How I started my poker career

Road to 500s – a poker blog about reaching the highest limits. We give you the story of Aurimas, one of our best high stakes Spin & Go format poker pros.

On March 15, 2020, Aurimas, also recognized as “Pulsas” in the online realm, shared insights about their poker journey. At 22 years old, I’m immersed in the world of poker, particularly focusing on 25-euro limit Spin & Go tournaments. Over the past few months, I’ve engaged in 2770 spins, maintaining a steady 70 chip EV. My immediate aim revolves around advancing to the 50-euro limit, necessitating either a 70 chip EV with 7,500 games, 75 chip EV with 6,000 games, or 80 chip EV with 4,500 games.

As we can see, back in 2020 Aurimas already had set out goals, that even today some of us struggle to wrap our minds around. He was already playing 25-euro games but most importantly had the hunger for more.

From childhood, Aurimas showcased a natural aptitude for logical pursuits. His journey began with notable achievements, securing third place in the Lithuanian Mathematics Olympiad during 9th grade and later clinching second place in the Kaunas City Programming Olympiad in 12th grade. Aurimas consistently demonstrated his prowess, earning placements in the top 50 of the esteemed “Kengūra” contest four times, ranking at #9, #13, #26, and #48 respectively. Moreover, he triumphed in the “Eruditus” logic thinking competition and attained commendable positions in the renowned “Bebras” contest, blending computer science with mathematics.

In his second year of programming studies, Aurimas soared to prominence in the competitive strategy realm of “League of Legends.” His exceptional skill earned him the impressive rank of #72 in Europe, amidst millions of players. An enticing opportunity arose when he received an offer from the “Gamers Origin” team in France, inviting him to join their ranks for a monthly salary of 2,000 euros. Opting to seize this chance, Aurimas made the bold decision to depart from his studies and venture to Paris in the winter of 2018, immersing himself professionally in his beloved game.

At that time Aurimas managed to defeat all the teams in France, came first in the French league, and qualified for the European Championship. He reminisces about his time in the esports field: “In the spring of 2018, we achieved 3rd-4th place in the European Championship and won a prize of 12,500 euros. It was a significant accomplishment, but it didn’t satisfy our multi-millionaire CEO, who wanted us to win everything. He decided to change the team’s composition and buy more expensive players. Ironically, the team that achieved that 3rd-4th place in Europe has been unable to repeat or improve that result so far. After Gamers Origin, I received many offers to play “League of Legends,” but they were all worse than what I had. So, I chose the best one and played “League of Legends” from home for 1,000 euros per month.”

In November 2018, seeking a new challenge, Aurimas delved into the world of poker. Despite possessing minimal poker experience, with a grasp limited to the rules, he embarked on this journey. Guided by his friend Karolis, who was enrolled in a poker school at the time, Aurimas familiarized himself with the fundamentals of Spin & Go and gained insights into strategic ranges. Further refining his skills under the guidance of another friend, he acquired the software program “PokerTracker” to meticulously track his chip EV, using data provided by Karolis. Commencing with 1-euro tournaments, Aurimas was pleasantly surprised by his early successes, realizing the potential for profitable play with just rudimentary knowledge.

Curiosity soon led Aurimas to explore the earning potential of professional poker players. Comparing it to his experiences in “League of Legends,” where daily battles against top-tier opponents were the norm, he found poker to offer a more straightforward path to financial success. Reflecting on the contrast, Aurimas remarked, “In ‘League of Legends,’ the competition was relentless against the world’s best players. But in poker, the challenge lay in triumphing over recreational French players, who engaged in the game for leisure and entertainment, while simultaneously navigating the competitive landscape among fellow professionals.”

Therefore, in December 2018, he decided to become a professional poker player. At first, he planned to climb the limits on his own, but after a month of being stuck in the 5-euro limit, he realized that moving up to the highest stakes without proper knowledge and lessons was close to imposible. In January 2019, he joined our Spin & Go school.

In about 9 months, Aurimas moved up to the 25-euro stakes. In November 2019, he was promoted and became a Junior Coach. However, at that point in time Aurimas admitted that not everything was going perfectly: “I slacked off a bit and didn’t grind much, so I’m still at the 25-euro limit, but now I’m getting back on track and will try to aim for the 50 euro limit. I’m writing this blog post as a motivation for myself to dedicate more time to grinding and not be embarrassed by my low volume. So far, that’s it, and I’m planning to update this blog approximately every week.” We are glad he did not give up on this plan after all.

Where I am in poker now

Aurimas has embarked on an arduous yet exhilarating journey to dominate the 250s and 500s games in the realm of high-stakes Spin & Go tournaments. Despite encountering initial challenges in 2023, marked by structural shifts at the Winamax poker room and emerging field tendencies, Aurimas remains resolute in his pursuit of triumph. “However,” he declares, “I vow to redouble my efforts to adapt, evolve, and master the evolving landscape, restoring my ability to conquer high-stakes challenges once more ⚔️.” #poker #spingo

In the realm of high-stakes online poker, the margin for skill superiority over opponents is razor-thin, where every decision holds significant weight. Aurimas has consistently demonstrated that diligent effort and strategic acumen pave the path to success at the poker tables. Dedication and unwavering focus are essential ingredients for improvement. Undoubtedly, his PokerStars alias resonates with his steadfast mindset, reflecting his unwavering determination.

Sharing how I did it

As the days went by, the poker prodigy kept on his promise to share results of his journey. His first blog update appears to be about the positives of everybody staying in-doors at the time. He shares a graph with results that were quite impressive.