After two decades in the game, American poker professional Matt Vengrin has seen several eras of the game he loves come and go. The latest innovations, the best way to play, even the style of players both on and off the felt. We caught up with one of PokerStake’s most popular players to find out what he still loves about the game and where he sees poker heading in the near future.
Past and Future Collide
“The security of it should be very attractive to investors. If they win, they will be paid out.”
One era that many poker professionals remember fondly is the period many loosely refer to simply as ‘before Black Friday’. In 2011, The U.S. Government shut down online poker in the United States overnight. Today, 13 years later, the game is returning to territories state by state. The game of poker is different in many ways – some good, some bad.
“Back then, the game was easy if you played a lot and had like-minded friends to talk hands with,” says Matt. “That was the extent of studying for a while. Maybe it’s nostalgia but I definitely enjoyed poker more pre–Black Friday. I still enjoy playing a lot which is why I still do it but give me a time machine and I’m going back there.”
Poker’s innovations in the most recent past include PokerStake and other selling sites where players can advertise action and both sell or buy securely from the site, investing in others and spreading variance. Matt has used PokerStake extensively recently and is running at a big profit for investors.
“PokerStake immediately got my interest,” he admits. “There were a few other sites out there, but I immediately liked PokerStake better. The first reason is because of who runs it; Josh [Arieh] has been in the poker and gambling world forever and I really respect him, not only for his skills but for what he gives to the game. He’s doing this for the players and the fans based on what I’ve seen. His word is impeccable and that’s the only way a site like this works.”
Before PokerStake, Matt says that it was hard to network and find investors. As he tells us, ‘In the past in the poker world there have been some bad actors’ and Matt admits to getting his fingers burned himself when staking players. It’s not fun and PokerStake has taken away that worry for him.
“It’s a win-win for the players and the investors because the players get to play more and the investors get at the very least a sweat, and at the very most a very solid return. Last but not least, the security of it should be very attractive to investors. If they win, they will be paid out. The ease of transactions [mean] you get paid out almost instantly and fund it almost instantly. It’s just a great technology and one I think will grow significantly in the coming years.”
Bagging a Bracelet
“Nothing beats being the last person standing in a poker tournament.”
Over his glittering career, Matt has cashed four times for between $150,000 and $170,000 across four podium place finishes in WSOP events… but is yet to win one. He acknowledges that it is still a massive motivator for him.
“Considering I’ve lost to Dan Idema twice, and Amnon Filippi and Yuri Dzivielevski (heads up in a PLOSSUS on GGPoker), I don’t feel too bad about the seconds. They are all very tough competitors. I will say that I am slightly annoyed I have not won one yet! It is definitely on the top of my poker bucket list and something I hope to win very soon.”
He may still be waiting for a win in WSOP events, but Vengrin constantly gets things over the line. Just recently, he won consecutive events at the Wynn.
“Yeah that was fun! In terms of money won, it’s not huge but nothing beats being the last person standing in a poker tournament. And to do it two nights in a row in two different poker variants makes it even more fun. Unfortunately it was too late to add the series [on PokerStake] as it was in its last week but you can grab a piece of me these next few months I have action up for NAPT, I will add the Horseshoe next, and I already added the December Wynn series which include a lot of mixed games as well.”
Winning is always huge for a tournament pro like Matt but we wondered if he felt unbeatable or he easily kept his feet on the ground after back-to-back victories.
“This is something I am constantly working on,” he concedes. “It’s a battle of the mind that makes the difference in poker in my opinion. The funny thing about poker is the battle is often times more in your own mind than about your opponents. If you can get out of your own mind it helps, so that’s what I constantly strive for. I was told a long time ago by a very smart person is to not look back at all. Of course, it’s still in your mind, ‘Hey, I might go back-to-back-to-back’, but you gotta just get back on the horse.”
Fan Turned Favorite
“What he did for poker is amazing – I consider him a modern game hero.”
