The poker vlogging space can, at times, present a homogenous array of content. It's a lot of hand histories, cash game pots, and tournament runs. Now, that's not necessarily a problem, but every now and then a newcomer like Gustavo Ortega Jimenez graces the scene with a video that rejuvenates the entire concept.
Those that distinguish themselves from the rest of the pack do so in a variety of ways. Ryan Depaulo, for example, has found a niche in making content that eschews the standard format to the point where his videos have almost become anti-vlogs — purposefully ironic in a way that only he can pull off.
There's one surefire way to set yourself apart from the pack: tell a great story. And that's exactly what Jimenez does in his new series of videos that tell the story of his deep run in the Wynn Summer Classic Championship back in July.
The big score
Jimenez vlogs a hand from the Wynn Summer Classic Championship.As the title of the video suggests, Jimenez's run in the Wynn Summer Classic Championship turned him into an overnight millionaire at the young age of 25. We won't spoil the juicy details his run — it's better to let him show you the goods firsthand — but with a score like that you can probably surmise that he does very well.
This week, Jimenez will battle it out on the Bally Live Poker stream on Wednesday and Thursday.
PokerOrg spoke with Jimenez to hear all about the big score and his plans for the future in the poker vlogging space.
How did you get your start in poker?
Gustavo Ortega Jimenez: I've been playing since I was 19, just regular college games. Once TCH Dallas opened up, that's when I really started playing more. That's when card rooms became legal in Texas and I just hit the ground running from there.
You started out playing cash games, but when did tournaments come into play?
GJ: Yeah, tournaments have been a two-year thing, but before that — and still to this day — it's cash.
Gustavo Ortega Jimenez made $1.5 million on his first vlog. What brought you out to Vegas this summer?
GJ: It was just the tournament [Wynn Summer Classic Championship]. I flew in, played the tournament, and then left. I was going to play the [WSOP] Main, but I Googled it and it would have been ten days long if you make the final table, so I chose the Wynn instead.
Did you go out with the intention of making a vlog series or did that come together in the moment?
GJ: It was the expectation. I have a friend who does cinematography and I reached out to him. We started recording right from Day 1.
Are there future collaborations in the works?
GJ: Yeah, we're going to try to record the Bally Live stream — not with him there, just me sending him the footage — to keep it going and see how well this YouTube channel does.
Do you consume a lot of poker content yourself?
GJ: I used to. I think once you get so busy, you kind of stop watching the daily stuff. The catchy titles get me, I'll watch those.
Do you have plans for your next vlog beyond Bally Live?
GJ: I think just shoot stuff and see what happens. I expect this series to be the most viewed, but still haven't thought too in depth about how to retain that. It's for fun.
How did you feel in the moment after your big score at the Wynn?
GJ: I was just grateful. I started Day 3 as 61 out of 62 in the chip counts, sitting with seven big blinds. Once I won two flips, everything else was a free roll in terms of where I finished. Then when I made the final table I couldn't believe it. All my friends were hyped up, but I was still just focusing on playing my game.
And if there was one person I wanted to lose to, it was probably Nick Petrangelo.
Were you at all intimidated facing an opponent of Petrangelo's level?
GJ: Since Day 1, I wanted to make more high variance plays. Especially once we got heads up, thinking about how I wanted to play against him, I think high variance was the way to go, just to minimize his edge.
Do you have a target audience in mind for the poker vlogs?
GJ: Honestly, I think for myself. I wanted to remember this. You know, I Googled the Hendon Mob pages of all the pros I look up to and now I have a bigger tournament score than them. I don't expect this to happen again so this is something I want to remember for the rest of my life and to show anyone else. This is one of the coolest things to happen to me and if you want to watch it, here's these poker vlogs.
Thus far, Jimenez has released the first two installments of his run, but there's plenty more to come.
