At 15, Marco Johnson got his first glimpse of professional poker through a friend’s uncle who made his living at the tables.
That early exposure planted the seed for Johnson’s dream of life beyond high school and college — to become a successful professional poker player.
That friend’s uncle was the legendary Chip Reese. Johnson would later have the surreal experience of sitting next to him in a $15K Bellagio main event shortly after his 21st birthday in 2006 — which also marked one of Johnson’s first tournament cashes.
PokerOrg caught up with Johnson a few weeks after he wrapped up one of the strongest summers of his career at the WSOP — bringing his total career earnings to nearly $5.5 million, 19 years after his first cash.
'Winning is always the goal'
What an amazing WSOP you had this past summer — numerous final tables, over $800,000 in cashes, and a near miss at another bracelet. Congrats!
It was definitely one of my better summers — bittersweet though, because I didn't win. Winning is always the goal, but it’s also what I do for a living. Sometimes it just breaks that way.
Overall, I was happy to make some money and have a very good summer there for sure.
What was the highlight for you?
The highlight is always the 50K Players Championship. (Johnson finished 9th for $142,000.) That tournament always means a lot to me because growing up, I was a fan of Chip Reese.
I used to go to his house when I was a teenager with a friend. He was the whole reason why I wanted to be a professional player. The idea of having a chance to get my name on his trophy is definitely the most exciting thing for me.
What was your take on Michael Mizrachi’s play during that event?
I spent a lot of time playing with Grinder. It was crazy how dialed in he was and how well he played. Mizrachi’s ‘A’ game is as good as anyone's.
In the NLH and PLO rounds, he played 100% of hands for 10 hours straight. And he made the correct decision like every single time. I had a feeling he was going to win.
Marco Johnson had a runner-up finish this summer at the WSOP in the Mixed Big Bet event. Many players around your age, such as Shannon Shorr, Seth Davies, and Jason Koon, continue to play and enjoy the poker life. Can you share a bit about your continued success and keys to longevity in the game?
A lot of us guys are married now and have settled down. Those guys you mentioned still play a lot of poker. I play a lot less. The World Series is kind of the only time of the year I play. But I still love it and I’m still excited to be there.
To answer your question regarding longevity. I still like playing poker and showing up there to do battle.
I talk to my good friend David Baker a lot, and he feels the same. We’re doing it purely for the love of the game — and of course, to make a living. That's where the longevity comes from — truly loving to play.
'I'm making soccer lineups'
What are the interests outside of poker that you enjoy most?
My wife started working full time, so I've become a stay-at-home dad. I take my kids to school.
Right now, I enjoy coaching my son's competitive soccer team. Just before I got on this call, I was making soccer lineups to ensure we have a great team for the NorCal Premier League.
I’m able to disconnect from poker and spend time with my family. And when I'm playing poker, I try to focus solely on that.
Anything else?
I'm going back to college to get my bachelor's because I dropped out when I moved to Vegas to play poker. I have two more classes to graduate, and I want to start a local small business. I’ve spent a lot of time writing business plans lately.
How do you maintain your poker acumen at the highest level since you don’t play as much as you used to?
I’ve spent the last four years studying poker — something I hadn’t really done before, apart from some basic calculations.
I've spent a lot of time studying poker theory, ranging from videos to some of the available programs. Despite my not playing that much, I still love everything about poker.
I spend a lot of money every summer on entering events. I'm not trying just to go out there and gamble. I want to make sure I can compete against these guys.
Johnson is wrapping up the last credits on a long lost Bachelor's degree. 'It's really sparked my passion for poker again'
Can you give us a deeper dive into what you’re focusing on when you study, since the approach to the game has changed so much over the last few years?
What has happened is that aspect of the game has actually made me like no-limit hold’em a lot more. For 10 years straight, I didn't play a single hand of no-limit. And in the last four years, I’ve played a lot of NLH tournaments.
The theory has made it so much more complex — I like the challenge. That's why I’ve always liked mixed games. But now I see how complicated no-limit spots are from sizing and diving into how much is really going on during a hand.
Who have you learned the most from?
I use a lot of Patrick Leonard videos. He's been my favorite. He really goes off the wall, exploitative in spots.
It's made studying fun because it's not the typical ABC type of poker, which sometimes limit mixed games can be. It's much more of an art. It’s really sparked my passion for poker again, especially in no-limit.
In your early 20s, you began to play in some of the highest stakes games in Bellagio Casino’s Bobby’s Room with Brunson, Greenstein, Farha, Hansen, and others. Do you have a good story you can share from those days?
For sure. I had a stretch in 2010 where I was playing a bunch in Bobby's room and had some of the coolest moments of my career during that summer.
I spent a lot of time playing with Doyle every day for a year. We were playing $1,000/$2,000 mix. I was super young at the time, and I remember Doyle inviting me to fly with him on a private jet to the Dominican Republic.
I was 15 years old when I dreamed of playing poker, and 10 years later, I found myself playing in Bobby's Room and flying on a private jet with Doyle for a vacation. It was a pretty surreal experience.
