In the world of poker, a recurring question is whether it is still possible to reach a high level. Or have those times passed when merely with knowledge, the right tools, and diligence, one could rise from low stakes all the way to the highest ones? While we cannot see into the future, we can confidently say that in 2023, it still pays to work hard in the world of poker, as one can achieve quite incredible results.

Evidence of this is the story of our player, InsideBrains, who joined our stable in February 2021, playing at a €10 stake then, and now, he is playing games up to €500.

 

bitB Spins: Could you tell us a little about yourself, mainly how you started poker and eventually spins?

InsideBrains: Absolutely. My journey with poker goes way back. I was around ten years old when I started playing with my family during the poker boom around 2008. At that time, it was all just for fun. I transitioned to spins in 2020. At the time, I was in university, and my main focus was on MTTs.

I started dabbling in ‘spins’ out of curiosity because it fit my schedule well. Then when the COVID pandemic hit, I found myself with more time on my hands and decided to dedicate more time to spins. That’s how I got immersed in this game.

bitB Spins: How did you come across bitB, and what led you to join us?

InsideBrains: Well, I have always played on Winamax, which happens to be the main room where bitB operates. I noticed that the team was consistently getting great results at the highest stakes, and that piqued my curiosity. I wasn’t very familiar with staking or similar concepts at the time, so I began to explore and learn more about it.

bitB Spins: Was there a particular reason you felt the need to join a team?

InsideBrains: Yes, there was. My progress in poker was slowing down, and I needed something to give it a boost. I thought that joining a team like bitB could provide the help I needed. So, in February 2021, when I was playing spins at €10 stake, I decided to apply to bitB.

 

If you want to try what it’s like playing in a

professional environment without commitment for 30 days,

click here!

 

bitB Spins: You joined bitB when you were playing at €10 stake. Can you share how your focus shifted as you moved up through the different stakes, like €10, €25, €50, and so on? What were the key learnings at each stage?

InsideBrains: That’s a great question. Initially, I was the kind of player who was primarily focused on playing well against regulars and really aimed to crush them. However, once I joined bitB, my perspective started to shift. I came to understand where the real money in this game comes from, and that is primarily from playing against recreational players.

The more time I spent studying the videos and content provided by bitB, the more I learned about strategies for playing against recreational players. The lower the stakes I was playing, the more I found myself focusing on this aspect of the game.

As I moved to higher stakes, such as €25, it became essential to learn how to play against the regulars, as they became more frequent and skilled. I found it crucial to at least break even against them.

Additionally, an exciting thing I learned from bitB was about multi-tabling. It’s a skill that I think is quite underestimated but can significantly increase your profits. bitB puts a lot of emphasis on mastering this skill.

In summary, at the lower stakes, you learn solid gameplay against recreational players and start to improve multi-tabling. When you reach €25, where you can start to earn significant money, it’s important to be strong in every area of the game. Playing higher than €25 requires a similar strategy, but you must be even better against both recreationals and regulars.

bitB Spins: How many tables do you typically play at once?

InsideBrains: At present, I typically play 18 tables at once. Of course, there aren’t enough tables running simultaneously at higher stakes, but at the €50, it happens quite often. It’s crucial to be able to manage a large number of tables, hence why I play 18.

bitB Spins: Could you share with us what a typical day looks like for you, both from a poker perspective and what you do outside of poker?

InsideBrains: Absolutely. On a typical day, I usually wake up early, around 7 AM. I’ve always been a morning person and appreciate a consistent routine. I start my day with a light breakfast – some cereals, juice, just enough to get me going.

I then prepare for my poker session, which typically starts at 8 AM. I refresh my memory of the ranges and practice a bit before jumping into the session.

After the session, I take a break – it’s crucial to rest and reset because I usually have another session afterward. I usually do four sessions daily, each lasting about one and a half hours, with breaks in between. It’s important not to do anything poker-related during my breaks to rest my mind and be ready for the next session.

Once my sessions are finished for the day, I upload all my hands to the software that identifies my biggest mistakes against the regulars. I review these hands, try to think about how I could have played them differently, and do some more theoretical work. This could involve exploring different ranges or watching videos about playing against recreational players.

