GPInterview: Amanda Musumeci | Alpha Female. Closet Softie

She may be small in stature, but don’t you dare stand in Amanda Musumeci’s way … if you do, there is a strong possibility that she knocks you down, although she may very well apologize along the way.

Musumeci has been a contender on the live tournament circuit for a few years now.  Last summer she came close to acquiring her first WSOP bracelet – TWICE.  She lost a heads-up battle to Ashkan Razavi in the 1,500 re-buy event.  She also final tabled the WSOP National Championship.  Her friend Ryan Eriquezzo ended up winning the event.

Currently ranked at #431 on the Global Poker Index, Musumeci may be on the verge of something great.  With family issues out of the way, a clear mind is exactly what she needs to run good this summer at the World Series of Poker.

I got the chance to speak with Amanda earlier, I hope you enjoy our conversation:

The WSOP is now underway … what is the first event you’ll play in and how excited are you to get things going?

I’m so excited about the WSOP. This year has been crazy with a lot of personal family issues getting in the way of my playing a full schedule. WSOP swooped in with perfect timing to pull me out of all that craziness. I couldn’t wait to get out of the house and to get back to my life and playing poker again. I couldn’t be happier that this is the series that proceeded all my family drama. I’m thankful to have WSOP to help pull me out of the drama and back into the poker scene. Such a great vibe! It’s impossible not to feel uplifted and excited this time of year!

I’m looking to play a full schedule this summer, beginning with the 8-handed NLH 5k that’ now underway.

You were named as a “One to Watch” by the WPT for this past season, how did you enjoy the experience?

Being a “One to Watch” with the WPT was an incredible experience. It’s opportunities like that that truly reflect how blessed I’ve been in my career. Being a Ones to Watch pushed me to travel to some new destinations, and take some chances in bigger buy-in events that I may not have otherwise taken. Having video pieces made up showing the world who you are… that’s incredible. I’m beyond fortunate that they felt the desire to show the world a little bit more about “Amanda Musumeci.” I’m so thankful that I have content that I can share with friends and the future generations of my family. It’s the best keepsake a gal could ask for. Thanks again to WPT!

You were selected by Matt Savage as a “Shooting Star” at the WPT Bay 101 event earlier this year… how did it feel to be selected?

Talk about “what an honor” …. this one takes the cake. I must not see myself the way that others see me, because I was shocked by this. Me? Lil ol’ me? I hadn’t won anything… just a bunch of deep runs in some decent events. The folks that comprise that list of “Shooting Stars”…. well, most of them are already big stars in the poker world, most having already achieved a win for a major title. I felt like I was the new kid in school who still had something to prove to everyone. I suppose I made sense of it all with this logic: I am a Shooting Star. I’m up-and-coming. I’ve worked tirelessly at my career, and have some successes that lead not only myself but my colleagues to believe that I have potential to shine in a big way. It means so much to me that Matt Savage and the WPT saw that quality in me. It gives me an abundance of hope and confidence as I move onward and upward in my career.

You’ve come a long way from your start in poker and being a Bodog rep to now being a veteran of the live tournament circuit, no?

Mannnn… it’s been an insane ride. My career has blossomed like a flower on speed (I’m good at metaphors, right?! Thanks college!) Bodog, albeit a short-lived experience of only one year, was an eye-opener for me. It displayed the abundance of opportunity that existed within this career that I’ve so chosen. Coming out of college with a ton of knowledge on marketing and PR, I felt fortunate when sponsorship opportunities came my way. It allowed me to put to use some of my other strengths. I loved it. As unfortunate and crushing as losing online poker was for most of those who might find themselves reading this, it was two-fold for me as it came with the loss of a sponsorship. I took a pretty big hit at that time.

Again, my prayers were answered and my whirlwind-ish career led me to some great results in my first WSOP as an unsponsored, and internet poker-less professional. With a strong showing in the 2011 WSOP Main Event, I walked away from that series with around 150k in my pocket. That was a much needed score for both my bankroll and for my confidence as a newbie live pro.

Following that summer, I grinded a lot of WSOP circuit series, and of course, my all time fav, Borgata series. I was shocked at how well I was doing. At practically every stop on the tour, I’d make a final table. I was proud, but I knew I was still a long ways away from being a top-notch pro. I still had a lot to prove to myself. I wanted that illusive big score/title.

Obviously the WSOP that followed accelerated my career again both in bankroll and confidence. The 2012 WSOP was incredible, as I went on to make two WSOP final tables, bringing my summer earnings to about 520k. This was insane. It’s still insane to me. It often takes me a year or two before it really kicks in, as it was all just so unreal. I’m finally starting to feel it now, as we approach the 2013 WSOP. I reflect on how difficult and how truly lucky you must be to run deep in events with 3000+ runners in them. To have had the chance to play heads-up for a bracelet and life-changing money was an experience I’d only ever dreamed of.

To this day, I’m filled with gratitude that I’ve been able to come so far. Now…. we’re on the hunt for that big title. Second, third, and fourth places NO MOREEEE!

You’ve gone through your share of adversity in the past 12 months, how do you:

A) Overcome those situations
Well, we’ve all made mistakes on our paths, and I’m no different. I did contribute to a lot of my own drama this year. I’m thankful to those who opened my eyes enough to see my own part in the things that occur within my life. Overcoming any situation is about understanding, and rising above it. Honest evaluations of past situations have led me to a place of continued growth and understanding. It’s motivated me to always approach situations from a place of compassion, honesty, and, most importantly for a loud mouth Philly chick like me, a place not lacking in tact.

B) Make sure it doesn’t affect your poker game, because you still have to make a living while going through some tough times

True, it’s difficult to manage a career when you have some series issues going on in your personal life. This is something that people in any line of work will go through. It’s just the same as anything else; we have to know when it would be most appropriate to allow ourselves a time slot to cry it all out. At work, or in our case, at the poker table… that’s clearly the worst place ever to let yourself fall apart.Sometimes, of course, there will be things that take over our lives and we have almost no control over the timing, placement, or the amount of emotional upheaval created. I had such a situation this year within my family. Rather than put myself in a super tough spot where I could potentially either burst out in tears at the poker table, or be called off the poker table for a family emergency, I chose to just take some time away from the game. There are more important things in my life than poker. And, in such a case as mine, time off was a necessity so to tend to those things which take precedent over my career.

I think it’s best to always save money and to do your best to be prepared for the unknowns. Saving money is what allowed me to take the past few months off to help out with my family. Not only that, but if I had played poker in the midst of all the craziness, my equity would have dropped, I would have been distracted, and likely would have ended up just wasting the money that I should have been saving.

I have a feeling you’re right on the cusp of something big, maybe a bracelet this summer, am I reading you wrong 🙂 ?

No, actually. You’re absolutely right! Honestly though, it is like I’ve hit a ceiling. I feel like after my big score last summer (a 2nd place finish), that now people will only really care if I were to win one of these birds. So… that’s the goal! Light a candle for me guys n gals!!!

Fantasy Poker Managers are about to make their selections for the summer, why should they include Amanda Mususemci to their lineups?
I am one of the easiest, no-brainer picks of the summer. Due to my hiatus from poker for the better part of 2013, my price tag is bottom dollar (10,000 at the moment!!). IMO this is the best value out there. Take advantage folks!

Amanda is truly one cool chick!  Be sure to follow her on Twitter @TheRealMander and check out her blog over at therealmander.blogspot.com.

Head on over to Facebook and signup to play the GPI Fantasy Poker Manager – lineups for the World Series of Poker lock soon! … FPM is the OFFICIAL Fantasy Poker Game of the World Poker Tour and the World Series of Poker!

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