Big Ballin' - An Interview with Guy Laliberte

By Matthew Showell Apr 25, 2007 | 2 years ago

Guy Laliberte playing in Day 4 of the 2007 WPT Championship

From his beginnings as a performer on the streets of Montreal, Guy Laliberte is now able to play tournaments like the WPT Championship just for the fun of it. Along with Daniel Gauthier, Laliberte founded the Cirque de Soleil and is now the majority owner and chief executive officer.

With a net worth estimated at $1.5 billion, he's among the richest men in Canada and somewhere in the top 700 worldwide. With less than two years experience in the game of poker, he's proved to be a fast learner having already made it deep in one of the biggest events anywhere. He took a few minutes to speak during one of today's breaks.

What role does poker play in your life?

Well for me it's more entertainment. This is my third tournament that I've played. I started poker about 16 months ago, and I took it as an intellectual challenge. You know, in life you always have to give yourself some sort of challenge and for me the game of poker, because of the mathematics, the personality aspect of it, I feel very comfortable in it. It's a great experience.

This is a big event and you've made it deep with a lot of chips. Take us through how it's going for you.

Well today I have had no hands, so I had to be very careful. I've had very few good hands, and on those hands I have no action. I'm kind of cruising around; I have a couple good moves but that's about it. I'm just a little over average, which I think will keep me alive in the tournament so who knows.

You've only been playing a little while. How did you get into it?

Guy Laliberte playing on Day 4 of the 2007 WPT Champioship

Cash games here at the Bellagio. I have a lot of shows here in Las Vegas, so in my free time, I go into the poker room and play there. I've learned from some of the best people. In life I've learned one thing; if you want to be good you have to connect with the best people. So I got very close to the high-stakes players here. I get to watch them and play with them a little bit. When I'm traveling, I practice on the Internet, and I read a lot.

Do you think that the success you've had in business and your background apart from poker has helped you?

I would not say that the business aspect has. I'd say that I took a lot more from my street time in my past. I lived 10 years on the street as a busker and a performer.

Did you grow up in Montreal?

Yeah, in Quebec. But what I want to say is that in the street you have to develop that instinct of trusting people and reading people because that instinct is your life saver. That's something you can definitely apply in the game. And I would say that the theatrical aspect of my background is also important when it comes down to bluffing.

Like you said, you've been a street performer and you've gone from there to having great success. Tell us the differences you've experienced in your life over the years.

For me it's just a natural role because originally the dream was about traveling and developing a job that would permit me to travel. And I decided to go into street performing because it was a traveling job; it would let me go around the world.

Guy Laliberte playing in Day 4 of the 2007 WPT Championship

It grew fast and it grew successful and now we keep going. It's the same thing for me as a person. You have more responsibility because of the business. But I have a great team that's working who allow me to be here for a week.

Are you happy with where you're at?

Totally, totally.

And what are your plans?

My plans? I don't know what's going to happen in this tournament. I have some meetings tomorrow and Friday; I didn't expect to go that far here. So if I go farther than today I'm in trouble! I'll have to reschedule.

That's not such bad trouble to have.

I think it will be a nice problem. (Laughs.)

Thanks Guy and good luck.

I had never met Guy before he was a billionaire, but I would bet that he was the same considerate and amiable person he is today. This being only his third tournament he's already proved that the mind that envisioned Cirque de Soleil can be focused with the same success on the game of poker.