The latest poker news reports a growing popularity of this game of chance. More and more young people aspire to become professional players and coaches.
Luca Moschitta, a popular player, a winner of Italian Poker Tour and People’s Poker Tour, has shared his knowledge of the poker industry in this interview.
Do you have a certain strategy for winning in poker games? If yes, what is it?
Sure, I have a strategy. Poker is a marathon, not having a strategy means not having many chances to win in long run. Having solid bankroll management, trying to exploit any +ev situation, adapting my game according to my opponents. This is what I try to do in general.
Could you tell our readers about the best and the worst poker tournament in your experience?
It is extremely hard to name one in particular. In the last decades, I would probably pick Las Vegas as the best location with so many tournaments/cash games running every day but also a lot of entertainment, if you want to be off some days. I would also mention Barcelona and Monaco as some of my favorite stops. I also have great memories from PCA in Nassau, Bahamas.
The worst location I ever played is probably Deauville, EPT there was during winter and it is far away from Paris but I have to admit poker there was great value.
What are the main difficulties in the work of a poker coach?
I think the biggest difficulty as a poker coach is teaching poker to a player who has not the right mindset. Having the discipline to respect the bankroll management and the patience to accept the losing streaks is way more important than anything else in poker. I usually suggest to these players not to play poker for a living or lower their stake because when you have a wrong approach poker might become dangerous and depressing.
What is the best advice that you could give to someone who’s just starting a career in poker?
Make solid bankroll management. Study a lot: watch online videos from poker schools, buy coaching lessons one-on-one from winning poker players, learn how to use solvers. Play a lot to gain experience but don’t forget to have free time to have a decent lifestyle because what happens outside the poker hours affects health and mindset which are also important to achieve poker results (and happy life!).
In your opinion, is poker a purely game of chance, or is it a game of skill? Do you believe that players should study poker math before enrolling in the tournaments?
With the right approach, poker is definitely a skill game in the long run, with a good amount of luck involved in the short period. But without the correct approach, poker is pure gambling, with even worse chances than casino games such as Blackjack or Roulette.
Basic maths are important of course but usually, you learn poker math playing hundred thousands of hands so I would recommend gaining experience first of all.
The pandemic has brought an uplift to online poker. But as live tournaments, like WSOP, return to the global scene, do you believe that online poker will remain as popular as in 2020 and 2021?
Sure, it will be popular but how much depends on the regulation of the markets and on the direction the industry will take. I think it is very important to give players more rewards such as bonuses, rake back, and any type of promotion. Right now there are a lot of solid online poker sites out there, the players and the industry will benefit from a bit of competition.
What are your ambitions and plans for the future? Whom do you want to play against and which tournaments do you want to win?
I do not plan to play poker as I used to play in the past. Right now poker is not my only occupation since I’m also into crypto and real estate projects. Those periods with 10 hours per day/ 5-6 days per week playing online poker are gone for me but as soon as the pandemic permits, I want to play live tournaments again, such as EPT, WPT, and WSOP. Something like one poker trip per month with the goal to win one of that $ 1mln+ prize in the future is my poker plan. It is always nice to play against famous personalities, such as businessmen, sports celebrities or actors.
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