It's hard to say whether it's the (common) island origins or the somewhat unconventional personality, but the interview with one of the upcoming protagonists at the Wolf Millionaire to be played at the GCPoker Room in Bendern, Liechtenstein, was enjoyable.
Marco Perra, or "Peraz77" if you prefer, is among the emerging characters in the national poker scene and not only for his results at the tables but also for his skills as an entertainer through his Twitch channel, which currently boasts over 3 thousand subscribers.
In recent times, his presence at live tournaments has become a constant, a fact that is anything but coincidental, the result of both poker and personal maturation, two aspects that hardly travel on different tracks:
"One of the beliefs that has changed over time concerns the consideration I had of online and live. Wrongly, I always saw the live game more for recreational players, while the online was the real challenge.
It took me a while to realize instead that if the field is easier since I do this for a living, you don't have to avoid it. Many people play where the field is tougher to prove something to themselves and I fell for it too.
The difference is that I used to make two or three trips a year, maybe to meet some players I met online in person, but now the ratio between live and online is more balanced."
Paradigm shift
"At the moment poker is mainly work, it has lost some of the magic it had when I watched it on TV. I'm traveling around Europe playing cards and I can't complain, I manage myself, I do what I want."
One of Marco's main characteristics is his authenticity. We are therefore not surprised by his answer to the question of whether or not he had any reference players or streamers:
"The truth is that I don't care about anyone. It happened that someone came to the chat and asked me for a Top 3: punctually I make up some bullshit because I don't have any ranking in my head."
The poker turnaround
"I was born as an arm player and had to restrain myself a lot. The first switch was when I met 'Il Giuglia' (Luigi D'Alterio ed.), the path I took with him represents the first turning point in my career.
Although last year didn't go well at all, I started to study solvers and, above all, to create my own identity, my game strategies I study alone at the moment.
Have I ever thought about quitting and doing something else? Absolutely, and it's not even that far back in time. I didn't feel like playing anymore and Twtich gave me the push to continue: it's no coincidence that once or twice a month I have a session without streaming."
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Ciao bimbi
This is how "Peraz77" greets, in his way, the viewers at the live shows on Twitch. One to whom the role of poker player is a tight fit, as I could already see from his look, which betrays his past as a tattoo artist:
"The first stream? I remember it very well and yes, I was a bit embarrassed at first, but it was short-lived. Although I have always avoided being the center of attention, in time I realized that I like it, in fact I enjoy it.
I've always been a big Twitch user, even when I play a monitor is always on some extra poker channel. The poker channels I've never seen as entertainment but more as education because I was learning something more than just enjoying the live games.
My channel is famous for its playlists, I play a lot from opera to techno and many other genres, although the one I put most in the streams is hip-hop because it creates a nice background. The high points, however, are reached with Italian pieces from the 2000s!"
"I don't have adoring fans, I appreciate appreciation but if you put me on a pedestal I'm not into it. I remember once, in Barcelona, a guy came up to me and introduced himself as one of my biggest fans...
Have I ever met anyone through my streams? It was the opposite, I made a nice friendship with a League Of Legends streamer, 'Greta Rei', and I went a little behind the scenes at Twitch Italia.
Criticism? They always get a lot, but confidence in one's means makes the difference in these cases. If you have your confidence, you get over it without a problem."
Cross and delight
Especially at the beginning, a player's career can be affected by events. In Marco's case, the biggest emotion and disappointment came within a few days:
"The best and worst moment of my career? I could put them together. I had only been playing for two years and won a package for the Estrellas in Barcelona for 1,100€, including hotel and expenses. As a kid, I used to get excited watching the EPT on television, and to find myself playing there was a dream.
Ah, I went there alone of course. I mean, after a level and a half I crossed K-K against A-A and was eliminated. Obviously I didn't have the bankroll to get back in even though the table was quite affordable and I went back to the hotel. Dejected!"
Introspezione
Becoming a professional poker player is not just about learning a game strategy and putting it into action at the tables. It is a 360-degree work on oneself, proving that the game is not just about clicking the right buttons:
"Playing poker allows you to look inside yourself and observe all your limits on a character level, the work on the mindset is very important because being a poker player by profession is extremely stressful even if you are sitting in front of a monitor.
Last year I swung a lot and just when everything seemed to be going against me I found an activity that saved my career. I have always been a sportsman but after the pandemic, I have sat back a bit.
From then on I started taking long walks, which positively influenced my mind. Now, when I come home after a good walk, I sit down and have a more positive mindset when I play. Perhaps it is no coincidence that since I started doing them I have started winning again.
What has changed since I chose to do this for work? Mainly my habits: I've always liked going out, going on nights out, going dancing, and playing regularly this was no longer possible. After the first period, however, I gave myself some rules and forced myself to stop on Fridays and Saturdays, literally turning off the computer."
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