I’ve been a pro for around 9 years now and to be honest have been making a pretty consistent profit since I started, even from the small stakes.

Instantaneously – I started playing when I was quite young, and in those days you didn’t need ID to get into a casino, so I was a regular at most of the cardrooms around Mancheser at 16 and gained a lot of experience. It was much easier in those days and there weren’t so many players, whereas these days competition is extremely tough.

It’s been more of a gradual process with me. I’m still learning in Poker, and this has been the case for me year on year ever since I started.

Decisions. Making good decisions at the right moments are the key to success in Poker. Obviously it depends if you’re playing a tournament which requires a lot more stamina and focus than a cash game, but I’d say the decision making process along with discipline is the key to a solid game.

My main frustration over the years has been the lack of consistency in cardroom rules. In the US for example, if you’re not at the table for some reason, your blinds are taken as if you had simply folded your hand. At some other tournaments they take double the amount if you’re not there which just seems crazy to me!

I don’t have a favourite as such – Everybody I sit down with I respect, top name or not. In the long run you get caught out less often this way...

I wouldn’t want to mention any names, but put it this way, there’s a few American players who are perhaps slightly overrated.

My biggest win was the 2002 World Series of Poker where I cashed for 2nd place and $1.1 million, my biggest loss was about between £15-20k in a cash game so touch wood, nothing major yet!

2 Aces obviously! In terms of memorable hand, the last hand of the World Series is the most memorable, for the wrong reasons, let’s leave it at that.

P.S the hand in question was as follows:
Robert Varkonyi held Qd 10s to Julian’s Jc8c. After a 90k raise from Robert, Julian called to see a flop of Qc 4c 4s. Varkonyi then bet 50k, and Julian moved all-in on a flush draw. The turn came 10d to give Robert two-pair and Julian’s flush ultimately hit on the river – However the club card in question (10) filled Robert Varkonyi’s boat to give him the World Series title.

One of the best things about playing professionally is the ability to be your own boss and the freedom that goes with it. One of the worst things is the fluctuation in fortune – I have been lucky not to have suffered many long losing streaks but I know people that have been on them for 20 years!

Don’t get me wrong but books aren’t going to make you into a good player. They are helpful but you can’t buy experience and I think that developing your own game is most important. If I had to go for a particular book, Doyle Brunson’s ‘Super System’ would be my number one.

Definitely brains – balls to bluff alone won’t get you there.

Hopefully I don’t have any – I analyse my play and try to keep the same demeanour all the time. It’s not like you can pick up someone’s hand by the way they eat a biscuit - It’s more about intuition and the way that a hand is played. I have noticed some strange behaviour from certain opponents but I obviously don’t want to expose them to you!

Every woman has as much capability as any man in Poker, proven by someone like Jennifer Harman who has played and beaten some of the toughest cash games out there.

I don’t play rubbish very often, if I had to say one not-so-premium hand I‘d have to go for 10J suited.

I’d go for 5 of the strongest World Champions – Stu Ungar, Chris Ferguson, Carlos Mortenson, Scotty Nguyen & Doyle Brunson.

I’m a big Man Utd fan, so often have a flutter on the football. I’ll also have a bet on the horses from time to time.

Poker’s here to stay, of that I’m sure. The way the game has grown over the last few years is phenomenal, and it’s showing no signs of slowing. I’m sure that it’ll slow down eventually but there’s so many new players to the game now and the whole poker landscape is so different from 5 or 10 years ago.

I’ll do various things if I’m not multi-tabling, such as talk on the phone, watch TV and surf the net.

No I’ve given up on superstition – Over the years I‘ve had a few things; card protectors, baseball cap, lucky shirt, the list goes on. I think people get carried away with superstition and I’ve seen so many people blaming their luck or the dealers. I don’t condone being harsh on the dealers as they’re only there to do a job and can’t be lucky for all the players!

I do wear glasses sometimes although they’re pretty normal looking ones... I normally take my iPod to a tournament, and listen to it depending on how interesting the banter on my table is!

I’d settle for a WSOP bracelet, a WPT bracelet, and to keep ticking over having winning years and enjoying myself along the way...

You’ll find Julian Gardner at the Virgin Poker tables playing under the name Virgin Ace. Look out for regular bounty tournaments on the Virgin Pros and check back to see how they get on at this year’s big events.