With greater than $5.2 million in lifetime tournament earnings, Will “The Thrill” Failla is one of the best within the game with no WSOP win. Unfortunately, he’s had few opportunities during the last two summers way to a poor run of cards.

Failla had only one cash last year, a 2,217th within the Colossus for only $1,100. This summer, the WPT champion had only one cash thru the primary 60 events, but it surely was a fifth-place finish within the $1,500 no-limit hold’em bounty.

To date, he has 35 lifetime cashes and $669,651 in earnings on the WSOP. Four of these cashes were final tables.

Failla said that he was capable of care for last year’s downswing throughout the summer due to the support from friends and family, especially his wife. They helped motivate him to maintain playing and check out to get at the right side of variance.

Card Player caught up with Failla during a break in Wednesday’s $5,000 no-limit hold’em to invite him about how he was in a position to turn things around.

Brian Pempus: I DO KNOW you ran really poorly last summer. Did it feel just like the run-bad would never end?

Will Failla: Yeah, it did, but I THINK just like the curse have been lifted. It feels really expert. I'VE a child coming in two weeks, so we've a large number of luck on our side at this time. I’m just taking it because it comes.

BP: Did the overall table the opposite day end the curse?

WF: You realize what’s funny? I AM GETTING these feelings of relief sometimes, and it doesn’t come often. I USED TO BE in a sit-and-go a couple of week ago, and that i got all of it in with A-4, heads-up for the thing, and the fellow called me with K7. The flop fell J43. I'M drawing dead practically. I got up and commenced walking away. Then the turn was an ace and the river an ace. I said, “Holy shit, the curse was just lifted.” I honestly felt it. It just came to me like a premonition, and because then I’ve been running really well.

BP: It only took one hand for it to feel like things were turning around?

WF: Yeah, it really happened. It sucked that on the final table I USED TO BE the chip leader five-handed and got aces cracked. But that’s poker. [Kristen Bicknell] called an enormous raise preflop. I didn’t think she was going to. She made it 125,000; I made it 375,000, and she or he only had 2.7 million to begin the hand. I had 3 million. She called with 87, and the flop was J-10-9, two hearts. I'VE two red aces. The turn was the K, and it went check-check at the river. Besides that, I can’t complain. I'M blessed and happy, and hopefully the run-good stays.

BP: Now with live tournaments, the sample size isn’t that large, so it’s easy to move on an extended drought with regards to time. Are you able to discuss the character of the tournament game?

WF: You see, that’s something so crazy about tournament poker. You'll be able to go ice cold for 2 years. I DO KNOW some guys who went 2.5 years without winning anything, despite grinding their asses off. Then boom, you win a tournament, and also you forget all about it. You knew it was there, but you forgot all about it way to one tournament. When people work really hard at this game I THINK like they need to be rewarded. It’s not perfect, but when that might happen [to me] that will be pretty perfect.

BP: How were you in a position to handle last summer mentally? You posted on Twitter what number of times you had aces cracked last year. How did you prevent it from affecting your play?

WF: It’s funny you ask that, because I'VE a very good support system back home. I got married two years ago, and my wife is actually supportive. She’s always positive. She’s all about poker. She’s in contrast to the everyday wife that hates it. She signed up for it; she knew what she was getting concerned in. She’s my biggest fan and favorite stalker. She really pulled me thru it. I TRULY needed her help believe it or not. I USED TO BE miserable. I NEEDED to kill. I had aces cracked 21 times last summer. People didn’t believe me, but I USED TO BE blogging about it whenever it happened (laughs).

BP: Some poker players live somewhat solitary lives as a result of being at the road traveling so much. They may not have a perfect support system around once they need it. Do you're thinking that it’s hard for some people to deal with the downswings as a result?

WF: I don’t think difficult is the best word. I BELIEVE “next to impossible” is how you can put it. You really want a fair support system and a fair bankroll. The management of the bankroll is so, so important. I'M just really lucky with the folk I'VE around me. I don’t think I'LL do it without them. Last year they said, “this is what you do, stick with it.” They were right.

BP: You're definitely among the best players with out a bracelet. What would getting one mean for you?

WF: Oh man, I do that jog each day outside with a plastic jacket on. It’s usually 100 or 115 degrees outside. I run right thru it, about three or four miles an afternoon. And each day during that jog I say to myself, “This often is the bracelet event. This might be the bracelet event.” I AM HOPING and try, and hope and pray, and hope and try, and listen, I DO KNOW something: It’s going to happen. I just don’t know when. Hopefully it’s going to be soon. I keep grinding and churning, and I’m in it. A LARGE NUMBER OF guys can’t say that because they aren’t in [poker] anymore because whatever happened. I’m still fighting.

For more coverage from the summer series, visit the 2016 WSOP landing page complete with an entire schedule, news, player interviews and event recaps.

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