FTR AMA: Max "Numbr2intheWorld" Steinberg (Closed)

[givememyleg]

FTR's first WSOP bracelet winner has agreed to do an AMA. This is a chance to learn from one of FTR's top players who started with just a small $50 bankroll in 2006. Since then, Max has amassed over $1.3 million in live tournament winnings and has had countless success in live and online cash games.

Due to scheduling conflicts, this won't be a traditional AMA with a set time. You can ask your questions and Max will hop in answering them when he is able during the week.

So go for it, ask Max anything!

------
We also had an exclusive video interview with Max after his WSOP win, which can be watched here: Exclusive Interview w/ Max Steinberg “Numbr2intheWorld”

[givememyleg]

One thing I never got to ask you in the interview this summer was about the school you and Danny attended, specifically about the meditation classes and practicing daily. Is this still something you do? How has it positively affected your game and life in general?

Do you have a number? As in, an amount of money you would have to win to stop playing poker?

[kmind]

How important is knowing how to play GTO correctly? As in, is this something you have/still deeply study?

How should one study away from the tables (specifically a cash player)?

[givememyleg]

Please share a Hellmuth blowup story.. I think I remember you talking about him blowing up on you once (or maybe more than once).

Any pros/friends that you talk strategy with who may not be as well known but are killing it?

Going over online hands after a session is easier with tools such as PT, HEM, etc. How do you remember live hands to discuss or go over yourself later on? Do you ever take notes at the table or anything like that?

[jyms]

Max, thanks for repping FTR and still sticking around throughout your success. You and your brother did so much for a lot of us in the past when we were attempting to climb the stakes. Some of us are still trying to play or restarting to play and what we are struggling with is knowing if the games are unbeatable now without the US playing and so many other countries like the french pillaging the player base.

If you just discovered poker in the last year or two and were still playing on a $2K roll, what would you do if quitting wasn't a possibility in your mind yet..

[Eric]

Please share a Hellmuth blowup story.. I think I remember you talking about him blowing up on you once (or maybe more than once).

Oh god yeah, I'd like to hear more about this.

[NightGizmo]

How important is knowing how to play GTO correctly? As in, is this something you have/still deeply study?

How should one study away from the tables (specifically a cash player)?

+1, especially about any resources for learning game theory as it applies to poker.

[Pascal]

Hi!

How important do you think it is for live tournament players to be good at cash games?

What are your favourite online and live tournaments?

[Galapogos]

When was the last time you paid for sex? How much was it? Was it worth it?

[Hoopy]

What's the biggest thing that helped you improve your game?

[lolzzz_321]

what is your favorite sexual position?

[Numbr2intheWorld]

One thing I never got to ask you in the interview this summer was about the school you and Danny attended, specifically about the meditation classes and practicing daily. Is this still something you do? How has it positively affected your game and life in general?

Do you have a number? As in, an amount of money you would have to win to stop playing poker?

I still do meditation occasionally, I think it helps calm my mind and play slightly better. I would recommend mediation of some for to every poker player. The meditation I practice is called Transcendental Meditation btw if anyone was curious.

I don't think I have a number. I wouldn't have a number for any career I had that I loved. I can't imagine ever feeling like I wanted to just sit on money and do jack shit with my life.

[Numbr2intheWorld]

How important is knowing how to play GTO correctly? As in, is this something you have/still deeply study?

How should one study away from the tables (specifically a cash player)?

Knowing GTO play is ridiculously important. Any non-soul read play you make has some basis on your estimate of GTO play. I go into a little more detail here GTO and Adjustments Made Easy Part 1 | Max J Steinberg. I "study" GTO play in two ways, one way is it just comes to me sometime when I'm walking around or driving, I understand the game in such a way that I can theorize about GTO strategy in my mind and I'm usually right or close. The other is using a program like CardRunners EV or Poker Odds Oracle, these are really amazing tools.

[Numbr2intheWorld]

If you just discovered poker in the last year or two and were still playing on a $2K roll, what would you do if quitting wasn't a possibility in your mind yet..

