Interview: Marvin Sun

THE WEEKLY SHUFFLE, 2009-10-25, by Ozone

Age: 44
Hometown: Dunkirk, New York
Best Known For: Being Chip-Leader in the Intercontinental Championships of Poker

This week, PokerTips had the rare and unique privilege of being able to interview the elusive Marvin Sun, who holds the chip-lead in the Intercontinental Championships of Poker (ICOP). With play set to resume in a matter of weeks, Marvin decided to stop hiding from the media and came to PokerTips to set the record straight on a few things. Marvin has enlisted the help of his tech-savvy neighbor to type out his response to our questions since he's never seen a keyboard before.

PokerTips: First off, Marvin, thanks for taking the time to speak with us... I hope we weren't interrupting anything.

Sun: Well, I was huntin' but needed to come in and shower before the weekly Elk's Lodge tournament.

PokerTips: Ah yes, the Elk's Lodge tournament. Is that where you honed your poker skills prior to appearing in the ICOP?

Sun: I've been playing a weekly $50 tournament at the Elk's Lodge for about two years now. We get about 22-25 players in that game each week. I've consistently been the 8th or 9th best player in the room for a while now.

PokerTips: So how did you wind up at the ICOP?

Sun: We played a satellite at the Elk's Lodge to send one player to the ICOP. I finished 4th but none of the three people who did better than me wanted to leave Dunkirk.

PokerTips: You've got about 30% of the chips in play at the final table when the ICOP resumes. You have to like your chances, right?

Sun: No, not really. I'm just hoping to get 4th or maybe even 3rd if I get real lucky. I'm not even going to start looking at my cards until we're down to six.

PokerTips: C'mon Marvin, give yourself some credit. You're obviously quite a good player to be in the position you're in.

Sun: Nope, not really. A monkey could have played my cards. I flopped a set on 1 out of every 3 hands.

PokerTips: Throughout the whole tournament, you wore an Atlanta Falcons hat and refused to take it off even when enticed with a sponsorship offer from an online poker room. I don't get, Marvin. You live in Western New York, why the strong allegiance to the Falcons?

Sun: I just like 'em.

PokerTips: But surely you're going to sign some type of sponsorship deal with an online poker room for the final table, right? I mean... you'd be passing up on a six- or perhaps even seven-figure offer!

Sun: I don't play online poker and I don't want nothing to do with it. Besides, my wife saw on 60 Minutes where it's rigged. Only a fool would play on there.

PokerTips: What you do for a living, Marvin?

Sun: I run a landfill business.

PokerTips: You're already a millionaire and stand to win quite a bit more in a few weeks, why have you continued to work during the break before the final table?

Sun: I don't like a bunch of hub-ub. Just decided to come back home and do my job. What else am I supposed to do?

PokerTips: So you don't have any aspirations to be a traveling poker player and an ambassador for the game?

Sun: Hell no! Why would I travel all around the world just to sit on my ass and stare at some cards? Seems kind of stupid if you ask me.

PokerTips: Where do you stay when you're in Vegas?

Sun: Excalibur

PokerTips: Finally, Marvin, do you have any tips you could share with our readers who hope to be in your shoes at next year's ICOP?

Sun: Nope

The Weekly Shuffle is our Sunday column with our observations and commentary on the poker world. Have an idea for an article? Leave a suggestion on the feedback page.