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A week ago, the news broke that a Lithuanian had made it to the final table of the $3,300 buy-in Main Event at Merit Poker Cyprus! Ernestas Degtiariovas poker holidays and interview with a student E. Degtiariov And he’s a man we know very well – Ernestas Degtiariovas! A student of SpinuMokykla with  great success in 100s Spin&Go tournaments. After a 6-hour battle at the final table, Ernestas managed to make it to 3rd place on a Merit poker tournament and win $168,000! So, as soon as we found a moment, we called directly to Cyprus, Merit, and had a quick chat with Ernestas. Let’s start at the beginning, can you tell us how poker came about into your life? I would say that the most significant beginning was when I was 18 and I started going to a sport poker club “Two Kings” with a group of friends. Nothing special, just a lot of enthusiasm, wide eyes and dreams of becoming a professional poker player one day. A few years later, I started to learn how to play poker online in the Spin & Go format. As I was also studying at the time, I was earning a few hundred dollars from self-studying for about 3 years. But that all changed after I finished university and I went from 7s to the 100s in half a year. And here I am indebted to the founder of SM, whom I remember spamming daily. I was very passionate about improving my game, and Erikas taught and shared his knowledge. I have been on this journey with SpinuMokykla ever since. Even though you are a Spin & Go player, how did you end up in MTTs? To be honest, I just went on holiday for 14 days and spent some of that time at the poker tables. And as it turned out, I had to trade my vacation for a job… but I’m not really complaining. 😀 All in all, Merit in Cyprus is like Las Vegas in America, so there’s no shortage of poker here. I’ve been playing in smaller poker tournaments almost every day, and I’ve noticed that I’m doing pretty well. So from the start of the Main Event I knew I could do well. Can you tell us about the journey to the final table? Disciplined and with little sleep. Each day’s session lasted about 10 hours, after which I went home to study my own and my opponents’ game. Little sleep, increasing tension and stress. And I remind you that my usual playing format is also different. Although the Spin & Go format gave me an advantage in the post-flop game, I had to work on the pre-flop game separately. And I’m very glad that I was not alone in my journey of studying the game. To tell you the truth, I had a lot of support from friends and colleagues. And as soon as the tournament day was over, I would rush to discuss the cards with P. Jucys, S. Babincev and D. Rozhko (former SM student). In fact, much of the journey to the final table was due to the extra work on the return after the sessions, even though the situations were quite favourable. In fact, on the journey to the final table, between cards and strategy, my girlfriend Laura played a huge role. Her constant attention and care for me allowed me to focus on the quality of the game. How does it feel to sit at the final table? To be honest, I was most worried about the fact that the table was being filmed. It was my first experience of having your game watched by others. Therefore, money was only a second priority for me when I was playing, the most important thing was to play my cards well so that I wouldn’t be judged too harshly afterwards. 😀 Again, the added pressure of having well-known faces in the poker world at the table. In a word, I was sitting half “wet”. But I’m happy with my game, I really did my best, even the first place winner (to my surprise) rated me as the strongest opponent during the interview. I was the clear favourite in the tournament, but my opponent was lucky. What was your first hour after the victory like? Finally the tension eased and I was able to eat a normal meal. 😀 On a more serious note, when the emotions subsided, I felt disappointed that I didn’t come first after all. But there was a big group of Lithuanians nearby who were very supportive from the beginning, so there was not much time for bad thoughts, we were on our way to celebrate the victory!What was your first hour after the victory like? Is this your biggest poker achievement? No, it’s not my biggest win, I had bigger wins in Spin & Go last year. Do you have any advice you would like to share with other poker players? I know it sounds corny, but I’ll give advice that has helped me individually. First of all, you have to have a lot of desire to become a successful poker player, and secondly, discipline. Be prepared to take on a lot of work, only with that will come success. Join us today

Spin & Go is a fast-paced poker format that is becoming increasingly popular every year. The main reasons why people choose this format and why it’s worth joining SM Staking right now are as follows: Suitable for beginners The game format and prize structure are adapted for players of all levels and varying experience. This allows you to start playing at low stakes, learn and improve without feeling too much pressure. The School offers you a personal coach, private lessons, and constant consultations to maximize your potential. Spin & Go tournaments take place online This means that you can play from the most convenient location and at your preferred time. Whether you have another job, have free time that you can’t give up, enjoy traveling, or simply dislike getting up early in the morning, you can plan your available time however you want. We will help you plan and determine the most suitable intensity so that you don’t get overwhelmed. This will ensure your improving results. Fast-paced format Do you enjoy making quick decisions and dislike lengthy processes? This poker format won’t let you get bored because each game lasts about 10 minutes. This allows you to accumulate experience quickly and learn from different situations. Extended gameplay gives you the freedom to plan your daily activities more flexibly as you won’t be obligated to long sessions. A chance to win a large sum of money Typically, Spin & Go tournaments have lower buy-ins than traditional poker tournaments, but the prize pool can be much larger, especially in rare high-multiplier tournaments. This means that you always have the opportunity to win a significant amount of money in a short time without investing large sums. While waiting for a lucky breakthrough, being a student of the School will give you the opportunity to participate in the SM Pool and reduce the financial variance of your games.taip sumažinti savo žaidimų patiriamą finansinę variaciją. Join us today. Give it a try

