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When you think about poker, Poland is probably not the first country that crosses your mind. We don’t usually hear the country’s name mentioned in relation to poker – even with regard to the best casinos in Poland – but that doesn’t mean there aren’t some great Polish poker players out there. It is more the case that they don’t get recognition they deserve. So, we’ll try to fix that injustice at least to a small extent with this brief article giving a shout out to the country’s top 3 poker players.
The name of Dzmitry Urbanovich is certainly a familiar one in the poker world but not too many people know that he actually hails from Poland. Young Urbanovich caught the poker world by surprise when burst onto the scene in 2015, after stringing together an amazing run in some of the toughest live tournaments around. First he conquered the €25k EPT High Roller event in Malta for close to €600,000. Then, he finished the runner-up in the EPT Grand Final High Roller in Monaco for another €1.4 million. Finally, he booked another second-place finish in the €50k EPT High Roller in Barcelona – and that was just in 2015!
So far, Dzmitry has accumulated more than $5.7 million in live tournament winnings and he certainly has many, many more years of poker crushing ahead of him. Although he was born in Belarus, Urbanovich plays under the national flag of Poland and he currently sits firmly on top of the country’s All Time Money List.
Dominik Panka is another player many poker fans have probably heard of, but once again may not have known that he represents Poland. Born in 1991, Dominik is another member of the young generation of poker players who picked up on the spike of popularity in online poker games in the country, took the game by storm, and made it their own. The big win that put Panka on the map came in January of 2014, when he went all the way in the PokerStars Caribbean Adventure Main Event, outlasting other 1,030 players and taking home the prestigious trophy as well as a $1,423,096 first place prize.
His hot run continued, as only a few weeks later Dominik took down the €10,000 EPT Deauville High Roller to the tune of €270,000. This was followed by a bit of a drought in terms of results, but he was back on his feet in 2015, finishing third in the EPT Malta Main Event, banking another €350k. Overall, Panka has amassed over $3,000,000 in live tournament earnings and he, too, has a lot of time and potential to run that number up into an even more impressive figure moving forward.
Born in 1995, Sebastian Malec currently occupies 5th place on Poland’s All Time Money List with lifetime winnings of $1.4 million. However, this young chess-turned-poker pro has got plenty of time to make a much bigger mark on the global poker scene and from what we’ve seen so far, he certainly has the know-how required to do so.
Currently, his best result is the first place finish in the 2016 EPT Barcelona Main Event, which netted him €1,122,800. While it may not seem that impressive when compared to some other players out there, winning an EPT Main Event is quite an achievement in its own right and not something to be taken lightly. Although he hasn’t had any huge scores since, Malec is definitely one of the players to keep an eye out for as his next big win might be just around the corner.
Ed. note: All player images/screenshots courtesy Hendonmob.com
Many poker players dream of quitting their jobs and playing professionally because of all of the trappings and advantages of such a life. While it can of course bring you a lot of joy and freedom, it’s important to realize that the life of a professional poker player is not always as rosy as it might seem.
You have to be really dedicated, disciplined, and put in a lot of work to become one of the best. This could of course be said about any other profession as well, but poker can offer you unlimited rewards, which you get to keep yourself. So, considering the potential upside, putting in the work isn’t such a bad deal.
If you want to get on the path towards becoming a professional poker player, you can take a few shortcuts by focusing on what really matters most, and that’s what this article will concentrate on.
While it might seem obvious that you will need to master poker strategy, it is not easy or 100% straightforward. As the saying goes, “it takes 5 minutes to learn, but a lifetime to master.”
Many poker players jump from one game to another, playing some cash games, then trying MTTs, then maybe giving PLO a go. They’re constantly in pursuit of excitement at the table.
While this is certainly fine if you are a recreational player looking to have some fun, this is most definitely not an advisable strategy for anyone wanting to become a professional player.
Moreover, if you do not have a passion for the game, there is no way you will be successful playing it full-time. Sure, we all play to win, but if you are doing it only for the money, you will not have the intestinal fortitude to be able to put in enough hours studying and working away from the table to reach long-term success.
If you are serious about becoming a professional poker player, you should pick one game that you like the most and put all of your efforts into master that format. This way, you will be able to grow as a player and learn the necessary skills much more quickly than jumping from one game to another.
Obviously, poker study is a lifetime journey, but if you want to get the edge on your opponents, you will have to work hard. Improved poker skill is not something you’ll just find stuffed in a Christmas stocking some day.
Luckily, there are many good poker tips you can discover along the way, so take advantage of available information and don’t rest on your laurels once you start seeing success.
Emotions at the poker table can make or break you. To be more precise, if you are not able to leave your emotions aside and make thought out, controlled decisions, it will be very hard to succeed.
Even simple routines, like taking some time to prepare for your session and removing distractions, can help you a lot.
Controlling your emotions goes way deeper than that though. You need to get enough sleep to have the energy for playing your A-game, as well as exercise regularly and eat healthy. It’s not surprise that so many of the world’s top poker players look so physically fit! They didn’t just know what to do; they acted on it!
Obviously, getting to the point where you can fully control your emotions will require some “trial and error“ along the way, but like with most things, you can take a few shortcuts here and there.
POKER BOOK REVIEW: The Mental Game of Poker
The game of poker has advanced to a point that even beginning players nowadays know the importance of bankroll management. If managed properly, it helps you to move up in stakes, increase your overall winnings, and avoid dusting off all your money on a bad run.
Bankroll management is even more critical for professional poker players. You need to be able to pay the bills, cover travel and living expenses, and on top of that save enough to consistently increase your bankroll. Otherwise you’ll just be stuck playing for the same stakes.
