Black Belt Live winner Sonny Pomroy
Thursday, 31 May 2012
Remember ‘DPommo’? Well, his 20-year-old brother Sonny Pomroy is following in his footsteps as an online pro, and has already captured his first live title.
How did you get started, Sonny?
My brother Dave lived just five minutes away from my school, so I used to go round there every day and watch him play online. I loved the lifestyle and he was making good money, so I asked him to teach me. I won a tournament early on for around $6,000 and haven’t looked back since.
What did your family think when you turned pro?
I didn’t go to college, so obviously they weren’t feeling fantastic, but at the same time they didn’t mind as long as I was sensible, as my brother had been playing for a number of years and they’d seen how successful he’d been. They just said it was my decision and I could make up my own mind, so I went for it.
What’s your brother up to these days? Still partying?
[David Pomroy developed a reputation circa 2005-06 for playing high stakes and living what became known as a ‘balla’ lifestyle.]
He’s still playing professionally, although rarely live, and is also co-running a staking site called sharkstaking.com. He’s definitely calmed down a bit. I didn’t realise what he was like at first, but then I got to see for myself. I always knew we were in for a good night when he said we were meeting up with Dave Shallow.
Do you find it hard to motivate yourself to play?
I try to remind myself of how lucky I am. I’m 20-years old and I don’t have to get up for anything, so there’s no excuse not to put the effort in. I treat it as a job. I enjoy the game too, and will try to play six nights a week, making sure I’m registered for all my events by five o’clock. The amount of money that can be won in one night is what helps motivate me to play.
Did you play on Full Tilt?
Yeah. I considered it the best site and did well in their MTTs. I had a lucky touch as well. I remember Dave telling me that they were in a bit of trouble, so I thought I’d play just one more night and then withdraw my ’roll. It just so happened that I won a tournament for around 3K, so I took it out straight away. The money hit my account just in time as two days later the site shut down. I never saw much difference between keeping my bankroll online or in a bank, but now I think twice.
Tell us about your East End Live win…
[Sonny became the inaugural Black Belt East End Live Champion in April when he captured the title and $13,300 first prize.]
I was shattered by the end, but really pleased. And the money is a huge boost. I don’t play too many live tournaments, but this was a really good event and there was a lot of play. The standard was mixed, but I played a lot with Richard Ashby; he was the toughest player I came up against, and he made some really good calls. My aim was just to be aggressive and win, and on the final I knew that if I kept playing my game I could easily go out in ninth. But if I’m in it, I want to win it, and I’m willing to take the risk. Thankfully, it worked out well in the end.
What are your goals for 2012?
Ideally, I’d love to win a big online tournament, like a SCOOP or iPOPS, final table at least. I’d also like to win another Black Belt Live event, and will probably play the one in Nottingham in August. I’m turning 21 in June, so I want to head out to Vegas too. Dave flew me over during his first Series, and although I was too young to gamble, I felt a buzz straight away and all I wanted to do was turn 21.