How I Won My Way to the Caribbean

I won my way to the Caribbean Poker Tour by winning an online satellite tournament at Intertops Poker. What I really liked about that tournament is that I didn't play scared. In a tournament top heavy like this, you have to be able to make some plays and grind out all the small edges you can.

I don't remember any hands specifically but I do remember it being an up and down type tournament for me. There were a few times where I got overly aggressive but I always picked up hands when I needed them.

I didn't think I could actually win the tournament until we were three handed and I had a slight chip lead. I was short stacked coming into the final table so I obviously ran really well.

I'll be playing at the Caribbean Poker Tour in Sint Maarten November 1 & 2.

Overall the competition was fairly soft. Most players were either too nitty or too aggressive. There was a few decent MTT regulars in the tournament but it was a Sunday so I figured most of them were playing a large amount of tables and they 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.

I was very happy with my heads up game and I never felt like I was going to lose (unless I got extremely unlucky) during the heads up match.

My biggest thing is understanding bankroll management. This isn't 2007 anymore. Tournaments are hard now. The bad tournament players aren't even that bad anymore. I make sure I have a minimum of 100 buy-ins for any tournament I’m playing -- I prefer to have between 200-300 buy-ins.

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. The guys who are doing really good at poker are putting in the hours. To get ahead I think you need to read every book you can. Join a poker forum and get involved. Join a training site and actually study.

I started out as an online player in 2005. I didn't play a real live game until 2009 and let me tell you, I was in shock at how bad live players were. The game is so different. But playing live the same style that I didn't online has brought success because people make so many mistakes live. If I could multi table live poker, I feel like I would have a lot more money in my pocket than I do now.

Without online poker I would be terrible at poker and I probably would have given up by now.

Poker has always been fun for me. The money is nice, but I love competing. My goals over the next few years will be to get better at mixed games. Currently I feel that my Razz and PLO game are the best they have ever been, but I still need to improve in all the other games. Besides that, I would also like to win a WSOPC ring event. If things go right, I could see moving to Costa Rica to grind full time.

I look forward to sharing stories, pics and video clips from the Caribbean with you in a few weeks!

ChrisP

Online satellite champions living the dream in the Caribbean next month

Juicy Stakes Poker and Intertops Poker hosted online satellite tournaments this fall and two players won all-inclusive trips to St Maartens for the Caribbean Poker Tour. Their prize packages include Caribbean Poker Tour St Maarten buy-in, all inclusive resort accommodation and travel expense money.

Chris P aka “Grandma Mary” won his $2700 prize package in an online satellite in August. “Sim79” from Quebec, Canada just won his trip last Sunday.

The two online winners will be posting stories, pics and videos from the Caribbean right here. Check back between now and then though for personal posts as they reflect on their online tournament win and prepare for live tournament play in the West Indies.

The Caribbean Poker Tour Main Event (buy in $1000 + $100) is November 1 & 2. This is the second year that the Caribbean Poker Tour has brought players to the West Indies a few days before the WPT Caribbean tournament, also in St Maartens. Complete schedule of CPT satellites and main events