Player Profile: Dag Mikkelsen

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Poker has changed, it has turned into a younger man’s game and Dag Mikkelsen is a great example of that. Born in Stavanger, Norway and by the age of 22 he is becoming a respected poker professional. That’s right, he is only 22 and I guess we are kind of getting used to young super stars in the poker world by now. Sure we might be getting accustomed to the idea of fresh faced kids with tons of experience showing up at the tables and winning our money, but their achievements cannot be over shadowed. Dag is a Full Tilt pro and is at the very beginning of his journey in the poker world. Mikkelsen has made the transition into tournament play and he will be looking to put his name in the record books, by winning live events. To gain true acceptance into the professional poker ranks you need to win big tournaments and I think Dag has all the ambition to do just that.

Dag Mikkelsen showed up on the live tournament scene back in 2007 at the Irish Open and he immediately had an impact. He made two final tables that year in Ireland, with a 5th place finish in Pot Limit Omaha and a 4th place finish at the No Limit Holdem event. That year at the Irish Open he got a real taste of what it was like playing with the big named pros like Andy Black and he was able to keep pace. He took the experience he gained in Ireland and headed for Las Vegas to compete in the 38th Annual World Series of Poker. With a deep run (42nd place) in the Main Event, Dag took home more then $235 000. As 2007 was coming to a close Dag made another deep run in a big tournament with a 22nd place finish at the European Poker Tours, Barcelona Open. Mikkelsen started 2008 where most big named professionals start their years and that’s at the Aussie Millions. Determined to achieve his first big live game win Dag came up with another deep run and final table at the Holdem and Omaha and Omaha Hi/Lo Tournament. He ended up finishing in 3rd place and put another $20 000 in his bank. Just a few days later he did it again making a run at the Holdem short-handed event, falling just shy of the final table finishing in 10th place. Come May of 2008 it was time for Mikkelsen to go back where it all started in search of that big title in his home country, but it resulted in another crushing close call. Another final table at the Norwegian Poker Championship Deepstack event and another disappointment finishing 3rd. The 2008 World Series of Poker was a disappointment for Dag, only cashing in two tournaments. Only time will tell whether or not Mikkelsen will come up with that big victory, but my thoughts are that he is on the right path. With deep runs and final tables at big events, it seems to me that Mikkelsen is heading in the right direction.

There is a good chance you aren’t aware of Dag Mikkelsen. If you are an online player, you might know him better as “dmmikkel.” As most young players Dag learned the game through online poker and has become a Full Tilt pro. Dag is a noted and feared online player and there is no doubt that as he gains experience he will have success in live games. People talk about this all the time, but we all know there is a difference between being a great online player and a great live tournament player. There is some learning involved and my thoughts are that Dag Mikkelsen is heading down the right path. Dag as an online player already has the experience and knowledge to make an excellent living. Mikkelsen is a well-rounded player, which is great to see. He plays Omaha well and has made runs in tournaments, more then just Holdem.

Online poker has truly changed the game of poker forever. Dag Mikkelsen is very young, but he has the poker experience of a seasoned professional. Dag is heading in the right direction and seems to have the ambition to become a great player in live games. All you need to do is take a look over his career stats and you can clearly see that he is going to be a good player. While he gains experience in big tournaments, he will continue to have great online success. We have all seen this before, you can’t just flip a switch from a great online player to a consistently great live tournament player. To me Dag is one of the best young talents in poker and he seems willing to show up at big events and take his shot against the best in the world. You never know what is going to happen, but I think Dag Mikkelsen has greatness written all over him. Watch out for Dag Mikkelsen in 2009, I think he is ready. He might be young, but that has little or nothing to do with his skill. He is progressing fast and he is ready for his big breakthrough win. I am not going to make any predictions, but look out for Dag come World Series of Poker time.

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