By around 7 PM, my poker workday comes to an end. At that point, I like to go out for a walk for about an hour. This helps me clear my mind and ensures I have some physical activity in my day.

When I return home, I have dinner and head to bed early – good sleep is vital for being ready for the next day. This is a typical day for me, but it varies somewhat from day to day.

bitB Spins: Do you play poker from Monday to Friday, or do you also work on weekends?

InsideBrains: Actually, I typically play around six days a week. I’m the kind of player who enjoys playing on Saturdays and Sundays because those days tend to have more activity, especially from recreational players. So, you can definitely count on me playing on the weekends.

As for the weekdays, my off day often falls in the middle of the week, usually a Wednesday or Thursday. But, of course, this can change depending on the given situation. I consider myself flexible in this regard since I’m mostly in control of my schedule.

bitB Spins: You started in bitB on €10 games in February 2021, and by December 2022, you began playing on €50s. It seems like you spent quite some time on the €25s. How long did it take you to progress to the €250 and €500 games?

InsideBrains: Right, I did spend quite a bit of time on the €25 games. It was a challenging step up in terms of competitiveness. I was able to progress to the €25 games within the first six months at bitB, but then I was kind of stuck at that level until the end of 2022.

In December 2022, I started to play the €50 games, and this progression came about more due to my ability to multitask and manage many tables at once rather than having extraordinary results. This ability to multitask is particularly crucial at the €50 level.

Playing at €50s boosted my confidence, and I realized there wasn’t this glass ceiling I had previously perceived when I was at the €25 level. After about four months of playing at the €50 level, I was given the opportunity to try out the €100 games, and then I recently started playing the €250 and €500 games in July of this year.

So, I would say that the transition from the €25 to the €50 games was probably the toughest, but it gave me the momentum to progress to the higher stakes. The transition from €50 to higher stakes was facilitated by the excellent training and support provided by bitB.

bitB Spins: What are the key differences and challenges players face when moving from €50 games to higher stakes? How has your personal experience been in this transition?

InsideBrains: The traffic is much higher in the €50 games, and being good at multi-tabling is a significant advantage. When you move up to higher stakes, the traffic decreases, and being solid against the regulars becomes more critical.

At these higher stakes, the advantage that comes from being a good multi-tabler is not as pronounced, and it becomes more about being a skilled poker player. Some players might do well at the €50 level due to their multi-tabling skills but might struggle at higher levels because their multi-tabling advantage is less significant.

Moving up the stakes was not as difficult for me because I spent a lot of time studying games and performing well against regulars. This gave me an edge that helped me progress through the stakes.

bitB Spins: What advice would you give to someone who is currently in the same place you were back in February 2021? For instance, they’re playing in 5€ or 10€ games and are aspiring to reach the 50€ level and beyond. What should their main focus be?

InsideBrains: I believe one of the most crucial things is maintaining a positive and ambitious mindset. Once you have the right mindset in place, you’ll naturally take the necessary steps to align your actions with your goals. With bitB, you have all the tools you need to reach those high stakes, but tackling them one by one is important. If you’re currently on 5€, your immediate aim should be to conquer the 5€, then the 10€ stakes.

At each level, understanding what’s vital is key. In the lower stakes, it’s critical to have a solid strategy against recreational players, and bitB has a lot of content to help with this. I’d recommend watching all available videos, taking notes, and applying these learnings to your game.

I also encourage you to focus on the fundamentals. Stick to mastering pre-flop and flop play before diving into complex strategies against regulars, as they tend to play quite simply. So, go back to basics and keep things straightforward.

Another aspect to gradually work on is your multi-tabling skills. This can be a game-changer when transitioning from the 25€ to 50€ stakes.

So overall, it’s a step-by-step process. You don’t need to make any dramatic leaps but rather concentrate on steady improvement. Keep your mindset positive, hone your foundational skills, and gradually build up your gameplay against recreational InsideBrainss. As you climb higher, you can start to study your game against regulars more intensively.

Thank you InsideBrains, for the interview, and let’s hope we can talk about a huge Jackpot soon!