Start from the basics It sounds simple, but in any field, if you want to become a winner, it’s important to start from the basics and improve step by step. Poker is no exception, as a solid game consists of a reliable pre-flop play and knowledge and experience in post-flop play. However, one of the most enjoyable aspects of playing at low stakes is that players make countless mistakes before seeing the flop. You can take advantage of this by having a strong pre-flop foundation. Dedicate enough time and energy to learn correct hand ranges, as it is the path to a profitable post-flop game. Solid bankroll management Since “Spin & Go” is one of the riskiest game types and variance can be unforgiving, bankroll management skills are crucial. Our recommendation for less experienced players is to use a conservative approach and climb limits gradually. If you plan to start from the $1 limit, begin with a bankroll of 300 buy-ins (300$). If you want to challenge yourself at the 2-5$ limits, adjust your bankroll accordingly between 600-1000$. Having a solid pre-flop plan and discipline in bankroll management will help reduce variance and allow you to move up in limits without stress. The importance of psychology Strategy and bankroll management go hand in hand with psychological challenges. When facing a negative swing, many lower limit players simply leave their bankrolls at the tables. Take some time to read a chapter from your favorite psychology book or watch a video dedicated to improving psychological skills. Experiment and strengthen your mindset with monthly challenges such as cold showers, meditation, or planks. It’s important to remember that poker is a marathon, not a sprint. And in that marathon, there will be various ups and downs. Celebrate your victories, learn from your losses, and don’t be afraid of making mistakes, as it’s part of the process. Perhaps you haven’t yet achieved your poker dreams, but you are driven by constant improvement, want to surround yourself with like-minded individuals, or simply turn your hobby into an additional source of income. Contact us at www.smstaking.com or join the “SM Staking” Discord channel at https://discord.com/invite/Yj59CJtARf. Join us today.

We, the SM Staking community, will share the important aspects of why you should be part of a poker school. That’s right, we’ve broken those aspects down and expanded on them in separate categories. So, let’s briefly talk about each of them. The Community Poker is like a lone wolf trying to conquer the population and get into the top 1%. Lots of lonely hours in front of the screen, lots of obscure spots, psychological tension, thoughts of “am I the only one doing this badly?”, downswings, etc. No one will say that it is impossible to overcome all of this alone, but to quote an eloquent African proverb – “if you want to go fast, go alone, if you want to go far, go together” – there is indeed room for thought. Continuous improvement Have you ever found yourself succumbing to tilt, impulsively depositing funds after a rough session? Do you understand the different forms tilt can take? Do you have a structured poker warm-up routine, and can you effectively manage your bankroll with both safety and aggression? While you may have knowledge of these concepts, putting them into practice and improving can be challenging. That’s where SM comes in to offer assistance! Poker strategy When you join SM Staking 🃏, you’ll not only receive funding (more on that later), but you’ll also gain access to a dedicated personal coach 🎓 to guide you through your poker journey. Imagine having someone a few steps ahead, tailoring advice to your experience, strategy knowledge, and starting limit. Whether you’re mastering range tables or honing post-flop strategy, our extensive video library 📹 has hundreds of lessons ready to make you go ‘aha’! 🤩 The Psychology of Poker But bear in mind that strategy goes hand in hand with psychology. Obviously, the psychology of sport and business is quite similar; adult learning patterns have not changed for hundreds of years. So in our group psychology classes we will discuss the necessary habits and mindsets not only at the poker tables, but also in your personal life! What’s more, we’ll solve any problems together and share our inner victories. Funding Last, but one of the most important benefits of SM Staking. Firstly, we will fund your buy-in for the stakes you play. An EV deal will help you avoid variance and earn a steady income. Secondly, we will help you to purchase the necessary software and share access to the PureGTO training programme, which will allow you to develop your game at the highest level. Are you still unable to achieve your poker dreams but are passionate about continuous improvement, want to surround yourself with like-minded people, or simply turn your hobby into a source of extra income? Contact us at www.smstaking.com or on the general SM Staking discord channel https://discord.gg/UTz5nMNpjT. Until next time! ? Join us today