CPT Qualifiers Share Satellite Secrets

CPT Qualifiers Share Satellite Secrets

Thursday, 2 October 2014

It's sun cream at the ready for a pair of players from Intertops and Juicy Stakes Poker who have secured packages to next month's Caribbean Poker Tour event in St Maartens.

Of course sun lounging won't be the priority for “Grandma Mary” and “Sim79” as there's big bucks on offer on the $1,100 buy-in event which runs from 1-2 November.

“GrandmaMary” is no stranger to tournament success and has over $160,000 in career earnings to his name. He offered this advice for players looking to emulate his satellite success. “I didn't play scared. In a top heavy tournament like this you have to be able to make some plays and grind out all the small edges you can. It was up and down for me. A few times I got overly aggressive but I always picked up hands when I needed them.”



The 30-year-old found the level of play in the satellite to be fairly soft, “Most players were either too nitty or too aggressive. There were a few decent MTT regulars in the tournament but it was a Sunday so I figured most of them were playing lots of tables and probably weren't paying much attention to this one. This allowed me to open a lot more on their blinds and fold some big hands to them as well. It was when we were three handed and I had a slight chip lead that I realized I might win. I was short stacked coming into the final table so I obviously ran really well.”

So what other tips does he have for players hoping to get to big tournaments on the cheap?

“One thing I’ve I learned is the biggest thing is to understand bankroll management. Make sure you have a minimum of 100 buy-ins, preferably 200 – 300.”
 
“The guys who are doing really good at poker are putting in the hours. Michael Jordan didn't become the best basketball player by sitting around, he practiced every day and that's what all poker players need to do too.”

GrandmaMary will be confident heading to St Maartens but recognises just how much the game has moved in a short few years.

“This isn't 2007 anymore. Tournaments are hard now. But I think I’ll do well in St Maartens. Playing live the same style that I do online has been successful because people make so many mistakes live. If I could multi table live poker, I’d have a lot more money in my pocket than I do now!”

“Poker has always been fun for me. The money is nice, but I love competing. I’d like to win a WSOPC ring event. If things go right, I could see moving to Costa Rica to grind full time.”



Tags: Caribbean Poker Tour, satellites, Juicy Stakes Poker, Intertops Poker