A Mattern of Fact: The Arnaud Mattern Interview

By Rod Stirzaker Nov 17, 2008 | 2 months ago

Arnaud Mattern, EPT Prague - Day 4, European Poker Tour

Arnaud Mattern shot to fame when he defeated Gino Alacqua heads-up to win the EPT Prague trophy in 2007, and since then he has consistently shown he has a knack for chip accumulation and fearless tournament play.

He is well-placed in the latest stage of the EPT circuit here in Warsaw and is looking to become the first player to collect two EPT titles.

We caught up with the genial Frenchman to discuss his tournament here and find out a little more about strategy and the successful Winamax team to which he belongs.

OK; so how did today go for you Arnaud?

It's been a long day; let me try to remember! OK, well, I came back with around $27,000 from Day 1. I was a little disappointed as I had a really good table, which was perhaps below normal EPT standards, and it was a good opportunity to get a really big stack, but that was OK.

I made a bad play early on in the day today. There was a guy who was pretty active, although I think it was just because he was getting lots of hands, so I raise on the button with 6 7 and he reraised me.

[...] I thought he might be a tight player but because of the frequency of his reraises and [the fact that] it was the second time he had reraised me, I four-bet all-in. I covered him obviously - otherwise I wouldn't make this play - and he called with aces!

Well, 6-7 suited is the best hand to crack aces, right?

Ha-ha; yes, I flopped a gutshot but it didn't come out, so I was down to 12 or 13 big blinds. But I played a big hand against Sebastian Ruthenberg where I had A-K and he had K-T, so I won that to get me back into it. Then another hand I had queens against a player with eights and I shoved all-in against him and he called.

I don't believe you. Oops, you have aces!

Then I got moved to another table and it was a little difficult as Anthony Lellouche had position on me and I went down to 10BBs and found pocket deuces in second position. So I need[ed] to push, and Anthony Lellouche finds eights and I spiked a deuce on the river. So that was a big pot and a big moment for me.

It's been a good tournament really for the Winamax team, hasn't it? Ludovic Lacay has done well, Nicholas Levi made Day 2, you've done well and Anthony Lellouche was the chip leader for some time but then all his chips seemed to evaporate very fast.

What was your take on Anthony's demise?

Anthony played very well today, but he lost five big hands in a row at showdown you know. He won lots of hands without showing his hands, moving chips around, using his skill, but five times in a row he lost ... sometimes he was ahead, sometimes he was behind, sometimes flipping, but every time he lost.

You were involved in one of those hands where you got lucky with your deuces against Anthony's eights. Were you in two minds about that hand, thinking I don't want to put a bad beat on my friend, but also I want chips?

Winamax Team mate Anthony Lellouche was unfortunate to go from hero to zero.

Well, I just felt bad about the beat, but the thing is I don't mind my shove with twos and I don't mind his call with eights. We both played the hand well.

If I was in his position I would have done the same and vice-versa ... we don't soft-play each other so it was just one of those hands, but I'll pay him back at the bar I guess!

You had Roland De Wolfe on your table for some time today with position on you. I imagine he's a little difficult to play against, a good aggressive player with a big stack?

Well actually Roland wasn't too annoying today, he didn't reraise too much and he didn't play too many pots. We both had healthy stacks at that time; I had about $85,000 and he had $160,000 or so.

The table was not soft at the end, we had good players who knew what they were doing with raises and reraises, so I think he just picked his spots and I picked mine.

So you didn't collide too often? Is that what tends to happen really, the more experienced players will often avoid each other and perhaps go for the softer spots?

Yes, well, that's what I often do. I don't mind going for those sorts of players when I have position and I cover them, but in this situation he covered me and had position and because Roland is on the looser side and is perhaps looking to make good calls rather than good folds, I don't think it would have been really smart to try and put some moves on him. He may have been tempted to call me light and I'm going to end up looking foolish!

Ha-ha! What was the game you were playing with him where you were paying to see each other's cards?

Mattern likes to have fun at the table.

Well, he said one time he would give me €5 to show him my cards and I said for €5 you can see them both. So he paid and I showed him jacks. Then later he raised and I said, OK, I'll give you the five back if you show me your cards this time. It was fun really!

Then the other players started joining in the game but I think me and Roland were just showing when it was not too costly to reveal the information. But some of the others were sucked into enjoying the game and were showing what sorts of hands they were raising from different positions, so that was quite good fun.

I lost €10 by the way, but for information ... that's OK!

Just one more question. The Winamax team has a lot of talent in its ranks, but who exactly is the best?

That's a difficult question to answer because we all have our own specialties. For example Guillaume De La Gorce is a high-stakes heads-up cash-game specialist and Anthony Lellouche is a live specialist ... and he plays Omaha four- and Omaha five-card very well.

Then Tall, Anthony Le Roux is a short-handed and tournament specialist. Davidi Kitai, who won a bracelet in the summer and finished fourth in the Barcelona EPT, is obviously a great tournament player. Everyone in the team has their own strengths and there is a good balance of skills within the group. We specialize in different areas so we can all learn from each other.

Second EPT title in the offing?

Well thanks very much for talking to us Arnaud. You're well-placed when you come back tomorrow so the best of luck to you!

Thanks!

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Arnaud Mattern has come close several times in big tournaments since his EPT triumph and in relatively few years of tournament play has already amassed over a million dollars in winnings.

He may create another slice of history by collecting his second EPT title when play resumes tomorrow, but even if he doesn't, he and his Winamax colleagues will clearly be a poker force for years to come.