SM

New Twitch streamer SM Staking twitch streamer Mindaugas Šakinis, a proven 50s limit crusher and a professional poker player for 3 years, started his Twitch stream career on the SMstaking channel! Mindaugas joined the SMstaking school to see if he could become a poker pro. Less than a full year later, he’s already a 50s regular player, and is currently posting some of the highest scores on Winamax. Started playing in PokerStars and then moved to Winamax. He is now happy with his game and the work he is putting in to improve. With plans to move up high in stakes in the near future, this is a great opportunity to watch and learn from this promising poker player! The new SM Staking twitch streamer is charismatic and has an unconventional approach to aggressive play. So expect some fun and informative Twitch streams! Contest Before the new Twitcher came out, there was a competition where people could guess who the person was and what his ChipEV was for the last 3 months at the 50s stakes. The winner was “Ugapik” with a guess that it was Mindaugas Šakinis with 50.4 ChipEV (real 49.86)! Congratulations to the winner and we will be in touch to hand over the prize. We had a contest of blog as well. Find out more here.

Who we are? We are a company made up of a team of High Stakes Spin&Go regulars who aim to build the world’s strongest Spin&Go academy. Our students are known for their expertise and are skilled at playing all the highest limits on various poker sites. We believe that the community is the main focus of our efforts. By working together, we can achieve great things and gain strategic advantages over our opponents. Vision Our vision is to create a community of passionate poker players who love the game and share common goals of becoming the best poker players while enjoying the freedom it brings. Mission Our mission is to provide the highest quality coaching and tools to help players achieve their goals and become the best version of themselves. We strive to create a strong poker community that supports and empowers its members to crush Spin&Go’s.

One of our mostly appreciated and ranked coach – Aurimas. The internet is overloaded with lessons and information on how to play poker. It is easy to find articles or recorded videos on strategies that work and those to avoid. Some information is accurate, some outdated, so in the School, we assess players’ time and select the most relevant information to present to students. However, having a general game strategy is not enough to become a winning player; exploiting the opponent requires deeper knowledge. Therefore, school students have the opportunity to learn exploitation from a high-stakes school coach, a Spin&Go exploit specialist, Aurimas Morozovas. How did you become a high-stakes Spin&Go player? I had the ambition to become a high-stakes player and dedicated a lot of time to it. Being a 25s player, I wanted to share my knowledge, so I became a coach. Coaching had helped me learn, understand, and analyze emerging situations, as well as find solutions for myself and others. I believe it is very difficult to rise through the stakes alone, so it is necessary to seek a community. Is a coach necessary when playing at high stakes? Many good players make the mistake of letting their ego prevent them from having a coach. Personally, I learn a lot of new things every week. I try to learn from both better and worse players. The more different perspectives you have, the more options you have for exploitation. I enjoy learning because poker knowledge is like a fruit of science that can be harvested. You learn and try to apply it in the game. Why are you considered an exploit specialist? My strength is good logical reasoning. Since I am not categorical, it helps me consider more possibilities of how to play and find the best solution. I change “This way or not at all” to “Both this way and that way are possible, but this way is the best.” I am open-minded to situations, so trying to play close to GTO is not always optimal. Although it is important to look at the opponent’s statistics and analyze their game, I try not to apply ABC game principles. What can a student expect from you? I try to convey my formula for success to students. I personally strive to live in a way that makes me feel happy. When you want to play poker, then the results become crushing. When you push yourself, it reflects in the results, so I seek ways to help players find a balance between work and enjoyment. One of the best compliments I receive as a coach is seeing students moving up in limits. I enjoy seeing them approach their goals and dreams. Therefore, we constantly work on motivation. I don’t have a single student who hasn’t reached at least the 25s limit. Can you tell us about your training methodology? I have created a group for students because I believe that community and mutual help are the keys to the fastest improvement. Since I am a high-stakes player, I have a high-level strategy. I constantly refine exploit play, which allows me to outplay others and extract maximum value from them. I try to pass on my experience and knowledge to the students. What do you enjoy most about playing poker? Personally, I enjoy mind games the most. When you play at a high level, all players have a good understanding of poker. The feeling of trying to outsmart each other is the most enjoyable thing and, at the same time, the best intellectual exercise. What advice would you give to a poker enthusiast? Spend more time studying rather than grinding, as it will help you improve faster. Watch more videos rather than playing yourself. Don’t try to reinvent the game from scratch; people have already refined strategies and know how to make money at the table. Just learning established strategies will speed up your progress.

