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Over the upcoming weeks we will introduce the Grindhouse 3 participants to the public. Siegfried ‘Sigi’ Kapeller is next to join the house after he made a 180 degrees shift in life, quitting his job and putting his 3 university degrees to the side to pursue the life of a professional poker player.
Having a university degree is one thing, but having three is operating on a whole different scale. Siegfried ‘Sigi’ Kapeller has those three degrees, but after working for a couple of years he decided it was time to throw everything overboard and change direction so he could start shaping his life in the way he wanted it to be.
Pokercode had a chat with ‘Sigi’ about the upcoming Grindhouse experience.
A lot of people nowadays come to Vienna from all across Europe because of the regulations to play online poker. Kapeller moved to the Austrian capital for a different purpose. He traveled to Vienna in order to study, which resulted in having not one, not two, but three different university degrees in Law, Economics, and Entrepreneurship.
“When I was studying I always had the feeling I was going to be a lawyer. So after graduating I worked for 5-6 years until I got kind of fed up with the lifestyle and the way people were working in the industry. It clashed with what I wanted myself. I had my girlfriend supporting me and some savings that I could draw from and I just wanted to change my life so I could focus on my own projects and goals.”
Working as a lawyer cost Kapeller much of his social life. It was difficult to keep up a proper work-life balance, which ultimately would have hurt his relationship with his family and loved ones. When looking for a way out, Kapeller came across Pokercode.
“To be fair, having a challenging and time consuming job was one of the main roadblocks that made me feel I couldn’t turn pro. I really wanted to take poker more seriously and devote more time into improving my game, that's why I ended up quitting my job.”
Like many others, Kapeller saw Moneymaker win the WSOP which started the poker boom. He started playing poker with his friends before moving to Vienna to study. Together with his flatmate they played a lot of SNGs and studied a bit through PokerStrategy.
“The game was different back then. You only had to be a breakeven player by making decent money through rakeback deals. We just did that during the holidays!”
Poker was always something on the side for Kapeller, but during the covid outbreak and lockdowns he had some time to spare to pick up this old hobby.
“I signed up for Pokercode and I realized how much the game had evolved. I was impressed with the evolution and especially with how the tools improved. I see poker as a game that can be learned and mastered. So these tools are amazing to use and improve your game! I was so hyped to see all these solvers.”
“A big shout out to the great boys Fröbel, Seb, Adam & King Lui from my study group. It helps a lot to have such bright people around, study together and progress as a team.”
When Pokercode released the episodes of Grindhouse 1 and 2 on YouTube, the Austrian ex-lawyer saw it as a personal opportunity to improve and make the next step towards going pro. He said that having the opportunity to work with some of the best coaches close up and being in the house is a dream come true.
“I really want to get better and I’m looking forward to getting feedback on my game. My key driver is studying and getting better and I’m sure that in the house my main focus will be on studying. I’m currently putting together all my stats and it’s already amazing to see what feedback I’m getting. I have many leaks and lots of points I can improve on.”
When asked what he can contribute to the other participants, a surprising answer was given. Kapeller believes his theoretical background is very strong, but that neither that, or exploiting other players would be his strength to share with the others.
“I think my biggest contribution to the Grindhouse will be to make sure we have a good balance between study sessions. We also need to go outside and clear our heads! Make sure to get some fresh air, eat healthy, and do some sports. I think that having a good balance and good routines are super important to have.”
After Grindhouse 3 is when the real work starts for the participants and Kapeller looks at it with the same view.
“My goal is to have all the tools and knowledge to progress further after Grindhouse 3. I see it as a period where a lot of input is thrown at us, but the real work starts after the project. We need to apply what has been taught to us and I’m looking forward to the guidance and steps I need to take after the Grindhouse. I think the upcoming 12 months are very important. I want to see where my leaks are so I can work on them and I would love to move up stakes after!
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