Let’s Learn the Lessons from World Best Poker Players!
Poker games have been a gambling sport longer for than anyone can tell, and throughout the years, there has been some fantastic plays, memorable moments and flamboyant individuals. From these real-life examples, let’s take a look at how these players have created history and a thing or two which we could learn from. Beginning with the names that started it all, we kick off our list with Viktor ‘Isildur1’ Blom.
Viktor Blom
He hit the world of professional poker in 2009 and has become a household name in the live and online scene since. Hailing from humble beginnings, he gained his fame from his ability to grow his bankroll from a minuscule amount to a substantial $1.7 million. And if that wasn’t a feat in its own right, he then took that bankroll and participated in online and full tilt poker with his bankroll against big names such as Phil Ivey, Patrik Antonius, and Tom Dwan; converting his $1.7 million to a whopping $6 million.
He went even further in an epic week-long run against Tom Dwan to relieve him of $4 million from his bankroll.
In the context of online poker, Viktor excellently displays a series of calculative risk-taking behaviors which brought him success. The key to succeeding in poker is to take some calculated risks and you’ll avoid missing out on some potentially huge wins.
Patrik Antonius
Texas Hold’em specialist, Patrik Antonius has been a regular in the online and live poker scene. A veteran of the sport, he has seen his fair share of battles with other veterans such as Tom Dwan and Viktor Blom. However, a significant part of his success lies in his steely character and skillful use of bankroll management.
He does not flinch when the pressure’s on he has his finances under tight control.
The takeaway here is that on your part, what it takes to succeed in poker is setting aside a dedicated amount of funds separate from your bank account strictly for poker. It is also about knowing when to place your bets, how to place and when is the right time to place them. This is important because it ensures that your budget is in check, and you can then limit your losses should you experience any.
Moreover, on a physical level; learning to read player patterns — mainly their playing behavior — is equally important at an online casino setting because you can then preempt their betting behavior, and you’ll then be able to bet accordingly.
Jamie Gold
You can say that all his time spent practicing live poker games came in handy, because even without having any main poker experience; he played alongside poker legends such as Chris Ferguson and Johnny Chan to which he credits as one of the factors for his success. Eventually, Gold won the 2006 WSOP Main Event to the tune of $12 million.
“I remember being both confident and nervous. I’d won a string of smaller events in California before the World Series of Poker, but it was my first WSOP Main Event.”
Gold was notorious for his “table talk” tactic where he would let opponents know of his hands; with the intention of unsettling them. In one notable incident, he actually flashed one of his hole cards to his opponent; to which the opponent folded the better hand. The best part is that his out of the way, all-out playing style — betting aggressively, boisterously and haphazardly led him to win the biggest prize.
Gold’s case study brilliantly highlights his nerves of steel along with an innovative playstyle that does not fail to bring about success in the most unconventional ways. In essence, it helps to think outside the box and you can then incorporate different tactics during each scenario — especially in the online casino scene.
Di Dang
Although he does not have a background in poker, he quickly realized that his future was in online poker. He initially started playing online with his brother; depositing a measly $200 as their first bankroll. And after losing the first $200, they both deposited another $200 and the rest they say is history. Together they then claimed their share of the pie at the small and mid-stakes games, soon making a name for themselves at the highest stake games online. He also found huge success during his third year at college, where he deposited $50 on a prominent online poker site.
He played under the moniker “Urindanger”, which quickly became the word around town.
In 2011, he continued to find success playing online poker; amassing an incredible $7.5 million to his bankroll. Dang attributes much of his success to the skills he learned from playing poker to his success in online poker.
The key takeaway here is that online poker, or poker in general, is a game that requires discipline, patience, and a lot of research if you’re looking to make it into the big time. You can invest some time, allocate some funds and start small with low stakes poker rooms to gain some experience. And once you are more experienced with a better skill set, you can progress to other online poker rooms with higher stakes.
