19 Dec
Jason Somerville took some time out from his busy schedule to sit down for a brief question and answer session with players and fans at a recent stop of the Deepstacks Poker Tour Championship.
It’s always a treat to grab a few morsels of wisdom from the likes of pros such as Somerville, even when the tips imparted are of the most basic nature. The Twitch superstar laid out about five different ways that players can improve their game.
Among the highlights discussed by Somerville during the Q&A were ways to properly prepare for events, networking with other players and discussing previous hands played, taking on the role of detective at the live tables, adjusting your play when antes become larger, and bankroll management as a way to remain happy in your life by not playing beyond your means.
The Lowdown
While most players know to get plenty of rest and proper nutrition before and during tournaments, novices may be unaware that its also a good idea to use the time off between multiple day tourneys to research the other players at your table. Another tip imparted by Somerville was to become a detective during live action, paying attention and picking up as many cues as possible from your tablemates, especially when your hand has already been folded.
Somerville firmly believes that he would not be a PokerStars Team Pro today, nor would he have achieved the financial success that he currently enjoys, without the benefit of making friends through poker forums and the like in order to talk about about poker hands. “By actively soliciting negative feedback,” he and his buddies were able to reach the upper echelon of poker.
Poker hands become more valuable as blinds increase and the antes rise, Somerville stated, making it imperative to open up and play more hands, taking advantage of the greater reward available for your risk. He concluded the Q&A by reminding players that poker should be fun and the game becomes increasingly less fun when guidelines to bankroll management are not followed…
