Steven van Zadelhoff

Steven van Zadelhoff began playing Texas Holdem online to recoup his stock losses. While that may sound risky to many people, it’s all in a day’s work for Steven, who also trains as a free fighter.

Free fighting?

“Free fighting does not mean freedom of rules. It is freestyle, a combination of kickboxing and wrestling.”

Free fighting obviously helps with mental discipline. Within six months of playing online, Steven made his first big cash, taking home $25,000 in a $100,000 tournament.

After several substantial online wins, he began entering live tournaments. Although he did not cash at his first Aussie Millions in 2005, he credits it with helping him to learn more about international play and how to read one’s opponent.

“The ability to read your competition and understand the game is essential to success,” he says.

“I think Dutch are a lot further in our poker education than in many other European countries. We are up there with the Nordics.”

It was only a matter of time before Steven established himself as not only one of the most well-known and popular players in his native Netherlands, but also as one of the players to watch on the European poker scene.

In 2007, at the inaugural WSOP Europe in London, Steven placed 11th and cashed £41,630 ($94,000), just missing the final table and finishing right behind Gus Hansen.

He consistently cashes in notable tournaments across the globe, including the WSOP, EPT and WPT. Steven was also a “Lord” on the most recent season of The Lords of Poker, a Dutch reality series where regular people competed with the Netherlands’ biggest names in poker, business, sports and entertainment.

Steven’s desire to make poker a full-time career also led him to Everest Poker’s Live the Dream. Competing against thousands of other players, he won one of ten $100,000 sponsorships, and has since had his contract renewed to become an official member of Team Everest.

“Not only did I see the possibility of getting a full-time sponsorship”, says Steven. “I also wanted to build a long-term relationship.”

And at this point in his career, Steven is more determined than ever to win a WSOP bracelet.

“In the beginning, I really thought being a poker player meant having an easy life. But it is a very, very busy life. I spend most of my time playing online, traveling and playing in live tournaments, and talking to the media,” he says.

“Of course, sometimes I can fit the free fighting in. I still pay my gym membership.”