By you do you mean a theoretical you or actually me? To any random I'd recommend playing 6-max holdem since it's a great way to build a lot of different poker skills. For me I'd play husngs.

Any pros/friends that you talk strategy with who may not be as well known but are killing it?

No not really but a couple years ago Sauce asked me if I wanted to study plo with him and try and try to get really good and I declined... Smart move by me lol.

Please share a Hellmuth blowup story.. I think I remember you talking about him blowing up on you once (or maybe more than once).

There are multiple! I think the first story from my WSOP event in 2010 can be found somewhere on FTR, he basically raged on me for one hand that wasn't even a big pot in which he sort of got unlucky, eventually telling me that "It'd be a miracle if I won" because I was "terrible." He ended up bubbling the final table and I got 2nd.

The better story imo was one after that, where I was playing in the Wynn Classic with him months later and it was day 1. He actually apologized to me about that and I said it was no problem. We end up both making it to day 2 and he's struggling at a table full of good young players that include myself and Tony Dunst. He's steaming after losing a flip against Tony where Hellmuth had TT and Tony has AQ and they got it in pre. Apparently Phil thought it was a terrible play. Then a hand comes up where someone raises, Phil 3bets small and I 4bet with AA on the button. It gets back to Phil and he loses it. "You probably think I have nothing here, but I have something. You're so reckless and terrible!" Everyone at the table starts laughing and I can't hold it in either. This just makes him more frustrated. I really wish I remember what he said, it was mainly just insults to me and Tony. He claimed to have eights and ended up folding and I said "If you think I was bluffing why the hell wouldn't you shove eights there?" He said something to the ffect of "You kids are so stupid for risking your tournament life so early, you'll find out soon when you're broke how bad you are."

Keep in mind there were no cameras around and this wasn't a tv event.

[Numbr2intheWorld]

Hi!

How important do you think it is for live tournament players to be good at cash games?

What are your favourite online and live tournaments?

Well given that it's really hard to make a living grinding live tournaments I would say they should try to improve their cash game play. But most tournament players play cash games kind of retardedly, not understanding how bad reverse implied odds can get very deep and mistakenly playing way too loose oop. I do have a friend who plays well in both, and it works out well for him since he can grind cash games for a steady living while taking good shots in tournaments for major scores.

My favorite tournaments are ones with really deep structures, big antes, and big first prizes!

When was the last time you paid for sex? How much was it? Was it worth it?

lol?

What's the biggest thing that helped you improve your game?

Having a twin brother who's a great poker player and having Sauce as a friend.

what is your favorite sexual position?

Girl on Top

[!Luck]

Do you think greece will leave the euro? ....jk

If you had kids, would you recommend playing poker for living (assume they would do well but not amazing?

[Galapogos]

When was the last time you paid for sex? How much was it? Was it worth it?

lol?

Sorry, it's an AMA thread and it was quickly descending into a poker only discussion. Was just trying to knock it off the rails a little.

Plus, I assume you live a ballin' Vegas lifestyle and it would somehow involve hookers 'n' blow.

[Numbr2intheWorld]

Do you think greece will leave the euro? ....jk

If you had kids, would you recommend playing poker for living (assume they would do well but not amazing?

I wouldn't ever recommend anything, I'd want them to figure it out for themselves. If my kids chose poker as a career I'd be fine with it but would probably rather them do something else. I definitely will teach my kids poker though, I have a dream of having a super intelligent daughter who I can mold into a poker machine.

[Deanglow]

What's your motivation besides being better than your brother?

[rpm]

if you had your current level of knowledge of the post-black friday poker landscape (i mean both online and live) including what games run when and where, how tough they are, the legality of it all etc etc, but had NO poker strategy knowledge whatsoever, would you choose to take up and pursue poker as your profession?

[MadMojoMonkey]

What were you doing when you were having the most fun away from a poker table in Vegas?

What's the most you spent on your dinner after a big win (not the entire bill, just your own dinner and drinks with the meal)? Where were you? What did you order?