Being a professional poker player is not about taking huge risks or putting your entire bankroll at stake for the chance at winning a shiny trophy. Quite the contrary, it is all about being consistent with your game selection and constantly moving up, instead of taking uncalculated risks.
Therefore, you should quickly get to the point where you know how much money you’ll need to withdraw from your bankroll every month or week to cover your living expenses as well as how much you’ll need to comfortably play at your preferred stakes.
Once you know these numbers, it is much easier to come up with a solid plan for how to reach your goals, or at least how to plan out the start your journey. Do not take this advice lightly! Learn how to manage your money and you will have a much higher chance of succeeding in poker and becoming a professional.
When I wrote Hold’em or Fold’em? – An Algorithm for Making the Key Decision (see ad below), I wanted to make it as simple as possible. After all, there is much pressure on each player to make fast decisions and not delay the game. (You don’t want the dealer and perhaps a player or two, angrily urging you to hurry-up.) The book is intended to help readers make the most important decision in playing Texas hold’em: Looking at your hole cards, do you want to invest your chips in these two cards to see the flop?
Playing hold’em, there are many factors to be considered – card rank, whether your hole cards are suited and/or connectors; betting position; any raises; number of opponents staying in the pot; their playing traits – tight, loose, passive, aggressive; and texture of the game. This leads to a point count that makes the decision relatively easy – whether to call to see the flop or fold. The point count system may seem harder than winning a jackpot at Whichcasino.com but, in fact, it’s quite easy and can be done in a split-second while seated at the table.
To make the decision even easier, we include a notation A/K or A/K/Q for unsuited, unconnected, non-pairs in the hole. These are the type of hands most often dealt.
For example, the criteria (the minimum point count) for calling the Big Blind bet to see the flop from a late position is 22(A/K/Q). What does the A/K/Q notation mean? In a late position (seats 7, 8, and 9 at a nine-player table), if your hole cards are unpaired, unsuited, non-connectors, at least one of them must be an Ace, King, or Queen. In early position, those same hole cards must include at least one Ace or King. Otherwise, as a general rule, it would be wise to fold your hand. Note: Exceptions may include when you are one of the Blinds and there has not been a raise pre-flop.
You will often be dealt marginal (mediocre) hole cards. They barely meet or slightly exceed the Starting-Hand Criteria. You hesitate to make the investment. For such cases, we’ve developed the Hold’em Caveat: Muck your cards (1) if there is a raise – or likely to be one after you make your bet (you know your opponents’ playing traits); or (2) if it is not a multiway pot with three or more opponents staying to see the flop.
Explanation: With mediocre hole cards, a double bet or higher is too costly to stay to see the flop, which, most often will not improve your hand enough to warrant further investment. (Remember: Chasers are losers.) A multiway pot is necessary to ensure that the pot odds will likely be higher than your card odds – a “positive expectation” – if you do improve.
Often, you will be at a table with one or more very aggressive players. They frequently raise and re-raise. That texture makes it too expensive to stay to see the flop, especially with a marginal starting hand. In the other extreme, a tight game is likely to result in relatively few chips in the pot when you win – barely exceeding the cost-to-play. If you are seated at such games, consider a table change. Best is a well-balanced game, satisfying the Hold’em Caveat.
Back in December 2009 when Robbie Strazynski was just starting this Cardplayer Lifestyle blog, he published a column by Chris Granger entitled “4 Good Tips for Winning at Poker.” It was a great column for those who seek to be winners. When debating what topic I should cover in this month’s article, I felt that I could add 6 additional Good Tips for Texas Hold’em. So, before we have a look at a half dozen new tips, which I’m sure will prove helpful to your game, let’s briefly review the four tips from that decade-old strategy article.
After that brief refresher, it’s time to list another 6 good Texas Hold’em tips for winning, for beginners. Keep in mind, the game we’re focusing on is limit hold’em.
I was a little bummed out when I looked around my Barcelona hotel room on Sunday, and realized it was time to go home.
My first time attending PokerStars European Poker Tour Barcelona allowed me the amazing opportunity to visit the city and get a front row seat for one of the top destinations on the poker festival calendar. This trip was so full of experiences, both poker media-related and otherwise, that it’s impossible to talk about them all in one article.
What follows then are just some of the many highlights of my trip to EPT Barcelona 2019, as a representative of Cardplayer Lifestyle.
On a catamaran off the shores of Barcelona! @PokerStarsLIVE #EPTBarcelona @cardplayerlife pic.twitter.com/ekdzKhfpN1
— Geoff Fisk (@GeoffFisk) August 28, 2019
Interviewing is my favorite part of journalism, and on this particular trip I had the opportunity to sit down with Team PokerStars Pros Andre Akkari, Lex Veldhuis, Muskan Sethi, and Kalidou Sow. The chance to talk to each of these personalities for 10-15 minutes each really gave me some insight on the life of the poker pro.
All four of these players have a unique and important role in the poker industry in 2019, with each taking a different path to where they are now. All were gracious and generous with their time, as they were doing numerous daily interviews with the various media representatives on hand at EPT Barcelona.
Seeing that process firsthand really gave me a deeper understanding of some of the duties of a Team PokerStars Pro away from the table.
I was also able to snag an unexpected interview with high-stakes pro Charlie Carrel, who is always an interesting conversation. Talking to the pros in person continues to be my favorite part of being in the poker media, and I had plenty of opportunities to engage in some great conversation at EPT Barcelona.
Without getting into too many details, I can definitely say that the PokerStars team took great care of the invited media throughout this event.
