During the 12th PokerStars.net European Poker Tour Barcelona, our friends at PokerListings scored an exclusive interview with poker legend, Patrik Antonius . The Finnish player made some interesting remarks about today’s live and online poker games which will, for sure, resonate in the poker community.

Patrik lives in Monaco, although he is only touching base there temporarily. «I still play poker all over the world, but  rarely in tournaments», said Antonius.

Antonius, who has won millions of dollars playing online poker, frequently visited Macau’s High Stakes. However, he hasn’t been around this lands for two years; in his words, « The big games I was playing in kind of dried out. In Macau the games moved more and more into private games.»

Is Manila the new Macau?

«There are very nice poker rooms in Manila, and the Chinese can’t play in their home country so they like to go to either Macao or the Philippines. Also, I know that Winfred’s (Yu; CEO of Poker King Club Macau) company has a opened a poker club in Manila just like the one in Macau.»

Have you been playing less poker lately?

“You know, things just change in our industry. So I stepped back and cut down on poker. Sometimes I didn’t play a single hand for months but I probably would have had there been a proper game. Then again I got to spend more time with my family and on my health and I succeeded in getting in better shape.»

Your battles with Tom Dwan   at the online poker High Stakes have become a classic. Why did you stop playing online so much?

“You know, it’s a little sad, but it looks like the technology has advanced so much that it’s become a totally different game.

Nowadays players use software that gives them so much information and so much data that it has become more of a game of numbers.

I never used any of these programs. I‘ve never used technology to get an edge. I’m more of a feel player who’s living in the moment.

But the players today know what they’re doing. They are basing their play on what the software tells them to do so it feels like you’re playing against a computer these days.»

On tracking software for this games…

I’m sure some smart people are already working on it and that there will be programs for Stud poker or heads-up 2-7 Triple Draw. As much as I know Limit Hold’em is now basically solved. I actually had to quit Hold’em and PLO online.

I lost about a million straight and then I realized that I couldn’t beat the ring-games anymore and that was largely due to tracking software.

I would take my chances against any high-stakes player live but online I don’t like my chances anymore, unfortunately.

What do you think of the statements made by Antonius? Do you think computer programs are benefitial to online poker?

Ladies and Gentlemen, the floor is open.