Is there anything you own (that you bought with poker winnings) that you seriously had a reality check when you got it? Something that you maybe dreamed about before it was a possibility? What is it? Is there another dream item on the horizon? What?

[Numbr2intheWorld]

What's your motivation besides being better than your brother?

I feel like this is a really interesting question and I doubt many poker players really know the answer to it. From what I observed of myself, I would say that my most enjoyable moments in poker are when I come up with a new thought or strategy, and then implement that thought or strategy, and it works. I think my motivation is just to get the enjoyment of having a goal and surpassing it, that is the most rewarding thing in life for me.

[Numbr2intheWorld]

if you had your current level of knowledge of the post-black friday poker landscape (i mean both online and live) including what games run when and where, how tough they are, the legality of it all etc etc, but had NO poker strategy knowledge whatsoever, would you choose to take up and pursue poker as your profession?

I'd probably want to figure something else out as a career. As a hobby I don't see why not, it's a great way to make money on the side if you have the talent.

[Numbr2intheWorld]

What were you doing when you were having the most fun away from a poker table in Vegas?

Whenever friends visited for the weekend I had a blast, there's something about wandering around casinos getting drinks and gambling for small stakes (I'm talking about $10 craps or blackjack, or slowly playing video poker for .75 cents a hand in exchange for free drinks!) with friends. I have a really great time.

What's the most you spent on your dinner after a big win (not the entire bill, just your own dinner and drinks with the meal)? Where were you? What did you order?

I did go to French Laundry (top 10 restaurant in the US) in celebration of my 2nd in 2010, but that was actually paid for by another friend who's a lot more wealthy than I. The most I spent in ratio to what I had was in college, Danny and I were sharing an account and won a tournament online for $3000. We took our two friends out to this nice restaurant in DC, the bill totaled about $300. One of the guys was kind of a douche and ordered two lobsters. It was literally 5-10% of my net worth.

I'm really not that much of a 5 or 7 course meal type of guy, I like hole-in-the-wall type places with great food.

Is there anything you own (that you bought with poker winnings) that you seriously had a reality check when you got it? Something that you maybe dreamed about before it was a possibility? What is it? Is there another dream item on the horizon? What?

The moment that I realized I had profited a million dollars from poker felt pretty crazy, like most kids I wanted to be rich as an adult and when I was 11 I saw that number as a million bucks. But at the same time, I also felt, "Wow, this doesn't feel like a lot, I need to make ten million!" That's when I realized that any amount of money wasn't ever going to make me happy.

[Numbr2intheWorld]

Sorry, it's an AMA thread and it was quickly descending into a poker only discussion. Was just trying to knock it off the rails a little.

Plus, I assume you live a ballin' Vegas lifestyle and it would somehow involve hookers 'n' blow.

Maybe the 2nd part occassionally

[Eric]

What do you think about Disney buying Lucasfilm? Will they treat it well like Marvel?

[Numbr2intheWorld]

What do you think about Disney buying Lucasfilm? Will they treat it well like Marvel?

I doubt it will make much of a difference. The Prequels were already terrible Disney cant possibly do much worse.

Also random thought, how much better would the prequels have been if they were directed by Christopher Nolan?

[Galapogos]

Also random thought, how much better would the prequels have been if they were directed by Christopher Nolan?

Random? Or... STOLEN???
http://www.flopturnriver.com/pokerfo...ml#post2113912
http://www.flopturnriver.com/pokerfo...ml#post2113912
http://www.flopturnriver.com/pokerfo...ml#post2113912
etc etc...

[Galapogos]

What's your craziest Vegas story? Something nuts that happened one night when you and your friends were all out partying on the strip?

[donkbee]

Are you playing any online poker these days, or are you solely playing live poker?

[Galapogos]

What would you rate courtie on a scale of 1 - 10?

[Xianti]

How did your move go? Did you break anything?

[BankItDrew]

Name the top 3 things that separate the top pros from those trying to get there.

[Silly String]

1. Best book you ever read?
2. Best book you are reading now?
3. Best poker book you ever read? if applicable.

[rpm]

do you/did you ever use huds when playing online? what are your thoughts on them in terms of how they are generally used and how they should be used?