The interviews were arranged ahead of time, and all of them started promptly and on schedule. Trying to get player interviews can be quite the challenge at a poker event, as the pros are on a grueling playing schedule, with time for anything else at a premium.
Away from the tournament, media members had the opportunity to engage in a number of organized social events.
I had an unforgettable experience on my first night there, meeting up with other media representatives at the Hotel Arts, right next door to Casino Barcelona. I was the only American at the table and made acquaintance with some very engaging and interesting people from Poland, Germany, Brazil, and Russia, some of whom were with mainstream media outlets.
I was fascinated to hear from these international reporters. To the representatives from the mainstream, “non-poker” media outlets, I tried to convey that they had indeed hit the jackpot with their assignments to EPT Barcelona.
That’s the way I feel about working in poker media in general; if poker is your passion and you end up with the chance to write about it for a living, you really have hit the jackpot!
Other organized activities included a ride on a catamaran on the Mediterranean Sea, as well as media tournament that was one card away from being one of the crowning moments of my on-table poker exploits.
#EPTBarcelona Media Tournament, lets go! @PokerStarsLIVE pic.twitter.com/nR0zDMiOZi
— Geoff Fisk (@GeoffFisk) August 28, 2019
Unfortunately, with a massive three-way pot on the line at a critical juncture of the tournament, an ace hit on the river. My holdings did not include said ace, and it was time for me to head back to the hotel for some rest after that emotional rollercoaster.
The sights and sounds from my brief venture into Barcelona will stay with me forever. What a vibrant, bustling and culture-rich place it is!
I took a couple of rides on a hop-on, hop-off bus tour around the city. Just sitting on the top deck of the open-air, double-decker bus as it cruised around the Catalonian capital was an awe-inspiring experience.
I had read about the Sagrada Familia, one of the master works of Catalan architect Antoni Gaudi. The work of Gaudi is visible all around Barcelona, and Sagrada Familia is particularly interesting, as it’s been under construction since 1882 and is still unfinished, with an anticipated completion date of 2026.
I could see this basilica in the distance as I began my ride on the bus, and even from a distance it’s impressive. This epic work of art then disappeared for a while on the route until suddenly, after the driver made a couple of turns, I was right under the structure.
This iPhone shot of the basilica doesn’t do it justice, as it is one of the most spectacular works of architecture I’ve seen in my life.
Unfortunately, I never got to go inside. On my last day in the city I walked over from my hotel and tried to buy a ticket, but they were sold out for the day.
I will not make the mistake of trying to see the inside of Sagrada Familia on my final day in the city if I ever get to go back to Barcelona. For now I’m relegated to looking at other people’s photos of the inside of the basilica, and even the quickest look at those pictures makes it clear that I definitely missed out.
Barcelona has so many things to see and do that there’s no way to get to it all on your first trip. I did get the chance to check out the Gothic Quarter, Las Ramblas, and Mercado de La Boqueria, as well as get a little bit of time in on the spectacular beaches of Barcelona as well.
My final day in the city included a trip to Park Guell, a public park designed by Gaudi that was at or near the top of every “things to do” list I read about Barcelona. This park includes a collection of spectacular architecture by Gaudi and a chance to see Barcelona from an elevated viewpoint.
Oliver Biles, who was at the event to do videography work for Carrel’s vlog, came along on this mission, to get some shots of the city. We found a trail, off of the beaten path, that went to the top of the hillside and offered a view of the city that did not disappoint.
Last day in Barcelona! Found a trail at Park Guell with an elevated view of the city pic.twitter.com/N7MAvzXsn4
— Geoff Fisk (@GeoffFisk) August 31, 2019
Other highlights of the trip included the cuisine, which offered the chance for me to try paella for the first time. I found a couple of very cool craft beer bars with some locally-brewed selections that would fit in quite well where I live in San Diego!
In general, just riding around in the bus and wandering around the neighborhoods of Barcelona on foot were unforgettable experiences. No regrets on this trip; the entire experience, from covering the poker festival itself, to getting the opportunity to move around as a tourist, was truly the best combination of work and vacation that I could possibly ask for.
Hopefully, I’ll get to go back someday!
Whether you’re the player driving the action or, alternatively, getting involved as a caller, multiway pots strategy is not as clear as strategy in heads-up play. As the number of players involved in a hand increases, it becomes harder and harder to navigate different spots correctly.
Because these spots tend to get quite complicated, it is very difficult to provide answers for every scenario imaginable. Sometimes, you’ll just have to rely on your reads, experience, and your poker instinct. That said, these three tips should help you with building your overall game plan for multiway pots moving forward.
It is often tempting to try and see a cheap flop in a multiway pot since we’re getting such good direct odds to call. For example, when you’re in the button position facing a raise and a few callers, we’ll have great direct odds to call and see the flop. However, you should still be quite selective with the hands you do decide to call with.
The problem with calling wide in these spots is that you’ll have a really hard time realizing your equity. That doesn’t even take into consideration that there are players behind you who can make a squeeze play, and force you to fold.
More often than not, you’ll end up with a hand that has some showdown value (like a middle pair with a middling kicker) and these are not the hands you want to be playing against several opponents.
So, try to pick holdings that can make the best (not the second-best) hands, such as small pocket pairs, suited Aces and decent suited connectors if you decide to join the action. Disjointed and unsuited hands are better off in the muck, even if you may feel like the immediate price is too good to pass on. Staying disciplined and learning proper hand reading will pay huge dividends in the long run.
Bluffing isn’t nearly as effective in multiway pots as it is in heads up situations. With more players to go through, it is simply harder to win the pot without a showdown.
