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Date of Birth: Jun. 6, 1960 Residence: Alameda Education: High School Diploma Ethnicity: Israeli Rating: 2337 Style: Controlled Offensive Play Equipment: Stiga Tube Lite blade with Juic Elite Ultime and Butterfly Cermet rubbers Sponsor: None Clubs Played: Concord TTC |
Avishy Schmidt is very likely the best poker player in the table-tennis world. He makes a living playing online poker and is by official title, a poker dealer. He played in the 2007 World Series of Poker in Las Vegas. He will gladly play anyone in poker so be careful or you might say bye-bye to your money. He plays competitively at the national level but also has had success coaching at Concord TTC in 1997-1998. He has coached Sergy Gutkin, one of the nation's top junior players, extensively. His biggest accomplishments in table-tennis are finishing 3rd in the Israeli National Championships in 1985 and winning the Seniors Over 40 Years Old singles event at the 2000 US Nationals. He also rises to the occasion in league matches and has a very good record in league play. His level varies considerably in singles events but has proven in league play that he is a real team player!
He also often travels throughout the world, mainly in Europe or Asia, to see how life is in other places. He has attended the 1999 World Table Tennis Championships in Eindhoven, Holland and this year's World Championships in Shanghai, China. He felt that there is no comparison between the Worlds in China and in other places. In other countries, table-tennis is another sport but in China, it is national pride. The crowds were very vocal and there were billboards with the top Chinese players on them throughout the city as well as posters on countless Shanghai shops and stores. It was on television all the time as well. He hopes everything about US table-tennis changes as it has a long way to go to reach the status of table-tennis in Europe and Asia.