Tom Dwan
Also known as Tom “Durrr” Dwan, he would be a real-life example of being from “zero to riches”, where his career kickstarted from a minuscule $50 deposit into an online poker platform all the way back in 2004. In the few years that he was playing, he managed to grow his bankroll well into the millions with part of that originating from his stint at ‘Sit and Go’ tournaments.
But what distinguished Dwan from his competition was his tendency to play in nosebleed stakes — games where the blind starts at $200/$400, as opposed to conventional blinds ranging from $10-$50. However, Dwan was best known for his all-out high stakes play. In 2009, he would issue the “Durrr challenge” veterans such as Patrik Antonius and Daniel Cates. Although things would not bode out well for him, rumour has it that he is currently playing high stakes poker in Macau.
Moral of the story? You should always play in a gambling environment or room that you are most comfortable in — whether its high stakes or low stake games. Because then you’ll be able to flow more naturally, improving your decision making. However, moderation is also key and if you know you don’t have the bankroll for any high stakes games on your end, then it’s time to find another room.
Brad Booth / Phil Ivey
Before we go into the details, let us give you a rundown on the characters involved in this story.
Brad Booth is one of the best Canadian professional poker players known for his appearances on the GSN series High Stakes Poker and his gut instinct for accurately predicting the next most advantageous poker outcome got him the nickname “poker savant”. Not only that he was also successful in the online poker scene. However, an unfortunate cheating scandal robbed him of an estimated $2 million. Despite this, he continued to play poker online but to little success.
As for Phil Ivey, his backstory is as illustrious as it gets. His early days of playing poker as a involved him using a fake alias in order to play online. He logged many hours playing online hence giving him the nickname “No Home Jerome”. Ever since then, he has become an intimidating presence at poker tables; when you consider his accolades of 10 WSOP bracelets and him making his way to the 2009 WSOP Main Event. As the years go by, his continuous success would garner him nicknames such as the “Tiger Woods of Poker”, and this would be a testament to his skill and abilities. However, even the best can falter sometimes……
Booth Bluffs Ivey
It was 2006 and the premiere of the show High Stakes Poker. Little did everyone know that history was going to be created.
Booth was already well known within the poker community, but it was this hand that really brought his name to the mainstream. It all started with Booth buying into the high-stakes cash game for $1 million. His opponents at the time were Daniel Negreanu, Antonio Esfandiari and of course, Phil Ivey.
The stakes were at $200/400 and David Williams opened to $1,800. Booth then raised to a tune of $5,800 while holding a 2♠4♠ in hand, and Phil Ivey with a four-bet to $14,000 with a K♦K♦in hand.
“I had really dialed it in and put him on kings. I knew he was going to fold in that spot. Even if he thinks he has the best hand he’s probably just going to lay it down.” – Brad Booth
On the flop, Booth decided to call and executed a massive bluff with $300,000 in cash on the line with an inside straight draw and a four-high.
After the hand ended, a bemused Phil Ivey came up to Booth and asked if they could share hands, to which they agreed and upon finding out Booth’s hand a visibly confused Ivey said to Booth: “You sick f**k!”
Fans of poker were as stunned as Ivey after Booth pulled of this near reckless feat that could have almost ended disastrously for him. In the end, achieving success during a game of poker – whether if it’s a casual game or a match – what truly distinguishes the professionals from the amateurs is the attention to the nuances and the finer aspects of the game. Some of these include being able to spot implied odds and having the confidence to make a bluff. Whether its live or online poker, being able to think two steps ahead is always advantageous on your end.
In short, poker is a discipline that involves a lot of dedication, intuition, and patience. So if you’re looking to hit the big time when it comes to gambling in poker games, then be prepared to put in a lot of elbow grease on your part.
Poker is an extremely popular card game. Becoming good in poker is no easy feat, but it is not impossible. Wanna Know poker tips and strategies for winning big easily, then you should not miss this article!
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