Therefore, you need to reduce your bluffing frequency in these spots, especially with hands that have no equity. Continuation betting with air is simply not as profitable in these situations.
The best bluffing candidates in these scenarios are draws that have a chance to improve to what’s likely going to be the best hand. An advantage of betting with these hands is that you take control of the betting and give yourself a chance to win the pot right then and there by making other players fold their marginal hands.
LEARN MORE: Bluffing is Essential!
If you face a lot of resistance from your opponent(s) and get check-raised, for example, you can easily get rid of these hands and only continue with your best draws (like flush draws with an overcard or additional outs). The rest of them weren’t likely to be the winner by the river anyway, so you aren’t giving up on too much equity and actually improve your EV by betting out.
It is much more important to protect your equity in multiway pots. When you flop a vulnerable hand that’s likely to be in the lead, you’ll want to bet out and deny your opponents the chance to improve for free. While this may be a bit scary in certain spots, you’re much better off betting out to establish where you’re at in the hand and protect against others.
Examples of these situations are where you flop top pair with a hand like 9-J or 10-Q. While you’re likely to be ahead on the flop, letting another card come with multiple opponents is dangerous. That’s because even random overcards have quite a lot of equity in the hand, so be sure to make your opponents pay while you are ahead.
However, it is very important to understand that you need to proceed very carefully when facing aggression in multiway pots. Players tend to play draws more passively, and their strong hands very fast versus multiple opponents, so make sure to not overplay your one pair hands.
Obviously, you still want to have somewhat balanced ranges, but – generally peaking – trying to exploit other players is the way to go in these spots!
Charlie Carrel is crushing on the live tournament scene this year, and he’s just added to that total with a second-place finish in the €25,000 No-Limit Hold’em event at PokerStars European Poker Tour Barcelona, for €481,640. That tournament run brings his 2019 earnings up to $2,475,294, which includes four six-figure cashes, as well a seven-figure cash from his win at the £50,000 No-Limit Hold’em 8-Handed event at the Triton Million London.
I caught up with Charlie just after he busted out of the EPT Barcelona Main Event, and before his big finish in the €25k. Originally intended to just be a couple of questions for Carrel to use in some other EPT Barcelona pieces, I thought this short but very interesting conversation deserved to stand alone.
I’m doing a couple of pieces; one is about how do poker pros prepare for a big major event like this, versus how new players prepare. You’re obviously on the poker pro side; how do you prepare for a big, major tournament like the EPT Barcelona Main Event?
I feel like if you were graph out all of the different preparation of the different players in this whole event, I’m probably in the top 0.1 percent. My preparation; in this case we have a personal chef with us, which is pretty huge. We have an AirBnb, which is very good for sleeping in, and very good for just taking time away from the casino. I make sure I meditate every day; I make sure I’m eating well every day. I make sure I exercise at least a tiny bit every day. Although that I’m kind of slipping up on at the moment.
I always make sure I’m kind of engaged with poker as well. We were watching poker on the TV this morning; it just gets you in that mindset before you sit down at the table.
Do you want me to speak about other people?
Yes, sure.
Within the high stakes community, this isn’t uncommon, doing at least some of those things. I do feel like there is kind of a polarity and a split. So if you look at, say, the German high rollers, for instance, they’re very into health, the keto diet, intermittent fasting, things like that. And they’ll always be talking hands, going over meditating.
The if you look at the American high rollers, they’re very good in their own right, but I feel like they’ve kind of let the health side of things slip a bit. It’s difficult to stay healthy when you’re playing poker all the time. But they definitely seem to not do too much preparation in that sense; getting their mind and body in peak performance mode.
Then when it comes to less well-versed players, like amateurs or new professionals, you see a whole array of things. You’ll see some people turn up on adderall, thinking that’s the best way to plow through 10 days. You’ll see some people just not even think about these things, get here and be like, oh, well there’s not really much to eat here, everything is so expensive. And they’ll end up not eating for most of the day, or they haven’t planned out things.
I can relate to that, when I first started out. I was trying all the different stimulants I could, just to try to get me through the 10 days including caffeine, which I do not recommend to anyone. Let’s just say coffee, for example. I have my one coffee on the first day. And then you hit a final table, you need to have another coffee just before the final table, which is at 1 am. And then you’re not sleeping until 5 am. Then you’re waking up at 9, so you need like three coffees the next day. And it just kind of cycles, and gets almost exponentially bigger like that. I try to be pretty moderate in terms of what I put in my body.
Going back to fitness, I do think that’s kind of a challenge for a lot of people. You’re playing 12, 13 hours a day, so when do you find time to do that physical exercise?
Fitness is the one I’m struggling with at the moment. Usually I’m pretty on top of it. We have a punching bag, which I’ve been hitting every day. And I make sure I take the stairs up to the apartment every day.
I think that when people say they don’t have enough time to exercise, it’s almost always just an excuse. I know for me it is. I can be really busy, but I know that if I took five minutes out of my day to go do some press ups and sit ups, then I’d be able to do that every day. Sometimes I convince myself that I’m too tired, or it’s not worth it. So it’s like an ongoing battle I think for most people.
Moving in another direction; we’re here in Barcelona, lots of things to do around here. What are some of your favorite non-poker activities in this city?
You’re asking the wrong person, I guess. I’ve just spent so much time at the casino! I’ve seen Gatti Park, which I thought was lovely, very touristy. The cathedral is beautiful; I like architecture. But apart from that, I really haven’t explored much of Barcelona, despite having been here like four times. Which is pretty sad, but I’ve been here for work. As a matter of fact, I was thinking about jumping in the cash games to be honest.
