Slow and steady is the way to go if you want to win multi-table tournaments, says this hotshot Darren Smith
Name: Darren Smith
Age: 32
Lives: Mansfield
Alias: DarthRaizor
Who is he? Darren was first captivated by poker after watching Greg Raymer romp to victory in the 2004 WSOP main event. Having had a passion for video games for years, Darren’s competitive spirit was perfectly suited to poker and before long he had downloaded his first online client. Different to most, he actually cut his teeth on $1/$2 fixed limit tables where he learnt the game with no bluffing. He admits that it’s never really been about the ‘love of the game’; it’s all about the money.
What’s his biggest win? Second in $165,000 Guaranteed Big Money Championship Main Event on 18 December 2006, netting $33,540. He played a $11 satellite to qualify.
What’s his game? MTTs – buying in for up to $100. He says he played around 2,000 tournaments last year, racking up $55k from an initial deposit of $650.
TOP TIPS
Rock up Poker on television has convinced people they need to be flashy when they play. When you play online, that’s definitely not true. If I don’t get chips at the beginning, I don’t panic. I watched the guy who won the Ladbrokes leader board in 2006 in one tournament and he never called a hand for the first three hours. Then in three hands, he was there with 20,000 chips.
Manage expectations If you want to play in $30, $40 or $50 multitable tournaments, you need to have at least $3,000 if you want to make a serious living from them. You can go on bad runs and you just have to be able to take those hits.
Stick to your own Some people accumulate chips through stealing blinds. I’ll readily admit that’s not my style and on the occasions I’ve tried it, I’ve been badly caught out. When you fi nd a winning strategy, stick to it.
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