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Interview: SNG Coaching For Profits with Ben “bencb789”

Ben aka “bencb789” – our new Poker Coach in our new CFP Format for SNG players

BPC welcomes a new Poker Coach and Coaching For Profits Format; SNG Coaching For Profit with Ben “bencb789”. The German Poker Player and Poker Coach currently resides in Brighton, UK, focusing mainly on his format High Stakes Sit & Go’s. The Proud winner of SCOOP Event #22-H in 2014, helped a lot of Poker Players climb up the stakes and he is ready to take you as his new student! Time for an interview with the great poker mind.

For those who want to get more information and watch a free video of a coachings session with Ben, click HERE.

Hi, Ben. Can you first introduce yourself to our community and tell us a bit more about your poker background?

Hi. My name is Ben and I live in Brighton, UK. Most people recognize me under my screen name of bencb789 on Pokerstars. I play mainly Sit and Go´s on Stars. I also grind tournaments every Sunday. I started playing $1 SNGs in 2009. I was so fascinated by SNGs that I have stuck to that format ever since.

Why did you decide to stick to the SNG format and what’s the biggest difference between SNGs and Cash Games?

I think the biggest difference is the fact that you have to handle a lot of different stack sizes in SNGs. Also, you need a well-grounded knowledge about ICM. It’s a very mathematical game.

Cash Games are more based on reads and tendencies. In SNGs, you often have the situation that you can`t bluff or play aggressively, given a certain bubble factor. Pre-flop is way more important in SNGs than in Cash Games due playing short-stacked most of the time.

 

That´s why I love to play turbo SNGs, where you play a little bit more deeply in the early game than in hyper turbo SNGs. You have to play a lot of post-flop too.

In Cash Games, you have more room to play post-flop. You are playing deeper and you have to be very good in playing post-flop. In SNGs, you don’t need to be an excellent post-flop player, but it gives you a big advantage if you are.

That is why I also often play a lot of Cash Games to train my post-flop skills.

 

What limits do you play? And can you share a bit more of your success as a player and a coach?

I play the hyper-turbos up to 1k and the turbos up to 5k. So, to say, every limit. (Check out his SNG results of 2015 in the picture below)

I also enjoy playing NL Zoom 500 and 1000. I mean, I have played High stakes for a long time now and I still beat these games with a decent win rate where Edges are getting smaller and smaller.

But to be honest, speaking about my success, I leave that to others. I don`t like that at all. All of my students were very happy after my coaching sessions. All of them assured me that it was the best choice they made hiring me as their coach. And that means a lot to me.

And working together with ambitious poker players makes for a lot of fun.

What are your poker goals?

I don´t have specific poker goals at all. Becoming better every day is my goal. Keeping focus and staying motivated on bad days is my goal. If I am running bad and had losing sessions, but I tried my best, that’s fine.

But losing because of playing unfocused or playing unmotivated is what makes me mad at the end of the day. I think setting specific money goals is not a good idea at all.

You are either very disappointed if you don´t reach your goal or you may lose motivation after reaching your goal. But that may vary from person to person. Some people need a certain goal to keep focused and motivated.

 

Why did you decide to become a coach?

After I had my first coaching sessions, I realized how much fun it is. It means so much to me to work together with ambitious player and to see their progress after every coaching session.

 

How did you get in contact with Bestpokercoaching and why did you decide to partner up?

Gordon coached me 3 or 4 years ago. I wanted to improve my Cash Game and my post-flop skills. And we kept in touch since then. One day we agreed with each other to work together.

We both realized that we have similar approaches towards life and work ethics. From the very beginning, Gordon was also a very trustful person, which is very important to me to partner up with someone.

 

What can students expect from the SNG Coaching for Profits deal? When can they apply?

Students can expect the best mentoring they will ever get. I really enjoy coaching. So I will take care of every single student. But I also expect a lot from my students. You have to give 100%.

I will only work together with ambitious poker players who have the will to put a lot of effort to becoming a great poker player. If you want to crush the highest stakes, I am your man. But you have to do your homework.

 

Can you give us some last advice: why should we choose to play SNGs?

It’s actually pretty easy and fast to learn if you know how. And I can show you how. Compared to Cash Games, you can climb up the stakes way faster.

 

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