A man truly dedicated to his craft. Thanks for your time, Charlie!
Kalidou Sow is one of the newest players to earn the coveted designation of Team PokerStars Pro. PokerStars announced the addition of Sow to their ranks in April 2019. Sow, who memorably won back-to-back events at PokerStars tournament series in Prague and London in late 2017-early 2018, has long been a patron of the brand, and now he’s an ambassador.
With more than $1.7 million in live tournament earnings, the French poker player is certainly an outstanding addition to the team. At one time, Sow aspired to be a professional basketball player, but his competitive spirit is now fed by his battles at the tables on the live tournament scene.
Sow sat down with Cardplayer Lifestyle for a brief interview at PokerStars European Poker Tour Barcelona, just before play began on Day 2 of the EPT Barcelona Main Event. While he didn’t end up cashing, he did make the money in two side events to add thousands more in winnings to his increasing career totals.
You learned how to play poker in home games with friends in the early 2010s. What drew you to the game?
Before poker I had my company, an energy company. And before than I played basketball when I was younger. I was involved in a training center and wanted to play professional basketball. But I had an injury.
At what point did you know that you wanted to be a professional poker player?
Lucky for me, I am a competitor; I like to have a challenge. It’s a challenge for me because I don’t have the same story as the other professional poker players. I am an instinct player. I don’t play online, so I’m not a maths/statistics player. It’s a challenge for me.
I’ve read that you like to play in tournaments more so than cash games, why is that?
Tournaments are very different from cash games. I am a competitor. When you’re a competitor, you want to be first; the best! When you start a tournament, you have an objective. In a cash game, you can sit down and play a session any day, anytime. There’s no beginning or end. The challenge isn’t the same. So I prefer tournaments over cash games.
When you get a photo op with Kalidou Sow, you take it!
What does wearing that PokerStars Pro patch mean to you?
I’m proud, because I started poker at the lowest level. I’m very proud to have gotten to a stage where I have been recognized for my effort and achievement at the poker table.
What are your goals in poker for the remainder of 2019 and beyond?
I have a lot of objectives; I want to be the best so I need to put in a lot of work. I’m hungry, I don’t want to rest on my laurels, or be just satisfied with what I’ve already done. I want to keep pushing.
*Ed. Note: Cardplayer Lifestyle would like to thank Fiona Martin of the PokerStars PR Team for French-English translation assistance during this interview.
The just-completed PokerStars EPT Barcelona series is a poker festival full of prestigious tournaments. Regarded by many as the start of the new poker calendar (after the World Series of Poker), EPT Barcelona is loaded with poker’s best players, with plenty of big money to go around.
It’s also, however, located in Barcelona, Spain, one of the top destination cities in the world. I sat down with a few of the Team PokerStars Pros, including Lex Veldhuis, Muskan Sethi, and Kalidou Sow to ask how they prepare for big events like EPT Barcelona, and how do they balance their poker-playing duties with non-poker activities in Barcelona. I picked up some interesting insights from speaking with them and I imagine some of their responses might even surprise you.
You specialize in online tournament play; when you do play in a live tournament, how do you prepare and adjust for the live setting?
I think online is a little bit more technical. I think generally, live, you get a little bit more info, or feel for the table. Because you have the social angle, right? I could even mean where somebody’s from, or how somebody sits down at the table, or how they talk to the dealer. You have so many more angles into live poker, that make it so much more specific every time, and situational.
Live, I go in with a much more blank face. Like I’ll rely on my fundamental strategies, and go in as a blank canvas. Whereas online, if I play a $1k and I know it’s going to be a tough SCOOP, this is the plan, this is what I’m going to do, and these are the spots that I’m not going to back down from. So I feel like online is a little bit more technical.
Have you found some time to relax here in Barcelona? If so, what are some of your favorite activities away from the poker table when you’re in town for the European Poker Tour?
I’ve pretty much been doing interviews, and we played the awesome Chase Your Dream stuff. Honestly, that’s one of my favorite things; to play a TV sit n go, against pros that will try their best. Because everybody play for pride, and really likes the dynamic when there’s a qualifier involved.
Did you miss Gerard Piqué’s huge bluff against @LexVeldhuis?
What about the cooler between @Patrik_Antonius and @brucebuffer?
Watch the top 5 hands from the Chase Your Dream invitational (also featuring @CMONEYMAKER and @Fatimademelo) here:https://t.co/R46xltlI98 pic.twitter.com/YYSjo5WdQT
— PokerStarsBlog (@PokerStarsBlog) August 29, 2019
The key thing for me with streaming is you hear people’s stories, but they live through me because I’m a poker pro. But I live through them because they’re grassroots! They have this image of poker that is just so wholesome and nice. They are motivated, and they want to learn it. You see that with qualifiers, too.
I haven’t done much relaxing, but it’s been a blast. I’ve had so much fun. I’ve met Bruce Buffer before but I’ve never really talked to him. I love UFC! I had so much fun with Patrik Antonius and Chris Moneymaker, too. It was a great table setting as well, so that was really nice.
Had I planned to stay here longer, I would have definitely ventured out in the city and see stuff. That’s also a thing I never used to do. Play my tournament, done playing, OK cool. Drink, and hang out with friends. That’s done, OK. Play online. Now it’s just like, you’re in Barcelona, go see it! You know?
I’ve been seeing you in the poker room, playing a lot. Have you found any time to relax here in Barcelona, and if so what have you been doing non-poker-wise since you’ve been here?
