. I get a read of who I can push around and who I can’t. Then I go on instincts after that. I can usually tell when I’m beat or when someone is making a play.

Have you been to Vegas before? If so, any good stories? If not, what are you expecting?
I’ve never been to Vegas before. I expect it to be as crazy as they say it is. I’m going to worry about winning the Main Event, then I’ll check out Vegas.