Fred Bartlett Tries to Parlay a Satellite Win into a Career-Best Score

There are less than 100 eliminations that stand between the field bursting the money bubble of the Season XVI WPT Borgata Winter Poker Open. If Fred Bartlett can survive the next few levels and make his way into the top 156 spots, the $6,129 min-cash would already be his second biggest career tournament cash to date.

The Glenn Falls, NY, native won his seat into the $3,500 Championship via a $400 satellite on Monday night. He plays mostly in upstate New York in the greater Albany area but came down to Atlantic City to try and continue the mini-heater he has been on over the recent weeks.

“I chopped one at Turning Stone in New York,” said Bartlett. “It was a small one and then chopped one at Rivers Casino in Schenectady and it was a little smaller for $3,000.”

Bartlett has career earnings of $36,889, according to his HendonMob.com profile, with his biggest cash being for $8,034, a fifth-place finish in a $570 no-limit hold’em at Turning Stone Casino. His tournament résumé is a bit sparse compared to some of the top pros in the field, but he isn’t a novice.

He spends a good chunk of his time playing $5-$10 no-limit hold’em at Rivers Casino in Schenectady with one of the better players in the field.

“I play with Shaun [Deeb] every week at Rivers Casino,” said Bartlett.

Bartlett is a contractor in Glenn Falls, which is about an hour north of Albany. His business keeps him from traveling all over the country to play poker tournaments, but he became friendly with Deeb from their time on the felt in New York.

“We became good friends over the past few years just playing at Rivers,” said Bartlett. “A buddy of mine, we would ride down together all the time. We got playing with Shaun and found out what a good guy he is. We like to give people a hard time and this and that as much as Shaun does. We like to bust each other’s balls.”

Deeb never gave Bartlett any official tutoring on the game. Bartlett learned the old-fashioned way – by playing alongside him and picking up different things he was doing.

“I try to learn by watching him,” said Bartlett “When you play cash, you’re playing a lot of hands with him. You know his characteristics, you know how he operates. I’ve played a lot of hands with Shaun.”

According to Bartlett, Deeb wouldn’t give him much credit for being a talented poker player.

“If you ask him, I’m less than the rest, but of course he likes to bust my chops, too,” said Bartlett. “Obviously, since I’ve had the pleasure of playing with Shaun, I’ve become a better player.”

Most of his poker experience is in mid- or high-stakes cash games. Battling wits with Deeb in those cash games prepared him for his experience battling the extremely tough field remaining in the event.

“One-hundred percent,” answered Bartlett when asked if his cash game experience prepped him for this type of a field. “You don’t get through these high-level players without knowing what you’re doing.”

Coming back from dinner break, Bartlett is sitting with about 170,000 in chips and an above average stack. He doesn’t seem intimidated by any of the pros. When asked if he had any nerves about making the money and putting up a career-best score, he responded with a simple “No.”

For his own sake, hopefully he doesn’t bring all Deeb’s talents to the tournament tables.

“He’s a great slow-roller,” said Bartlett with a chuckle.

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