Meet Andrius – out discipline specialist Quick and successful ascension in stakes is important not only for the student but also for the School. Knowing that it is not an easy task, we are constantly looking for solutions to solve it. One of them is the discipline coach Andrius Iljinas! Over 10 years of experience in various poker formats allows students to avoid common mistakes that hinder improvement. How did you end up in the position of a discipline coach? First of all, I was noticed for my good game results at the $100 stakes. Secondly, having accumulated experience in various poker disciplines, I was able to not only learn during lessons but also discuss various topics with the coach. This was specifically noticed and allowed me to become a school coach – my ability to clearly present ideas and support them with theoretical and practical knowledge. What can a student expect from you? I constantly learn from my mistakes, perform self-analysis, and play exploitative instead of the standard strategy. As I have already indicated, I evaluate my own game and mistakes very strictly, so I demand a lot from the students as well. Although we have a lot of communication with students not only on poker topics, during lessons I try to maintain a learning environment. I also establish an individual relationship: I present information in a clear and understandable language, select topics relevant to each player, and delve into every game in detail. Can you tell us about your training methodology? In order to help players avoid mistakes, I maintain strictness and discipline, therefore I am called discipline specialist. I try to instill the understanding that a lesson is a touch on certain topics. All learning and improvement happens after the lesson when “homework” is done. I have experienced tilt, downswings, and psychological burnout, so when conducting lessons, I rely on real personal experience and proven knowledge. What do you enjoy most about playing poker? Unquestionably, it is the freedom that poker provides. In this game, there are no limits of self-improvement, and as a perfectionist, that is the biggest advantage for me. Since continuous improvement is required in this field, as you grow as a poker professional, you also become a better version of yourself in all areas of life. What advice would you give to a poker enthusiast? When starting to play poker, sometimes very high expectations are set. That’s not a bad thing, but in order to fulfill them, be prepared to have a lot of patience. When the day comes that you decide to quit your regular job, and I wish that for you, the workload will definitely not decrease. In order to become a successful poker player, be prepared to work hard and consistently. Join us today by clicking here.

Poker psychology and work ethics expert Stanislovas Strategy lessons are not enough to give students a well-rounded, high-quality education. The psychology of the player is one of the cornerstones of maximizing performance. To ensure this, every week students have the opportunity to participate in group psychology lectures, led by SM High-stakes coach, work ethic and poker psychology specialist Stanislovas! How did you become a Spin & Go high-stakes player? I have been playing Spin&Go since 2012. In order to reach and crush the then highest limit (250s), I focused a lot on studying poker. To become the best, you have to know everything – strategy, psychology, work ethic – and try to balance everything. It’s not easy: lots of books, many hours of analyzing yourself and others, constantly applying your knowledge in a real-life environment. Continuous learning and development, that’s my driving force, and that’s what has allowed me to achieve high results. A complementary area of training is poker psychology. How did you get into coaching? I had gained a lot of experience and knowledge that I wanted to further develop. One of the ways was to become a coach for other players. Having gone all the way from the lowest to the highest limits, I was able to share what I had already learned. And at the same time, it allowed me to further deepen my knowledge in player psychology. I have now been a coach for 5 years, during which time I have been working on teaching strategy, analyzing the psychology of the players, identifying the problems and finding solutions to put them into practice. What can a student expect from you? I have students whose have gone up to the 100s+ stakes. My goal is to produce good grinders and strong players. Therefore, I require them to follow a work process that is put together. Although I am friendly, I always maintain professionalism. Both in communication with each other and in teaching methodological material. This is how the current students respond. We work together on both strategy and psychology, so that with those who are willing and able to change, we achieve high results and strong victories. Can you tell us about your coaching methodology? The process is the most important part. First I get to know the student, find out about their skills, knowledge, mindset and experience. Sometimes the student has enough strategic knowledge, but for some reason the results don’t come. That’s where my role comes in – to be able to look at things from the side, to assess the weaknesses of the player, which are the most worrying and frustrating. I ask them to keep track of their emotions and experiences, to write comments about them, to put them in one document. I read them, analyze them and provide the student with solutions and further refer to selected literature sources. This is very important so that we take all the problems seriously, so that we prevent them from developing further, so that they do not affect their future games. What do you like most about playing poker? The fact that development in poker is closely linked to personal development. At the same time, you are not only growing as a poker player, but also as a person who is able to react quickly and make decisions or manage strong emotions. The work skills and discipline you learn are useful in other areas of your life. It’s all connected, so poker is not just about the game, it’s about you. What advice would you give to a poker enthusiast? From the very beginning, pay attention not only to the game, but also to the psychology. Even though these may seem like small problems at the moment, as the limits increase, so will the problems. Identify and address them as early as possible.