I love Barcelona; this is, I swear, my favorite city. This is the first city I flew myself out of India to. The first time I flew myself out, on my own time, was when I won the PokerStars Shark Cage qualifier. It was a little bit of a sad phase in my life at that time. I was going through some personal issues; I had lost my mom. But when I got here, and I went on the beach I remember it was just so beautiful, the breeze and everything.
So I’ve explored the Gothic Quarter, I’ve explored Gatti’s art everywhere, I’m a big fan of his architecture and beauty, and everything that Barcelona has to offer. And I am a beach lover, I’m always on the beach. In fact I want to give a compliment to the Barcelona beach, which I feel is like no other beach in the world.
If you walk during the sunset, or any kind of hour, you will find different groups of people sitting and doing amazing things. It doesn’t cost money to have a good quality of life here. There’s gym equipment all over the beach, so people can actually go and work out on the beach, which I’ve never seen anywhere. And also, imagine that view, wow! I would never join a gym if I lived in Barcelona, I would go and work out on the beach.
🏝 #sunset #EPTBarcelona #Eptdiaries pic.twitter.com/yFeIsWCjU1
— Muskan Sethi (@muskaansethi) August 25, 2019
Then if you walk a few more steps you’ll see a meditation group, a few more steps ahead people sitting and making music. People dancing, people playing ball, every sort of sport. It’s a really beautiful environment. Even at night, if you walk the streets, you suddenly see 50 couples doing salsa, on the beach, out of nowhere. It’s just like salsa night or something.
The city, the culture here is top notch. I love it; everyone’s happy. They have their siestas, which I’ve never seen in my own country. I honestly was playing a lot on this trip, but on earlier trips I’ve had time to explore. I’ve done segway tours, I’ve done a lot.
This time in Barcelona I was busy playing, but now I’m free, and I’m heading straight to the beach. I’m going to be doing some meditation, and just focus and take in this beautiful view. Because I’m actually going back to India now, and I’m going to be there for a while, until next summer.
What does a typical day at EPT Barcelona look like in the life of Kalidou Sow?
I wake up and go running, and after running I go to eat my breakfast. After that I take a 30- to 45-minute nap to relax. Then I come back and I start my day. I’m very focused. Every break I go to my room and relax. I don’t like to stay around a lot of people because I need to be focused.
What kind of non-poker activities do you like to do here in the city when you’re here for EPT Barcelona?
I like to go to the restaurants. This is a very beautiful city; the Spanish are very good people. And I get a good feeling here because they are very welcoming, and I like the restaurants because I like eating, always.
The festival is incredible! We beat the (attendance) record from last year. Every year it gets bigger. A lot of players prefer this stop because this city is great. The sun, the beach, it’s a beautiful city. When you bust out of a tournament you can go do other things, and that’s nice.
My students and recreational poker playing friends have a complaint that I hear so often that it has become the overplayed radio hit of my poker conversations. There are interesting tunes in between of course; strategy questions, funny stories… But if I talk to a recreational player long enough, it always seems to come around: They can’t beat a table full of bad players and are certain that their results are better against better players.
Sure, this statement seems like nonsense. And it generally is! I’ve put some thought into it, and I believe that the reason most of these people have the belief they do is because:
I’ve also seen many of these same people move up in stakes in an attempt to solve this problem, and they get slaughtered.
There is also a particular skill set that they may be lacking. The ability to quickly identify a very weak player, adjust to their playing style, and make the right decisions based on accurate hand ranges, are necessary components to beating a truly terrible player. Since the problem is so common, let’s take a shot at it.
Let’s start with what I refer to as “structure anxiety”. Many players feel like a fast structure takes all the skill out of the game, and they feel constant pressure to chip up and take risks or they will be blinded off. If this describes you, ask yourself this question: “Is there ever a time when you should play a hand differently because of the length of a the blind levels?”
While it is possible to come up with a few spots where you might theoretically alter your play based on structure, it would be very rare. In most cases, the size of the pot, your opponent’s range, and the stacks behind, pretty much dictate the action and how soon the blinds are going up has no effect.
When I first started playing poker for a living, I was playing single table tournaments on partypoker. Yes, I’m that old. And I was considered one of the “online poker kids” back in those days. When I switched to playing a few of the sit and gos with the turbo structure, it felt like constant pressure. My ROI went down a little, as I expected, but my hourly rate actually went up. Making 10% in nine tournaments per hour was better than making 13% in five tournaments per hour.
Playing poker professionally as a teenager/college student really solidified this for me. Calculate hourly rate and adjust your time tasks/time accordingly
— HH (@RealHerbHoover) August 1, 2019
I have taken this knowledge to multi-table tournaments as well. My ROI might be higher in a great structure, but a faster structure means that my hourly rate might be just as good or better. People make terrible mistakes in fast structures, and a lot of nitty players that you would rather avoid will either tilt off their chips in frustration or skip the tournament altogether, making the tournament a lot more fun and often more profitable. The last thing I worry about when thinking about playing a tournament is the structure.
Let your structure anxiety go. It doesn’t matter to the play of the individual hand, and your opponents are playing the same structure you are. Just play solid smart poker with the stack you have, and everything will be fine.
Another common complaint is that “they always call”. Well, give me a ring next time you have a table like that, I know how to beat the hell out of a table full of calling stations. I make my living beating tables full of calling stations. Your frustration is probably due to one of two things:
1. You may be focusing on the bad beats
This is common. It also does you no good at all. You play good poker, and eventually you’ll get paid. Focusing on short term bad luck is not only a waste of time, but it will make you play worse. I see it every day. People who are so afraid of bad beats that they play badly simply in an attempt to avoid them.
