Our active member and friend Svajūnė Vadopalaitė had two very successful Sundays in a row. During these sessions, she managed to win over $10,000!
In the Hotter $33 tournament, she took second place and won $5796. The tournament had as many as 2093 players.
In The Bigger 22, she took 4th place and won $5599!
After this victory, she wrote:
“I watched Pokeriomokykla videos for several weeks, especially peledazmogis's lessons, I think they were very beneficial.”
“I also downloaded a range calculator program, so I studied a bit more seriously.”
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We interviewed Svajūnė in more detail
Pokeriomokykla.com: Recently, you've been crushing the fields: in a week's time, you won over $10,000 in two tournaments. Congratulations!
Are these your biggest wins? What feelings overwhelmed you when you reached the final table in both tournaments?
Svajūnė: Thank you, Miroslavas. Yes, these are my two biggest poker wins. While playing the tournaments, I tried to distance myself from emotions, and even when I reached the final table, I didn't look at the prizes for certain places to avoid getting nervous and affecting my game. I just tried to focus on the game and play for the highest possible place. After the tournaments ended, of course, I felt great and was very happy with these achievements.
Tell us about each of those tournaments. About their start, bubble and ITM stage, and reaching the final table and advancing to those positions. What were the key hands and events that allowed you to take these places?
Svajūnė: Since I played quite a few tournaments during these sessions, in the early stages of the tournaments, I just chose a standard opening range according to certain positions, and of course, in most cases, I made continuation bets both on the flop and turn on suitable boards. I also tried to three-bet more often with medium-strength hands pre-flop against more active opponents to gain betting priority post-flop. To reach the later stages of the tournament, of course, I needed some luck in situations where I had to win flips. In the bubble stage, I tried to play aggressively and pressure opponents instead of focusing on making it into the money. Moving forward, I just tried to maintain maximum concentration on the game and looked for situations where I could pressure opponents, but at the same time, I tried to measure each decision and avoid getting involved in dubious situations. At the final table, of course, I tried to maintain aggression since most players played quite disciplined. I don't remember a specific situation or hand that I am particularly proud of; overall, I am satisfied with my game, my ability to find a balance between aggression and discipline, and despite unfavorable circumstances (e.g., being a small stack or busting out of other tournaments), my ability to maintain positivity and concentration throughout the tournament.
To win big MTT tournaments, looking at them in isolation, you need a lot of luck or at least favorable circumstances. Did you have any luck in your case? Maybe some mistakes that eventually turned into successes/won hands?
Svajūnė: Yes, luck undoubtedly plays a significant part in poker and helps win tournaments. The most memorable situation was in the second tournament where I took 2nd place: I remember having about 10bb left with around 30 players remaining, I shoved from the CO position with 66, got called by JJ, and a miraculous 6 came on the river, allowing me to move forward.
You mentioned that thanks to Pokeriomokykla.com, you became a winning poker player, that our MTT videos helped deepen your poker knowledge. However, there are many poker players in Lithuania who do not have a membership with us. Why do you think it's important to study poker even if it's not the main activity, even if the goal is just to have a good time at the poker tables?
Svajūnė: Well, I think it depends on each person individually, how much they want to improve in a certain area and the time they can dedicate to their hobby. But if you want to get not only fun time but also additional income from poker, it's essential to be interested, study, analyze your game, and discuss with other players. I think it's always more enjoyable not only to play but also to win something from time to time, and Pokerio Mokykla is a great place to learn without investing a lot.
Would you agree to have one of our MTT coaches do a hand history analysis of these tournaments for active members?
Svajūnė: Gladly, it would be interesting to hear a professional's comments on my game and certain hands where I might have doubted the correctness of my decision. Such analysis will undoubtedly be useful not only for me but also for other players.
You now have a considerable bankroll. What are your future goals with online and live poker?
Svajūnė: I will continue to play MTT tournaments at medium stakes online, and if I continue to do well, I plan to move up in stakes. I also have ambitions in live poker, so in May, I plan to go to Rozvadov and play in one of the bigger tournaments there. In the fall, I plan to go to Las Vegas and participate in at least one of the MTT tournaments there – it's one of my dreams.
Interviewed by Miroslavas Siniavskis
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