Sam Trickett was in a super honest interview about people owing him money and how when it came to getting paid back he went to the bottom of the list because he had so much money they just assumed he would not chase it - have you been asked for many loans and how do people react when it comes to the time to pay you back?

First of all, congratulations once again on your beautiful performance! I remember watching you play, it was truly inspiring!

In one recent answer you said life is about doing what you love. What is your advice to someone who hasn't found his passion yet?

What are the main beliefs/mantra you have in your life and what is your definition of a 'good' life (besides doing what you love)?

And finally, what buy-ins and bankroll did you start your career with?

Thanks for taking time, hope you gonna win this thing again this year

Hi Martin,

It´s an honor to have you here (this is the first time I comment on the page).

I would like to know if there`s something you consider led your poker carrier to a breaking point, I mean maybe a book, coaching, find or talk to better players or start meditating, anything you think that really helped you improve your game. Because for me it´s been really hard to grow as a poker player and I think the reason is that I really don´t know how to approach a self improving in my game. I hope you understand my question because I know my english is not that good, I´m from Perú btw.

Again, thank you for your time and for this opportunity, I would never imagined that I could ask anything to a top poker player like you. Hope to see you crushing the tables for a long time.

Regards from Perú,

Sergio

What was you feeling at this moment:

Why tournaments and not cash game

Any A-HA moment other than November9 prep?

Who do u watch most on Runitonce? MTT? CASH? Which pros?

EPT Monte Carlo at the end of April

Having your pulse go up when you first start playing live is something completely normal. It takes some time to get used to but the more you play the more comfortable you will feel being in that environment. After a while your body gets used to being put in high pressure situations and it can actually turn into something quite enjoyable, like a high adrenalin rush, rather than painfully stressful. My best advice would be to embrace your anxiety rather than trying to suppress it. Try to focus on your breathing and think about the hand rather than worry about giving away something psychically. 99% of players aren't able to read into your psychical tells anyway, in fact most aren't even trying because they're so afraid of giving away something themselves!

When it comes to your own tells, try to keep everything consistent. For example, if you notice that your heart is racing or your hands are shaky when you have a big hand, try raising your pulse by holding your breath when you're bluffing also. Everything is controlled by the breath. That's why yoga and mediation can be so beneficial when done before a session. I'd recommend to give those a try if you want to gain better control over your breathing.

Best advice for tell lookouts; look for inconsistency! It's pretty simple really but requires a lot of attention (even when you're not in a hand) and there's no guarantee it will pay off. There's no better feeling though than when you make the right decision based on a physical tell you picked up on a certain player hours ago.

M.nosbocaj = M.jacobson backwards. I think I made it in 2002 or so, many years before I ever thought I would ever be playing poker for a living!

1. Yes definitely. I think it's very individual and depends on the person. For me, it's crucial to have an active lifestyle outside of poker in order for me to be able to fully focus on something so mentally challenging for such a long periods of time. I know many other who doesn't have that same need (most people actually) and they seem to be doing well anyway. That being said, I think it's safe to suggest that there's no downside to being in great psychical and mental shape no matter what you do.

2. Great question! I feel like the average player used to be a lot more aggressive just a few years ago and it especially applied if you were from Northern Europe! I think it's linked to the poker economy and the fact that poker used to be a lot less competitive than it is today. Black Friday really changed the whole game, shutting out one of the biggest poker markets and scared away all of its recreational players. France, Italy etc followed suit by incorporating insane tax laws and closing their online borders. It made the player pool a lot smaller and tougher for pro's to make a sustainable living which I guess forced most players to be more conservative with their style of play. It wasn't easy go easy come anymore, if you know what I mean.

I still think an aggressive playing style is more beneficial than a tighter approach when it comes to MTTs. At the end of the day, the goal is to make top 3 (because that's where the majority of the prize pool is distributed) so you want to increase your chances of winning rather than constantly avoiding high variance spots. No one's ever won a tournament by folding too much, you just have to be smart about it and use controlled aggression. Play as aggressively as your opponents will let you get away with but be ready to switch gears once they start playing back at you. Always be aware of your table image and how your opponent perceive you at the moment.

Tackar!

I actually haven't since I won. I've only been "scammed" once and it was by (at the time) a close friend of mine. He was going through a rough time financially so I borrowed him a couple grand back in 2010. All of a sudden he stopped replying to my messages. I later found out he had disappeared to South Africa and that he had borrowed money from most of our common friends as well. He's balls deep into Crossfit and seems to be living the life down there. Good for him, I'm just baffled how he's able to sleep at night.

Ever since this experience I've been very cautious with who I'm lending money and I make sure to never lend money which will affect me financially if I wouldn't receive it back.

Thank you for doing this Martin.

What tip,strategy. habit/routine did you implemented in your game that made you improve the most ?

Thanks!

Try new things and experience how you feel while doing them. Stay open minded and look for new possibilities!

A good life is doing what you love and being appreciative of what you have (relationships, good health, hobbies etc).

Haha, I actually had a terrible bank roll management starting out. I used to deposit a part of my salary and just play (mostly SNGs) til it was gone. One day in August 2008 I registered the Sunday Million for my last $200 and ended up taking 2nd for $89,000! I guess I got inspired by Rounders when Matt Damon goes "If you're too careful, your whole life can become a fucking grind".

Yo Martin, how is boxing helping you with your routine I. E. Rest, concentration, stress levels...

Hi Sergio,

I'd say my real breaking points has been whenever I've had success. It's inspired me to keep thinking about the game and find new ways to improve. I've only read a few books starting out (Harrington on Holdem) but I honestly don't know how beneficial they would be in today's game. I think instructional site's like Run it Once offer some really good insight and inspiration on ways to improve on all levels. PokerTube also has some great coverage from live events with hole cards and commentary.

Best of luck! Your English is great btw.

Holy shit what just happened! I remember I felt very confused and overwhelmed by the whole situation.

I'm just always been more intrigued by tournaments. To me, it's more of a competition while cash game is just a grind to make most amount of cash. I like the fact that you can risk a small amount but win a lot, that you never know who you gonna play against, the stages of a tournament and the strategy to adapt (pre/post ante, bubble play, ICM, big stack vs short stack etc).

Mostly MTTs with the top pro's who I encounter on a regular basis. Sam Greenwood, Jason Koon, Fedor Holtz, Daniel Dvoress etc.

It's improved my concentration and it's a really nice stress relief and leaves a feeling of contentment. Especially after getting the better of my coach in sparring recently!

Hi Martin,
I have a question about how you learned and took your poker game to "the next level" from a beginner to a pro. Or was you just naturally good and just won and won. Or how did you develop your game? Did you example had a coach? or did you signed up to a poker training site? or did you reed books ect...

Best regards from a fellow swed wallezzz