Ever wonder what it’s like to live the life of a pro poker player? The travel, the glamour, the prize winnings! It all sounds enticing but can sometimes feel like it’s a world away. Well fret not aspiring players, Gent’s Post had the chance to partake in all the festivities of the most recent PSPC Poker Championship in the Bahamas and we got a first hand lesson from a pro.
Gent’s Post had the chance to sit down with PokerStars Canadian Team Pro player Arlie Shaban to chat about his journey to becoming a poker pro and the differences between playing online versus the thrill of live play.
Anyone’s Game
In mid-2017, inspired by the success of his friend Kevin Martin, Shaban decided it was time to quit his day job become the full-time online poker player he aspired to be. It didn’t take him long as the very next day – his first as an official pro – he won the US$7.50 Deepstack on PokerStars.
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“I became a pro 5 years ago, started streaming online on Twitch”, says Shaban. He credits a series of online tournaments alongside a mixture of live games for his rise to Team Pro representing Canada. Shaban made it a point to explain how poker truly is for everyone and that it’s not as complicated as it may appear. He notes that PokerStars is working on promoting the game to more people, particularly newer entrants.
Online vs. Live
During our chat, Shaban made it a point to note the pace of play can be different and you should temper your expectations. “The biggest difference between streaming and live is the speed of online play. I was playing 10-12 tables at a time. Live play you’re restricted to just the one table but you definitely pick up a lot more information.”
With online, you should expect that you’ll be seeing more pros sitting at your table. While it can accelerate your learning, Shaban notes it will help you learn faster, even if the competition is tougher. “There’s a vast variety of structured games in PokerStars. You can start at penny games and work your way up without starting with a super expensive game”.
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See aslo: PokerStars takes over the Bahamas
Education
If you’re a newer player looking to learn, there are a series of educational programs available to you through PokerStars. “Pokerstars is amazing for new players”, notes Shaban. “There are no-money games you can play with friends just to learn and understand the basics of how the game works.” Always an important starting point as many new players obviously don’t want to play for keeps without fully understanding the rules of the game.
PokerStars even put together a series of tutorials for the media group at the Baha Mar during the PSPC PokerStars Championship. One of the participants surprisingly made it into the top 100 of an invitational shortly after. Not bad. Shaban adds, “you can start online in the comfort of your own home and there’s a lot of good online training programs to get you going”
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