Originally posted: November 23rd, 2018

PokerTalk: ShroomtheRiver

Long-time players will instantly recognize ShroomtheRiver. He’s basically GGPoker’s version of James Bond; a one man banter-cannon and well-oiled poker machine from Albion.

Shroom’s daily streams are hilarious, packed with japes and nods, pulsing beats and running commentary to die for.

If you have room on your calendar, there’s room from Shroom. He’s great. Why not hear it from the horse’s mouth? We sat down with the man himself to poke him for answers.

Q1: So, let’s start where all stories should, at the beginning. What’s your first memory of playing poker?
Shroom: I first started playing with my nan when I was around 6 or 7. It was only 3 card poker but there was always something at stake, whether it was sweets or pocket money! Whatever I lost usually found its way back to me (plus a little extra) when I left though.

Q2: You’re propped up at the bar. It’s late. There’s a crumpled menu in front of you, with a special drink listed at the bottom with a warning. It’s called ‘ShroomTheRiver’. “Barman”, you gurgle, finger landing on the word on the menu while you sway wildly, “What’s in a ShroomTheRiver?”. So, tell us, what would be in a drink named after you?
Shroom: Something seriously strong & sickeningly sweet – think Disaronno/McDonald’s milkshake (classy, I know). I’m told they serve a pretty mean milkshake at the full moon party in Thailand!

Q3: A question we ask everyone – what’s your favourite video game?
Shroom: I haven’t played it in a while, but the game that brings back the most nostalgia for me is Runescape. I can remember sneaking downstairs as a kid at 3 in the morning on school nights to squeeze in a few hours of mining before everyone would start waking up. I’d often spend weeks building up a small fortune before losing it all betting on fights at the duel arena and starting over. Haha.

Q4: Give us the paydirt Shroom – What’s your most embarrassing poker moment?
Shroom: Oh God…I actively try to repress this memory so putting it into words should be fun! I was playing 1 / 2 at the Hippodrome after a shift at work and had won a pretty huge pot early in the session with KK vs JJ & AA on KJx. Not long after I’m in another big pot. I can’t remember the action too well but I find myself on the river facing a largish bet with a busted draw & I desperately shove as a last ditch attempt to take it down. Seems that as well as not being very good at the game back then, I also wasn’t the best at keeping track of bet/stack sizes because it turns out my all-in wasn’t even a min raise. The guy snap called and those awkward few seconds ensued where everybody’s looking at me to turn my hand over.  I come to the crashing realization that I’ve got air in the most atrociously played hand and after some deliberation I sheepishly muck. Whispers and smirks inevitably broke out around the table and I just wanted the ground to swallow me up whole. It must’ve left a scar because it’s been almost 8 years and I haven’t been back there since!

Q5: What can viewers expect from your stream? What’s an average day?
Shroom: Terrible singing, average poker & out of this world dance moves. All jokes aside, I think the great thing is that I never really know what a stream is going to look like. I mean, I have cash games running alongside a detailed commentary as the glue that holds everything together, but aside from that I approach every stream with an open mind and just see where it goes. Some days I’m timing out left right and center because I’m cutting shapes to song requests and other days I’m fighting to keep up with the chat because we’re 3 hours into a discussion on AI.

Q6: We know Benyamin has his orange and Brunson has Dolly the card protector, do you have any good-luck charms or strange rituals?
Shroom: No good luck charms (perhaps that’s what I’m missing) but I suppose my need for neat chip stacks could be considered a ritual. 5 years of working as a croupier must’ve taken their toll…

Q7: Tunes; the Twitch constant. I can’t recall a single time that we hit up your stream that didn’t have bangers playing, and usually yourself body popping in the corner. Got a favourite song or artist?
If I had to name one song then it’d be “Raze – Break 4 Love”. When I was young and naive and listening to Dubstep and God knows what else my older, wiser sister came into my room after a night out and pestered me to play this one. I of course told her it was rubbish but secretly liked it and to this day it remains as one of my all time favorites.

Q8: Favourite thing about GGPoker?
Shroom: Some might say the endless promotions, others the copious amounts of rakeback, maybe even the softness of the pools… For me (and it’s not even close) – it’s the emotes. Nothing beats a good “You suck!” as you knock one of your moderators out of the freeroll!

With that let’s leave and love you. Thanks so much for your time. Hopefully players reading can glean some of your fantastic personality and are drawn to your stream like spumeward moths toward a distant lighthouse.