[buggzilla]

I'm going to play in my first big live event next year. It will be a deep stack $1K or greater MTT. What is the top three pieces of advice you can give me to go deep?

[surviva316]

What's ISF up to? Are you two writing in Ron Paul on November 6th? Which Pokemon would be the best at poker (assuming they can't cheat, like reading their opponent's mind or something)?

[Numbr2intheWorld]

What's your craziest Vegas story? Something nuts that happened one night when you and your friends were all out partying on the strip?

My best Vegas Story isn't much of a story as much as it was a "you had to be there" sort of thing. I was in Las Vegas for my cousins 21st birthday, his Dad is very wealthy and we went to Moon in the Palms for one night to celebrate. His dad paid for everything including bottle service, and apparently tipped our personal bouncer extremely well because he was doing a serious job protecting our table. We were having a good time and he was literally pushing guys away if they even got near our table while inviting whichever girls came near to join us. It stood out so much that people started asking us if we were famous. It was really an amazing night.

During the same night I was walking towards the bathroom when a random bouncer approached me and asked aggressively "What's in your hand?" I opened my hand and there was obviously nothing, but she claimed I had something. They took me to the back room and searched me and found nothing, but escorted me back to my room. I was really drunk and decided to just go back to the entrance and walked right in and everything was fine for the rest of the night.

[Numbr2intheWorld]

Are you playing any online poker these days, or are you solely playing live poker?

Almost solely live but I do get the itch to play online, I play on Lock very occassionally.

What would you rate courtie on a scale of 1 - 10?

I've never met her irl but she seems nice.

How did your move go? Did you break anything?

Went well

[Numbr2intheWorld]

Name the top 3 things that separate the top pros from those trying to get there.

1) Talent

2) Work Ethic

3) Confidence

[Numbr2intheWorld]

1. Best book you ever read?
2. Best book you are reading now?
3. Best poker book you ever read? if applicable.

1) Tricks of the Mind by Derren Brown. Really cool book by a magician about magic, life tricks, and his thoughts on things.

2) The Signal and the Noise by Nate Silver. Just finished it I think it's the best book on statistics and prediction out there.

3) I haven't read any poker books I really loved but I hear the Mathematics of Poker is very good.

do you/did you ever use huds when playing online? what are your thoughts on them in terms of how they are generally used and how they should be used?

I sometimes don't use huds when I trying to develop certain skills. But HUDs now-a-days are so damn good, I would think everyone would want to use them.

[Numbr2intheWorld]

I'm going to play in my first big live event next year. It will be a deep stack $1K or greater MTT. What is the top three pieces of advice you can give me to go deep?

I would just say play tight and don't try to make a big fold (because you'll be surprised how much you see a spew when you don't expect it) and you'll do fine. I would read any tournament posts I wrote on suited-aces.com as well as my don't f**king minraise post on maxjsteinberg.com.

[Numbr2intheWorld]

What's ISF up to? Are you two writing in Ron Paul on November 6th? Which Pokemon would be the best at poker (assuming they can't cheat, like reading their opponent's mind or something)?

I'm voting Gary Johnson. I think Kadabra would be pretty damn good considering the crazy shit he can do with his mind.

[donkbee]

1) Talent

2) Work Ethic

3) Confidence

in that order?

[kmind]

I remember you had another brother post a blog or something on here trying to reach your's and Danny's level. What ever happened to him?

[givememyleg]

Best place to visit on a vaca?

Are you an optimist or pessimist when it comes to online poker in the US? If you have to set a line when we will be able to login to PokerStars again, what year would it be?

What is your philosophy on what life is and what does it mean to you?

[Numbr2intheWorld]

in that order?

No particular order although I'm looking at it now and it seems to be the right order.

[BankItDrew]

When should I 3bet preflop?

[BankItDrew]

in that order?

Don't worry donkbee, I think you possess at least two out of those three.

[donkbee]

Don't worry donkbee, I think you possess at least two out of those three.