Schwartz' Poker Tournament Advice
Noah Schwartz Transitions from Online Play to Live Tournament Poker
In a continuation of an interview with Noah "fourUhaters" Schwartz, Bad Beat stories are shared and advice is given on making the transition from online to live games.
Noah Schwartz, one of the freshest faces on the live tournament scene shares his secrets. For more information on Schwartz, check out the link to the rest of the interview, following the story.
Transitioning from Online to Live Poker
"The transition from online poker to the live circuit was a little bit difficult. I was intimidated sitting down with J.C. Tran and Allen Cunningham. I jumped head first into a $10,000 event. I asked myself if I was on the level of the other players, and to be honest, I wasn't sure. I always want to be the best, and be considered the best. In the beginning I played the five diamond event and I didn't cash on any of them. It was a little demoralizing" Schwartz said.
Just like with the online poker, it took losing a little bit for Schwartz to find his groove. Schwartz remembered "I didn't understand how to play serious short stack positions, and things like that. I made a final table at the Bellagio $5000, I entered the final table with 740,000 in chips. I had pocket jacks, and I didn't know how to play the hand. There was a lot of money at risk, and instead of shoving all-in, I just called. At that point, I had to call, I was getting 8-1 on my money and though I was a 4-1 underdog, I had to call. Unfortunately it landed me on the rail."
Bad Beat Story
Schwartz recalled his worst "bad beat" story since joining the circuit with a certain amount of bitter fondness. It was a WPT event, with 65 players left. The hand was against J.C. Alvarado, and James Van Alstyne who limped under the gun. Alvarado limped second. The blinds were at 1000 and 2000 with a $100 ante. Schwartz had 98,000 in chips; Alvarado was sitting on around 107,000. Schwartz recalled "I look down at my hand and I see two black kings. I raise 88,000. Alvarado calls all-in. I think for about five or six minutes before I call. He flips over two red queens. The flop comes club, club, club. I now have a flush draw and an overcard. He rivers the queen of spades, for a one outter. It was a huge pot at this point."
Online Poker Players
In conversation about the era of young online players hitting the circuit, Schwartz commented "I think a lot of players are getting better, they're utilizing resources available to them. Everyone out there playing is releasing information. When I started playing, it wasn't available. New players should really use their resources and take advantage of what's available. There is so much at their disposal. The major key to online playing is to stay within your bankroll. Have at least ten buy-ins, minimum. And don't be afraid to play, if it doesn't work out, move to lower stakes until you get back to your point. Don't let the greed factor takeover, this is a long term commitment and consistency is important."
How to Win the World Poker Tour
So what’s the secret in lasting through the big tournaments and breaking the coveted money bubbles on the live circuit? For Schwartz, it's rationalization. "I gauge my table, and how the people are playing. I tell myself, 'You can't win this tournament on day one. You can't win it on day two. So just last, and try to survive, as blinds get bigger, people get more aggressive and you can amass more chips because players will attempt to steal more blinds. I play my cards, but I go a lot with my reads and intuition. You have to be able to switch tiers well, and keep pots small unless you have the nuts."
Schwartz is no longer nervous when he sits down with the best. Actually, he said "I love playing against the best in the world. When I'm playing against the best, I step up my game. At the upcoming LAPC I know my table is going to be stacked with pros. I have a lot of respect for J.C. Tran and Allen Cunningham. Tran switches gears so well, and Cunningham will tell you what you have before you know what you have."
More on Noah: poker.suite101.com/article.cfm/schwartz_on_transition_bad_beats
