The 2016 November Nine: Seat 8, Kenny Hallaert

Maybe Kenny Hallaert learns best by example.

Three years ago, he kept a close eye on the World Series of Poker Main Event final table coverage, watching and cheering as his friend Michiel Brummelhuis made the November Nine. Two years ago, he did the same when another Dutch friend, Jorryt Van Hoof, went in as the chip leader only to fall in third during Martin Jacobson’s incredible run. Finally, in 2015, Hallaert’s fellow Belgian, Pierre Neuville, got himself a seat in the November Nine and Hallaert actually railed his friend’s seventh-place finish in person.

Now, it’s Hallaert’s time. The 34 year old watched and waited his turn. Advancing to the final table of the 2016 WSOP Main Event brings closure to a strange set of feelings he has harbored the past few years.

“I was happy for them,” he explained. “They deserved to be there but I wanted to be there as well. It’s hard to put it into one or a couple of words. It’s an amazing feeling right now.”

Hallaert isn’t an easy player to categorize. He has won over $2.3 million in live poker, but he considers himself a recreational player since it’s not his primary means of making a living. He has a youthful enthusiasm that shines through when he talks about the feat he pulled off to make poker’s biggest stage, yet he’s been around the game for most of his adult life.

A card game enthusiast even before he was dealt his first poker hand, Hallaert discovered the game in 2004 and had fun playing it for a few euros a week. He loved it enough that he decided on a career change and he took a job at a local casino marketing their poker room.

Eventually, Hallaert said that work “transformed” into him becoming a tournament director and organizer for a number of series in the area. He has put his stamp on events such as the Belgium Poker Challenge and the Unibet Belgian Poker Championship.

That’s the work he’s still doing to this day and it’s truly been a labor of love for Hallaert. Pocketing scores like $210,962 (sixth place, European Poker Tour Deauville in 2011) and $182,348 (fifth place, WSOP Colossus in 2015) would make most people think twice about continuing to show up for their day jobs. But Hallaert is adamant the life of the poker pro never had much allure for him.

“The pressure can be high,” he said. “It’s not always easy. I never wanted to quit that job.”

Of course, Hallaert is around the game enough that he feels he gets the best of both worlds. He makes a steady living with his regular work in the industry but still has easy access to poker and can play whenever and for however much he feels comfortable.

“It was an ideal combo for me,” he said.

The formula has certainly worked, and now …

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