If you see someone open raise for six big blinds in a tournament, they almost always have a big hand and are afraid of a bad beat. And when they just win the blinds with their raise, they are happy they didn’t lose a big pot. They have no idea that they allowed me to fold Ace-King instead of re-raising it, simply because they made a bad play. And they don’t care. Because they expect to lose if they get called. It’s a matter of their emotions costing them money at the table. Stop being afraid.
2. You could be playing very badly against loose players
I see this every time I play, too. Someone will open raise to three big blinds, and get called by a player who they know is playing almost any two cards. Then they give that player 80 big blinds on a 963 rainbow board with two jacks because they think that a bad player can’t have a good hand.
If a bad player limps into the pot, do you know how much to raise? Let’s look at an example hand, and you can answer the questions yourself and see if you agree with my assessment after.
A bad player who calls raises and plays almost every hand limps at the 300/600 level from middle position. You are on the button with a pair of tens. You each have around 20k in your stacks. How much do you raise here?
It varies depending on how bad the player really is, but my goal here is to pick the highest number that will get them to call, or I won’t raise at all. I don’t mind seeing a flop multi-way and keeping the pot small with a pair of tens, especially if the blinds are bad players as well and I can win a big pot if I flop a set. My typical raise here would be to around 2,600. This puts heat on the limper, get the blinds out, and either wins me the pot or gets me heads up with a lot of money in the pot when I have the best hand and I’m in position.
If I was in the small blind, but everything else was the same, I would raise to more like 3,600 because playing against a calling station out of position can be tough and I want to get as much money in now as I can or simply win the pot pre-flop.
If this bad player is very readable, then a smaller raise is also fine. Make it 1,700 to get the blinds out, and beat the bad player after the flop. However, it is important to remember that this player sees a lot more flops than you. They may be super loose pre-flop, but after the flop, when the big money goes in, they have “home field advantage” because they have been seeing flops with bad hands for many years and they are probably pretty good in such a situation.
If you aren’t beating bad players, you need to work on your skill set. It’s not a hard thing to do; it’s just something you haven’t learned how to do yet. Give it some thought, schedule a lesson with your favorite coach to talk about it, or keep working on your skill set and learning how to handle wide ranges with different stack sizes.
If you can’t beat a table full of fish, you have no shot at beating a table full of pros. I know it may not feel like this is true, but I promise that it is. If every player who thought they could beat a table full of pros was correct, the pros would be broke and these recreational players would be crushing them in the biggest cash games in the world.
The real question with smaller buy-in tournaments, is often which ones to play. The rake is high, the structures are fast enough that a low ROI Is guaranteed, and there aren’t ten more tournaments starting immediately like there were back my partypoker days. If your ROI drops to 25% because of a fast structure, and the rake is 25%, you are breaking even. If your ROI is actually 50% because you are a really great small stakes player, then you make 25% of a buy-in, which may be enough to cover your gas to drive to the casino and a few tips for drinks at the table, but you aren’t going to make much money.
The fields will always be soft, and while a little better structure is nice, the best thing to look for in low stakes tournaments is a low rake: $100+25 is pretty standard, but if you can find $125+25 it’s better, and if you are paying $75+25 the tournament is going to be tough to beat.
So…
Find smaller stakes tournaments with low rake, often in the $200 range. Work on your skills. And let that structure anxiety go. You are playing a hand, not a structure. Play your hands well and you’ll be fine.
*Results not guaranteed. Use my advice at your own risk!
While most poker players live and breathe the game of bluffing and deception, it’s also enjoyable to play other games from time to time. Indeed, there are numerous card games that can be played as a way to get some respite from poker and improve overall poker skills at the same time. Baccarat is a great option for poker players looking for a card game to partake in. Phil Ivey, one of the greatest poker players of all time, has been known to play the casino classic, as have numerous other players.
One of the most important skills for modern poker players is to have exceptional mathematical ability. Online play, in particular, is much more focused on odds and probability than on getting reads on opponents by spotting their psychological tells. A great way to enhance and refine these attributes is to play other games that require the same level of mental thought. Baccarat is one such game.
When playing the game, which originated from the French nobility in the 19th Century, players need to keep track of cards from either 6 or 8 decks that are shuffled together and dealt from a shoe. Cards are dealt to the player and the banker, and if either player’s hand equals eight or nine the coup is finished and the winner is announced. The basic rules of how to play baccarat are simple, and most players with a history of playing card games would find it fairly easy to jump into a few hands. Seasoned players usually bet on the banker because of the lower house edge of 1.06 percent, but they are also looking to follow streaks. If the banker loses, some players recommend instantly jumping on player bets to try and pick up a new streak.
No matter how much you study baccarat and incorporate systems into the way you play, the game is pretty much all to do with chance. Professional poker player, who make their living from doing their best to reduce variance and the element of luck, are often against games like this and have chosen to play poker because of the skill that is required. But playing the odd game of luck can prepare players mentally for situations at the poker table that come down to the luck of the cards the dealer peels from the top of the deck. In tournament play, there are a lot of “coin flip” situations when players go all-in with sub-optimal hands and then get called. These are high-pressure occasions and can lead some players to feel overwhelmed.
Players can get used to dealing with the exhilarating rush of betting on something that will come down to chance by playing baccarat. Doing this frequently can help you develop the skill to keep your emotions in check when there is a chance you could lose your money. This way, when it comes down to putting in those big bluffs in a live tournament, you can appear calm to those around you at the table.
Obviously, it is a bad idea to put all your chips in the middle on a stone-cold bluff, but you may want to try and push people off pots when you have a flush or a straight draw. If someone does call, though, this is when a game of poker turns into a game of chance and is decided on a coin flip.