As is the case with many top pros, Matt is a huge poker fan first and foremost and still has so many heroes in the game. He still gorges on poker content and watches the game almost as much as he plays.
“I watch a lot of poker broadcasting, and I usually will take a look at a replay of a WSOP event on PokerGO the night before the event just to get my brain working and see the game before I sit down. Josh Arieh has to be up there as a hero of mine. I mentioned why before but I’ll add his poker ability. The guy has taken to mixed games like a fish to water, I don’t know exactly when he started but he can do it all.”
Other heroes include Isai Scheinberg for his pioneering work is getting the game where it is today, with Matt saying, ‘What he did for poker is amazing – I consider him a modern game hero.’ There are clearly so many that Matt looks up to despite the heights he himself has reached. In live tournaments alone, Vengrin has banked almost $1.7 million playing the game he loves.
With so much glory in poker’s past and present, what does the future of the game hold? Matt believes that the post-Moneymaker ‘poker boom’ days aren’t so far away.
“I think the game of poker today is on the path of making a comeback to where we were before,” he says. “Who doesn’t love poker? We have a lot of competition now which I think is great. WSOP of course is leading the way, but the WPT is not far behind if not on equal footing. The December series they are doing was much needed and I am super happy they filled that gap. Streamers are also doing a ton to grow the game, that is a great thing.”
While there are many positives, Matt doesn’t love the technological side of the game, preferring to see the whites of another player’s eyes across the poker felt.
“I do think the technology is a net negative for the game. Maybe I have just officially become old but to me poker is ‘mono-e-mono’, figuring out things on the fly, reading people, and having a mind game with a fellow human. Doing something because the computer says so makes poker into a whole new game. There were a few times people were caught looking at what they should do at the table and to me that should be strictly punished. I think everyone would agree away from the table in your own time do whatever study you like but at the table, it is you versus them.”
Mixing it Up
A lover of mixed games since starting out playing them in 2005, Matt advocates mixing it up and was thrilled when he finally played the $50,000-entry Poker Players Championship in 2023.
“Playing it was a life goal of mine,” Matt says. “It’s at the top of my poker bucket list to win that. Perhaps with the help of PokerStake, I will get back there any get another opportunity at it.”
Matt’s love affair with mixed game hit early right the way back to the start of his poker career.
“I absolutely fell in love with mixed games as soon as I started playing them,” says Matt with a grin. “When I was learning PLO, [I learned] its OK to make mistakes when you are learning a new game. I remember sitting down at a $1c/$2c ‘Stars table and one of my first hands I had J-9-8-6 or something and the board was A-K-Q-T-5 with no flushes. I bet and this guy raised and I just kept raising until all my money was in, because I thought I had the nuts, Broadway. I however had nothing that would ever win in that situation. This is why you play low stakes when you learn games!”
Matt got into mixed games because he heard they were good value and believed that if he was going to be a professional, he should know all the games. That desire to learn is something that he believes will stand him in good stead for poker in the years to come.
“I think mixed games will be the future of poker,” Matt declares. “I believe people are getting bored of No Limit and the technology behind it is making it into a different game than it once was where amateurs have less of a chance. Mixed games are just so much more fun; you can’t lose your whole stack in any given hand usually so there is less stress involved, as well as more talking, more camaraderie. The games themselves are intricate and keep you on your toes and you can play more hands than you would in No Limit Hold‘em.”
With tours adding in mixed games more than ever, Matt’s passion isn’t just playing them but teaching them too. Available for coaching at a beginner, intermediate or advanced level on via email, you can also contact Matt on X, formerly known as Twitter too. With his passion for poker perhaps only matched by his newest investment, the stunning Yohama Noodles restaurant in downtown Vegas – right around the corner from his happy hunting ground of The Wynn Las Vegas – the future for Matt and poker itself looks to be healthier than ever.
Want to invest in Matt Vengrin? It couldn’t be simpler, you just head to his dedicated page on PokerStake, something that is available for every seller on the site.
Photo credits: Omar Sadar and Hayley Hochstetler for PokerNews.
