How to become a winning MTT player in six months (part 2)

In part one, our staff writer Keir ‘Kezay69’ Mackay took his first steps on the road to MTT stardom. With the help of an MTT coach and a $200 monthly bankroll courtesy of staking site SharkStaking.com, Keir’s hoping to evolve from a low-stakes fish into a winning MTT player. Here’s how he got on in month two…

Week 1 – SCOOP dreams

Last month my coach Magnus Martin set the ground rules for solid early MTT strategy: keep bet sizing consistent; stay tight; only three-bet Queens or better and never, ever open limp. Using this advice, my first month’s results were mixed at best. But after splashing about in the low-stakes MTT kiddie pools, I managed to bink a $109 SCOOP Main Event seat to kick this month off in style.

As I won my seat for free, I decided to open up my game a little and deviate from Magnus’ early teachings. Big mistake. There’s a reason tight is right in the opening levels of big field MTTs, and with 16,782 of us all eyeing up the $181,000 first prize, fields don’t get much bigger.

My SCOOP Main Event could best be described as swingy and I was lucky to finish anywhere close to the money. In the end my stack ballooned from 1.5BB to 20BB and back again in just eight hands before a lacklustre finish in 3,540th place (2,500 were paid). Time for a refresher…

LESSON LEARNED: Never ignore your coach

Week 2 – tough love

Before firing up Universal Reviewer and going through my latest hand histories with Magnus, I played one more mid-week session. Out of four MTTs, I cashed in two including a deep run in an $8 event for $30. Suitably pleased with myself, I expected some high praise from Magnus the following day. But you don’t always get what you wish for.

‘You played 3-3 badly… not sure why you checked the turn… don’t like that c-bet on a wet board,’ etc, etc. At one point, with just under 20BB in early position and pocket sevens, I raised the standard 2.2x preflop and take the pot down with a c-bet. ‘You can’t be results oriented,’ he told me on Skype. ‘Once you are under 20BB with a hand like 7-7, decide if u want to play it or not and commit to it. If u don’t want to then fold, but don’t raise then go ‘fuck’ when u get three-bet.’

Magnus wanted his advice to sink in and quickly put things in perspective. ‘Remember, I’m being hyper-critical. Overall you are doing plenty of good things, I just need to iron out the creases.’

LESSON LEARNED: With >20BB be decisive preflop, you haven’t got room to manoeuvre

Week 3 – balls deep

I’ll be honest with you. Playing $2 MTTs night after night only to min-cash is no one’s idea of fun. Since my training started, I’ve played lots of $2 events, won $60 and had a 25% ROI – not exactly setting the world alight.

Unlike other tournaments in my weekly schedule, payout structures in $2 MTTs are flatter than a pancake, and to make serious profit a top ten finish is a must. So imagine my joy in week three as I hurtled towards my first final table. Magnus had been sweating me throughout the tournament via TeamViewer and at 4.30am told me I was ‘smashing it’ before grabbing some envious sleep.

With 18 players left from a starting field of 4,253 and daybreak bursting through the living room curtains (my girlfriend had banned my laptop from the bedroom), I shoved with pocket Jacks for 20BB. Pocket Fives called in the small blind. Pocket Fives became a set on the turn. Seven and a half hours and some of the best poker I’ve ever produced for $32. Please, hold the applause.
LESSON LEARNED: Variance takes no prisoners, no matter how well you’ve behaved.

Week 4 – making plans

After the drama of week three, I end the month on a real downer. My final session went something like this: lose six coin-flips; lose twice with A-K to A-10; run a King-high flush into a nut-flush near the bubble.

Yet unlike last month, I’m no longer limping miserably towards the money, but stacking up early and failing to take advantage. After looking over my hand histories once more, Magnus tacked this by introducing new plays and pinpointing costly ICM mistakes.

‘Word is the squeeze play is out of fashion,’ he said. ‘Good players have started to adjust and are now giving three-bet squeezers much less credit.’ Magnus explained how to take advantage using the Squeeze Set-Up (patent pending). For example, if you have pocket Queens in mid-position late on in an MTT with one limper in front, raising would be the ‘standard’ play. But if there are LAG players behind, with VPIPs of 40+ (remember your Hold’em Manager stats now everyone), by flat calling to induce a squeeze you can punish aggressive players.

Two months into the challenge I admit I’m feeling a bit jaded. Not for the long hours or constant bad beats, I’m just tired of being called a fish. Next month things will change. Honest…
LESSON LEARNED: Don’t be afraid to mix things up late on. Chips don’t come to those who wait.