Is Poker about SKILL or LUCK (tournaments)

Recently I saw a poker media company claiming to be an educational resource interview a bunch of people asking this question. Are poker tournaments about skill or luck? To my disappointment everyone answered LUCK. Yes indeed you have win your flips, key pots have to hold, and sometimes the occasional suck out will help you go deeper, but if you're like the people in the video that think that luck is more important, then maybe you're not doing the following things.

1. Playing the right ranges

Without someone telling you it's wrong, you might think you're playing the right ranges all along. "When Ï was short, I was waiting for a good hand and folded shit like A8s, KQo so when I finally got AA I had only 3bb left so I shove and bb called with me J9 and won. Hash tag run bad." Take 10 minutes to read some charts and you might be surprised what you should and shouldn't be playing. 

2. Defend your big blind well

You can play snug and choose your battles, but once every orbit you have to defend your big blind. Understanding which boards favor which player, which lines, defending what range vs the perceived range of the opener, these things will highly increase your odds of going deep. 

3. Bluff more

One of the most common complaints I hear in an MTT is "I don't have any good hands", "card dead"... Well if you are waiting for premium hands, hoping to be on the right side of coolers, then yes you will be sorely disappointed most of the time. Since most of the time stacks are relatively shorter than say a cash game, we are "scared" to bluff as a bad bluff might cost us. But we forget that "fear" or the same concerns are with your opponents too, as a bad call will cost them just the same. Fold equity is much higher in MTTs compared to a cash game. If you're not 3 bet bluffing, 4 bet bluffing, over bet bluffing, then you are not doing enough. 

4. Ready to catch bluffs

You will be put in many tough spots in the course of a tournament. If you a able to read ranges well, sense the type of player you're playing against, have a proper bankroll to make decisions more comfortably, then you're prepared to call off sometimes your tournament life with marginal hands. The biggest mistake I've seen players do is bluff catch on the turn but change their minds on the river. I am not saying once you call the turn bet you have to call the river bet as well, but if nothing major changes, what made your mind change? If you're not prepared to call off then why call on the turn too? 

For me to win this back then I definitely had some luck

5. Hero fold 

I know this sounds contradictory to the point above but it's spots like ability to fold jacks to a small blind cold 4 bet, 3 bet folding AK deep stacks to utg opener, folding AA on a 789 cold 3 bet multiway, folding QT on a QJTxx preflop aggressor triple barrel, etc. Poker is about relativity. In some spots you can call with king high but fold 3rd nuts in another. Knowing the difference is key. 

6. Thin value

If you are avoiding thin value because you fear getting raised off your hand, or you're thinking villain can't call you anyways, you might be missing out on precious blinds that might be the difference between surviving your future hands or player out. A few blinds here and there will compound in future pots, giving you more room to maneuver later stages, able to take a cooler or bad beat and still have chips to continue.  

7. Paying enough attention

I can grind cash games for 12-15 hours straight and not feel tired, but I am exhausted after a day of tournament poker because there is so much attention and focus needed. Paying attention to things like player conversations (for example, someone saying that this is their last bullet) or the clock (stone bubble, MP has 6bbs now but if you time it right, he will have only 3bb left when he's on the big blind) or if someone is tilting, tired, scared, over confident, under bluffing, over bluffing.... You are not playing your hand, you are playing against the players on your table. 

There are many more things but these are just the top few. If you really think poker is about luck then you're better off playing blackjack or baccarat. If you're already doing the above and still losing then you have earned the right to blame it on luck. Come play online on Natural8 with me or join our Malaysia Poker Federation discord here. 

CPG Sanya, Hainan China Report

When I embarked on my journey to play poker in as many countries as possible, I kept wondering when would I have the chance to play in China. When I heard there was going to be a CPG stop in Hainan I was intrigued. The last time I visited Hainan was in 2016, rented a scooter, had some yummy seafood and a great time. I was reluctant at first because August had been a mediocre month for me, and I really needed to grind some cash games if I wanted a productive month. But then I found a nice connection in Changsha and also needed to attend for business purposes so I went.

Why are dragon trophies the norm nowadays?

Sanya has changed a lot since I last visited 8 years ago. It is now a full blown tourist town. Food is nice if you know where to find it. I recommend the First Market for some very nice seafood at pretty good prices. I remember it wasn't as hot in June but this time in August it was scorching. Even at night you would sweat in the dark. So it wasn't as nice to explore during the day. We didn't even go to the beach or took a swim. 

Such a nice pool but never got to use it

China Poker Games (CPG) position themselves as a sports event organizer, and their tournaments are open for registration for sportsmen/women from all over. Therefore in order to participate you need to first download their app, create a membership account with real details, ID numbers, preregister and prepay for your planned events. Therefore you don't have the luxury of deciding on the day what to play, or walking to the counter to register. Transferring of prepaid tickets are allowed the first time, but the process is complex. Given the strict laws in China, it is understandable that they need these for the protection of the event and the players. 

I played in the main event only and it was quite fun. I can say that CPG does not skimp on quality. Everything is top notch. From the chips, to cards, to even the day 2 bags, they are all super high quality. The membership app, seating app, every table has two CCTVs, you can see the high cost of running their events. Then again, they do have a high rake and tax associated with them, although I am unsure how much it actually is. Pay outs are not immediate and will take some time to process, but it didn't affect me as I busted day 2 on the soft bubble. Prices of the tickets fluctuate if you don't prepay early enough and as I understand it, most local players earn them by playing online. 

Navigating my tight bankroll

Overall I had a nice time. Sanya is quite picturesque and the food is good. However I enjoyed my little stopover in Changsha more in spite of the scorching heat. (it was like 39-40 degrees) I do not recommend CPG for non-Chinese speaking players though. You would have a tough time if you didn't speak the language. They do have translators and staff that can help you, but you would find it less enjoyable. Going out, taking taxis, ordering food, you will have a rough time. For those who do go, you would need WeChat pay or AliPay. Without it life will be tough. 

Coconut chicken (so-so)

Goat hot pot (nice but expensive)

Seafood (cheap and good)

If you're like me, good food can solve anything, then I would say give CPG Sanya a go. I just wish the August weather was a bit cooler. But if you are considering it purely for poker, be prepared for a very different experience than most other series in Asia. If you're willing to have an open mind, try new things then the experience itself is worth it.