By playing baccarat, you would be following in the footsteps of a number of poker players who have decided to play other games as a way to sharpen their overall card skills. For instance, Canadian poker expert Daniel Negreanu enjoys chess and likes to play Hearthstone when he isn’t pulling off incredible reads at the Texas Hold’em table.
The Blizzard Entertainment title has a lot of similarities to poker in that players need to use strategy and deception in order to prevail. It also has to do with working out which moves will provide the most value, which is reminiscent of how poker players need to carefully assess how much to bet in poker. Bertrand Grospellier is also known for being a Hearthstone buff, and the poker pro known as ElkY has battled Negreanu live in the past.
Baccarat is one of the most exciting and enduring casino games of all time and has been hugely popular for over one hundred years. Poker players would be wise to get into it, as it can help refine the overall skillset required to succeed at the Texas Hold’em table.
In 2018, Muskan Sethi became India’s first ever female poker player to land a sponsorship, becoming a Team PokerStars Pro. Sethi is one of poker’s biggest advocates in India, trying to introduce, teach and change the perception of the game in her home country.
Sethi took the time to sit down with Cardplayer Lifestyle at the 2019 PokerStars European Poker Tour Barcelona to discuss her poker journey, motivation, and plans for the future.
Team PokerStars Pro Muskan Sethi
It’s been a little over a year since you became a Team PokerStars Pro. How have the past 18 months been for you?
They’ve been really satisfying. It’s a dream come true, yes, but it’s also a lot of responsibility. In India, because poker is just growing right now, there’s a lot of work to do. Imagine starting from scratch in a country with such a big population, and to many players. To make sure that everyone’s in a safe environment, and everyone’s playing responsibly. As a team pro, with the help of Pokerstars India, I’ve done a lot of things.
We met with the law community back in India, and I was addressing them, and it was just so nice because they were listening to me, they do agree that poker is a skill game. It does involve a percentage of chance. That’s why they are hesitant to give it the same respect as they do to cricket, because that involves physical attributes and achievements.
Team Pro – Muskan Sethi 🇮🇳 is going to be playing the #EPTBarcelona National Event.
Follow her journey on #EPTDiaries. 🙂 pic.twitter.com/rTjWLUcOqF
— PokerStars India (@PokerStarsIN) August 21, 2019
But in poker, they are mental achievements. And they need to be recognized in the same way. Like chess; it’s well-respected, but in India it’s not that famous. But it is well respected. We are working on making people understand that poker is actually a mind sport, and you can make money from it. So the first thing we’re working on is awareness. I’ve been doing a lot of projects, working with PokerStars poker schools. Twitch has been introduced in India, thanks to PokerStars. They were the first ones to have their team pros stream while they play.
It’s been amazing actually; I’m getting paid to do something I love. You know how it is, when you get your dream job; it’s no longer work. You love what you do, and you’re doing what you love.
I know what you mean about the dream job, when you get to do something that you love. That leads into my next question; I read that you have a quote you really like, “Make a life, not just a living.” What does that quote mean for you?
I’ve grown up with my mother, and I was raised by parents with really strong values. And they made me realize, even growing up at a really young age, that the things we do are much more than the material we collect over our life. I didn’t want to spend my life doing something that I’m not passionate about. I wanted to do something that I love. To be honest, poker gives me the freedom to give to charity, and to keep my mind racing all the time, and keep that sports person in me alive.
If I wasn’t a poker player; when I was younger I was very passionate about tennis, and I took up lawn tennis. And I broke my ligament in my main match. So when that happened, it was a big setback. I started painting; I was trying to find something interesting, creative. Something that makes my creative side satisfied and happy.
Poker does that for me. It’s sports with art. It’s an art, it’s a skill, it’s a sport, it’s a business. It’s everything in life you could ask for.
Muskan Sethi kindly made time during a busy day to chat with me, for Cardplayer Lifestyle.
You’ve talked about poker allowing you to donate to charity. What are some of your favorite charities?
I am a dog lover, I love animals, I have a very soft heart for them. I feel like we should stand up for those that can’t defend themselves. Especially animals; they can’t tell you to your face ‘please don’t treat me badly’. I’m also running a community in India called DoggyDoo, it’s actually a community for dogs. And it’s basically just all of the dog owners, they talk to each other, they help each other if they have any problems and they stay connected.
It’s just very organic. I’ve gotten a lot of offers to convert it into a commercial business, but I’ve never done that. It’s just a platform where you can communicate with each other if you have a problem. Like people come and questions like my dog has a rash, what do I do? So it’s like a community of people who have pets, but they also care about the stray animals. If there are any dogs for adoption, we put them up on that, or if someone has abandoned their dog somewhere.
Also old age homes; I feel like when you’re young, you’re thriving, or when you’re a parent you do so much for your kids. Or you do so much when you’re a young employee at a company. When you get old, I feel like people don’t give you as much respect as you deserve, or as much attention. There’s an emptiness that comes into someone’s life when you’re past a certain age. I’ve seen that.
I have zero tolerance for people who do not respect animals, and do not respect elders.
What’s next for you, after EPT Barcelona?
I was traveling a lot over the past few months. And now I’m finally going back and I’m going to be streaming my online play on PokerStars from India and doing a lot of work.
I’m going to start coaching a few women as well. It’s just something I feel like I should now start. Just because they haven’t even started playing poker, so I’m going to have to start teaching them. If I don’t do it, I know they’ll never do it. I feel like it’s my responsibility to start pushing women in India. Not pushing, but just encouraging them. Making them realize that they can actually make a living, make a life, they can explore this. Why not?
