'' Motivation & Goals part 2
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MOTIVATION & GOALS PART 2

This is the second part of the blog "Motivation & Goals". Read first part Motivation & Goals part 1

6MAX & FULL RING POKER

Small-stakes 6max players have to be able to multi table. Personally I play 9 tables which is 10 hands per minute. I would say it is evident that you can play at least 6 tables to get the volume you need. 6max players excel at playing positions and target weak opponents but it forced to play back when a pro tries to tricky or take over the table.

6max players have to use Hold’em Manager and use the HUD. If you do not do this you are giving up the edge you might have. If you become a solid 6max cash game player you should always be able to find games as it is the second most popular type of poker.

Overall playing 6max cash games is quite consistent oppose to some of the other poker games mentioned in this article.

 

SNG's

I find Heads Up SNG’s very interesting. I am fascinated with how the HU SNG players battle to get the lobby. What does that mean? In a SNG lobby there is only one table. Once that table is full a new table will appear. If you are a shark sitting in the lobby you are bound to get the next fish that enters the lobby. Regs battle all the time to get the lobby. If you are not able to get respect and thereby get the lobby you will go bust or be forced down in stakes.

HU SNG players needs to possess the same mental strength as HU cash game players. To become a winning SNG player you need to learn how to play many different kind of poker since the blinds increase during the match. You might be decent on the first levels but if your end game is weak you don’t stand a chance. The swings in HU SNG’s are huge since most matches are won in marginal spots. If you can’t handle big swings and the mental struggle do not play HU SNG.

 

6MAX & FULL RING SNGS

It is my understanding that you can program a bot to play decent SNG poker. It is basically a matter of playing tight 4 levels and figure out the math of when you should push or fold. This game is only interesting for players who can put in lot of volume by multi-tabling and being a human robot. I heard of players playing 25 SNG at once. If you are disciplined it is possible as a break-even SNG player to make $10,000+ in rake back a month. I consider this game the most mechanic game of poker and therefore the least interesting to me.

 

LIVE POKER

In most parts of the world it is not possible to make a living of cash games. The rake is simply too high. It is possible however in L.A, Las Vegas & Macau to name a few places.

Live poker is about patience and stamina and being able to notice reads and tells your opponents give away. If you are not focused on every move you are giving up value. I admire people who plays live full time as its hard work and it takes a special mindset to sit in a chair at a poker room 10 hours a day – day in day out without falling asleep or going crazy.

The media mainly pays attention to big live poker tournaments. It is our glamour factory in the poker society. Young kids winning millions is always a story that sells. Due to the media it is where donks becomes heroes. You can cash in one big tournament and be portrayed as a genious without knowing much poker theory. Playing tournaments is the most inconsistent way to make a living as a poker player. Not only is the variance huge it is also expensive to travel around the world, live and eat at hotels while maintaining a healthy lifestyle.

I personally have a dream to be able to play more live tournaments. I like it as a sport and it is a great excuse for me to travel and meet up with friends all over the world.

 

MULTI TABLE TOURNAMENTS

The most interesting part of online MTT’s is that it attracts so many fish. There are heaps of people who dream of one big score and enter big tournaments via a series of cheap qualification tournaments. These players do not know the math of poker nor are they interested. Playing poker for them is suppose to be fun and math ruin fun! Isn’t that the truth!?

MTT’s are more similar to video games where the levels increase and you get excited as you get closer to the last level which is the final table. Tournaments can last for 12 hours so you need stamina to stay focused for many hours without taking proper brakes. Tournament poker is also good if you have tilt issues as busting out in a tournament will be much cheaper than start spewing in cash games. Obviously its –EV to have tilt issues but playing with chips helps people to focus on the game instead of worrying about the money aspect.

 

MY CHOICES

I have chosen to play cash game since it is more complex game than MTTs. I feel I can exploit weak opponents better. The income is more consistent and my week can be planned better. If you do not win on a steady basis your motivation might drop and you could find yourself quitting poker. Being a MTT pro is not easy and to me involves too much luck. You can be an excellent tournament player and not win a big tournament in years which you have to accept. I can’t underline how important it is that you realize poker is a game of variance if you decide to take this career path. Tournaments are extremely volatile.

I hope this blog have inspired you. Let me know your thoughts?!




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