– 4 handed online $215 MTT everyone roughly has the same amount of chips 20bb. First to act jams, what is your range to call when you’re second to act.
I assume by 4-handed you mean 4 left and it's a final table, and not just a 44-handed format.
While there is no definite answer to this as it depends on the payouts, but something along the lines of 99, AQ makes sense?
– After spending years playing online, what’s one thing about live high stakes that you completely underestimated until you sat down in the games?
I would say the main thing is being able to remain completely calm and emotionless under pressure. Whether that is during a hand or after the outcome of the hand. Online you can be as expressive as you like, but live you have to keep every emotion and feeling under control for very long stretches of time.
– Do you agree with the statement, "50% ICM is bullshit?"
At what point in an MTT do you recommend players start making ICM adjustments?
I believe we should start deviating from chipEV strategies very early on, I cover a lot of that in the course. It depends on how many starting stacks we and our opponents have
Not all of Reddit's questions were about strategy.
– You are four-handed. Three spots paid: $1,200, $720, and $480. Fourth gets nothing.
Stacks:
- Chip leader on the button: 45,000
- You in the big blind: 18,000
- Two short stacks: 9,000 and 8,000
Blinds are 500/1,000 with a 100 ante.
The chip leader shoves and has you covered. You look down at AKo. You have about 62% equity against the range he is shoving. Calling is an easy win in chips.
Why can it still be a bad call for real money? What about this table makes losing hurt so much more than winning helps? And would you still feel the same way if first place took everything, or if this were a satellite where the top three all get the same seat?
I think with the added risk premium (extra equity we need to call off because of ICM pressure) this could be close, but, we have to take into account our future EV of winning and doubling up and becoming the new chip leader. It becomes much closer once the chip leader has 100,000 chips instead of 45,000 because then winning means nothing.
In a first place takes all situation, we would have 0 ICM, so happy call.
In a satellite where top 3 get a seat, this has to be a very clear fold because gaining chips doesn't really matter at this point, we just have to outlast one of the other 2 short stacks.
– What do you think is one of the biggest leaks population has in PKOs in the later stages of the tournament/in general?
I'd say right now, it has to do with over or underestimating ICM especially in the smaller field PKOs.
– Can you give us practical advice on how to deal with a huge downswing?
This is always a rough situation to be in, whether you are a full time pro for decades or only now getting into the game, but it is the unfortunate reality of MTTs.
Variance can be very brutal but the best thing one can do is to try and remain objective about their own game and focus on the things that can be controlled.
Whether your AK beats your opponent's QQ is completely outside your reach, but making sure you are constantly improving and playing your best game is.
– Is there a certain buy-in level where you default to a more GTO-led strategy, where below that you would default more towards a strategy that exploits known population tendencies?
I wouldn't necessarily tie it with a buy-in level but with the opponents we play against. I would assume that generic population tendencies won't apply to the best regs, so I'd avoid trying to exploit them.
– You are playing final table UTG with 7 left and have 12bb and two players have less then 10bb.
Often players bet half their stack and maybe fold vs two shoves. Is there any merit to betting like 30-40% of stack instead?
The problem with betting such a small portion is that we can then allow opponents to call with hands that would fold vs a jam, especially if the big blind is a bigger stack.
– If you could go back to when you first started playing tournaments, how would you learn ICM differently?
Spend less time calculating bubble factors and the value of chips with pen and paper, haha. We didn't have HRC and GTOW back in the day!
– Which tournament format do you find most enjoyable?
And in which do you think there are biggest edges to be had?
Most enjoyable I'd say PKOs.
Biggest edge, probably in mystery bounties, which happen to be the least enjoyable.
– How do you deal with an awful run of cards towards the end of a MTT? (One/two tables left)
When I’m in fold or shove territory, I’ve had runs of 15+ hands without getting a King or an Ace to coin flip on.
Yeah that sucks when it happens as you feel quite helpless and that there was nothing you could have done.
Unfortunately it is part of the game and sometimes you aren't meant to win but getting 11th being the best possible outcome.
– What's the biggest ICM mistake you have seen?
In terms of $ probably some hand from a WSOP Main Event final table.
In terms of a reoccurring scenario, jamming vs very tight ranges.
– During your long-standing online career, what factors in live play did you underestimate until you sat down at the table yourself?
"The first thing that comes to mind is the need to remain calm under pressure and completely unemotional. Online, we can express our emotions however we want, but offline, we have to keep them under control for a long time."
– What do you think separates great players from elite players?
Tough question to answer, there are so many things but not all of them have to apply to everyone.
Study time, work ethic, instinct, talent, mentality, being smart, perceptive, competitive, curious, open-minded and the list goes on. So I would say it's a long list of traits that having some of which can push a great player into elite.
– If you could go back in time to the beginning, when you first decided to play poker, what’s the first piece of advice you would give yourself?
Run!
No, I'm joking, I honestly don't have many regrets. I would of course take some shortcuts here and there and deal with some things a bit differently, but overall, I'm happy with where I'm at and how I got here.
– How to play pocket jacks?
Quickly flip one over and ask for a new card.
Speaking of pocket jacks, an unfortunate one was seen in the September 14th CoinMillion Day 2 on CoinPoker after a preflop shove.
We could have predicted this turn card.
But hey, $16,707 for 7th place is nothing to be disappointed with.
– What is the meaning of Pwndidi?
I used to play DotA back in the day and my nickname was You_Got_Pwnd, and friends called me Pwnd.
-idi is just an acronym in Greek to signify small, so like "little pwnd"
– How has poker influenced the way you make decisions in everyday life?
Oh, for sure! Mainly the concept of EV is very rarely considered by people outside of poker, but I think about it very often in the day to day life. Then also being able to remain calm under hardships and think things through without being impulsive, among other concepts.
– If you could permanently delete one widespread ICM misconception from the poker community's collective brain, which one is costing amateurs the most money, and why do you think it survives despite being wrong?
That when you have very high ICM pressure, you should call instead of 3-betting or jamming!
– Nacho Barbero said ICM is for poor people. Could you please look back at your career and name one spot when ICM made you poorer, and another when ICM made you richer?
I don't think this is very productive as it is simply being results oriented. That's like saying "folding to a cbet is for poor people."
Yes, sometimes you will hit a set on the turn when you call a pot bet on AK9 with pocket 22, but you will mostly lose your money.
– How do you overcome the mindset of competing against player who might be better than you?
That's just motivation to improve more!
– What was the most memorable hand you folded for ICM and it would be a call under Cev. Where was it and when and did you make the right fold ?
There have been a bunch of times where I wasn't allowed to call off with AKs pre due to a very high risk premium, so that one always sucks. As for it being the right fold, well, it's tough to say. AKs will always be ahead but not ahead by enough where you're allowed to call off.
