By Sean Chaffin
Ten years after his first-ever WPT cash – and first tour win – Olivier Busquet is once again back at the tables in the WPT Borgata Poker Open championship event. That win in Season VIII vaulted Busquet among the game’s upper echelon after topping a field of 1,018 for $925,514.
“When I won here, it was very early in my live tournament career,” he says. “I think I didn’t fully appreciate how hard it is and how lucky you have to be to get through a field over a thousand people.”
Along with providing a bigger bankroll for more live tournaments and more confidence, the win also added to Busquet’s poker repertoire. Using his poker skills in a live setting was good for his game.
“I was especially grateful because it rounded out my poker experience just playing live,” he says. “It really makes it more enjoyable because online it can be a bit isolating and a grind. Playing tournaments and socializing and getting a chance at big scores is a great combination with the grind.”
Adding his name to the Champions Cup certainly wasn’t easy. Heads-up with Jeremy Brown for the title, Busquet found himself at a 20-to-1 chip deficit at one point. A key double up kick-started a rally for the New Yorker.
“I always look back with such fond memories,” says Busquet, who has a philosophy degree from Cornell University. “The pay difference between first and second was big, and just the emotional difference between first and second is always big. So I just feel so grateful I was able to double a bunch of times and win the tournament. It was a really special experience.”
A legend in online poker, the win also sealed his reputation as a stellar player on the live felt as well. The comeback only made it an even bigger story.
Since that time, Busquet has only added to his reputation. That includes big finishes and wins at the EPT, Bellagio Cup, Poker Night in America, the World Series of Poker, and numerous others. Busquet now has $1.3 million in WPT winnings and almost $9 million in lifetime live tournament earnings.
Busquet is also a regular competitor in high roller events. In August at the Seminole Hard Rock Poker Open, he took third in a $25,500 event for $340,860. Along with playing poker, he now plans to launch a podcast focused not just on poker but also with guests outside of poker.
“My goal is to provide informative, entertaining, and educational value for the audience,” he says. “I want to engage a bit more with the community at large and want to engage in a project that will help me learn, help my audience learn, and create a community of shared interests.”
The show doesn’t have a name yet, but he asks those interested in listening to follow him on Twitter for updates. Busuqet already has some experience behind a microphone. He provided poker commentary for the WPT Alpha8 series with Ali Nejad. He also manned the mic for some World Series of Poker broadcasts.
Originally from New York, the 38-year-old moved to New Jersey three years ago to continue playing online. What’s it like being an online grinder in the state? Olivier plays about 40 hours a week, and while the market is small he enjoys being able to play online again. The most common games he finds are $2/$5, $5/10, and some a bit higher.
“As I’ve gotten older and more experienced in my career as the poker world has gotten more competitive, I’m a little bit less ego-based and not as concerned playing big stakes and taking massive swings,” Busquet says.
“If you have a decent win rate, the experience of playing at lower stakes is actually pretty pleasant because you just win a high percentage of the time. I think that’s different for different people. But for me, my personality type, my disposition, I think just winning more frequently makes my life more enjoyable.”
He’s certainly enjoying his time here in Atlantic City as he plays in the Day 2 field. Unfortunately for Busquet, he busted after the dinner break but plans to return for another event soon. Perhaps the WPT Winter Poker Open in January.
“The Borgata is a special place,” he says. “I live near here and come here four or five times a year. The championship event of this series is one of my favorite events, so making a deep run is always special. I would absolutely love it to get enough chips and get enough luck to run deep.”
Sean Chaffin is a freelance writer in Crandall, Texas, and his work appears in numerous websites and publications. Follow him on Twitter @PokerTraditions.