Spingo pool project Variance – an inevitable part of poker It is a natural part of the game, but it creates difficult and uncomfortable situations for players and makes the game extremely complex. That’s why we offer Spin & Go players a solution – SM Pool! It is the first project of its kind in Lithuania that encourages like-minded Spin & Go players to unite and work towards a common goal – to fight variance by sharing their winnings. We are the leading Spin & Go school in Lithuania. We have been working with poker players for 8 years, providing training, looking into their individual needs and finding the most effective ways to improve the quality of their game. The tools and know-how we have developed will help us to ensure that the SM Pool is administered in a reliable way, ensuring community, transparency and smooth processes. Make the right decision and beat the variance today! For more information and a questionnaire please click on the LINK. Briefly about SM Pool: We will ensure the following during the administering process:

Although poker blogs are not new, this is not the first year we have encouraged such a player initiative, for a number of very important reasons. What those reasons are and how we are promoting it can be found below, but for now, here’s a quick look at the 2022 blogs. During the year, we had the opportunity to follow the poker routines of as many as 6 players. Some shared their goals, others their achievements, and there were some who came up with the idea of filming the details of their daily lives to give the readers (in this case the viewers) a better feel for the life of a professional poker player. Not only did the topics and formats vary, but also the length and frequency of the texts. Therefore, in the year 2022, everyone with an interest in poker could choose the blog that suited them best. And now, one year on, it’s time to choose the SM Blogger of the Year, with three contenders: 1. Aurimas’ (#Pulsas) blog “aurimo-road-to-500s“. Although for the first half of the year the readers could only follow the players’ monthly schedules and their short reviews, over time the blog took on its own “face”. It has become a place that combines the freedom of poker (traveling around the world) with the crushing results of Spin & Go (monthly reviews). In case you missed it, we highly recommend you read it. 2. Titas’ (#Ganchas) vlog “ganchas-vlog-pokeris-ir-panasiai“. He started his vlog with the words “I don’t get much pleasure out of writing…”, which led to the vlog format! A favorite of the viewers, “Pokeris ir Panašiai” simply allowed everyone to take a break and follow the personal life of a poker player with a smile on his face, with no shortage of sarcasm or humor. All the videos can be found on Ganchas’ youtube channel. 3. Artūras’ (#boosaz) blog “boosaz-pokeris-ir-ne-tik“. Down-to-earth and familiar to many. It’s about combining poker with other activities (family), sharing both the ups and downs of moving through stakes, and finally reviews and solutions. A player who likes to set goals and try to achieve them. And at the end of the year, he completely switched to FULL TIME poker! Wondering how it went? Check out his channel. These are 3 Spin & Go poker players who, although writing on the same topic, have managed to find completely different genres and avenues to attract the attention of you, the readers. While we are delighted with all those who blogged in 2022, there is only one winner, and after your vote, the winner of the SM Blogger of the Year (in this case vlogger) is Titas!!! Congratulations on your victory, which comes with a prize of the next 6 months. SM will return 20% of its share of the player’s CO! For everyone else who blogged, the school returned 10% of their share of the player’s CO for the active months. Announcement of SMstaking Blog Contest’23! There are many famous and accomplished poker players around the world who are happy to share their experiences, tips and personal experiences. However, it is important to us that everyone who plays the Spin & Go format can find a place where they can discover other people’s experiences, game reviews, tips and goal achievements. Because it’s motivating, it makes you realize that it’s not “just me” who has to deal with this kind of situation, and it enriches the daily life of a poker player. So if you feel the same way, if you have the desire to share and let others follow your poker journey, join in. It will be a great opportunity to get to know yourself, discover your own blog style and format, and ultimately inspire others. And as you’ve already read, we reward the biggest inspirers. Terms and prizes The blog is open to anything that relates to life in poker. The only two requirements are that you review your monthly results each month and that you do so in English. Got something to share? Now is the perfect time to do it, as every participant will be able to improve their DEAL! For each active month (counting from the first update), the school will return 10% of each player’s CO! And at the end of the year we will again choose the best blogger!! 1st place: for the next 6 months, the school returns 20% of its share of the c/o made by the player 2nd place: the school returns 20% of its share of the player’s c/o for the next 4 months (if 6-10 players participate) 3rd place: the school returns 20% of its share of the player’s c/o over the next 2 months (if 11+) Good luck to everyone!