The Secrets of the Champion: Ben Rolle’s AMA on Reddit

Strategy Tips & Advice

Q: When using MDA to build exploitive heuristics on player pools, do you have recommendations on how to methodologically go through the data and build usable resources for an individual?

First, it is important to understand the thresholds.

For example, you need to know what is the “GTO” data for defending vs 3bets, let’s say BU vs CO. You can check this with any kind of preflop ranges and/or solver. Then you go through your own data to see, if you are over- or under-calling.

They might not 3bet enough, therefore a high fold to 3bet is recommended.

To sum it up:

1. Understand whats the GTO threshold
2. Look into your own data/stats/hud how far you deviate from it
3. Analyse your playerpool if your deviation is good or bad.

That’s the only way to truly figure out if you adjust well to the pool or not. Unfortunately many coaches, especially database coaches don’t know how to properly adjust. They will tell you you need to defend more vs 3bets (for example), when in reality the players on your stakes are not 3betting enough.

Q: What would you say are the most important habits and topics to study to continue to improve and become a proper “crusher” at low stakes cash games?

1. Proper Preflop Fundamentals
2. Value betting
3. Exploiting other regulars
4. Exploiting tendencies of recreationals

Q: How important is it to have bankroll management in poker? And any advice for players on bankroll management?

Bankroll management is everything. Usually you want to aim at only investing 1% of your bankroll into 1 tournament, better even 0.5%. Then you move up if you reach 200 buy-ins.

Q: I want to return to poker after a long break (10 years). What stakes should I choose and what advice can you give for the starter?

I would start very small like $1 — $2 max.

Put in as much as you can afford (time wise). What’s stopping you? Why set a limit?

I think it’s smart to play in smaller fields. You will gain more late game experience. It is important to review and practice those critical near money bubble, money bubble, ITM, f2t and Final Table scenarios.

Q: What do you think are generally the biggest leaks of losing and break even players could fix to improve?

Losing players:

• Tilt
• No bankroll management
• Playing too many hands
• Not caring about odds/pot odds

Break even players:

• Not necessarily tilting so much but often too weak
• Not value betting thin enough
• Still some preflop flaws
• Not aggressive enough in deeper stages
• Poor ICM fundamentals

Q: What would you prioritize to study to be successful in NLHE MTTs?

1. Preflop fundamentals BUT understand them. Don’t try to memorize and learn in which spots you can deviate heavily (flat call more, 3bet more, 3bet less etc.) and more importantly understand the WHY
2. VALUEBETTING!!!!
3. ICM

Meditating, goal setting, journaling/reviewing always helped me to stay grounded and reflected which is very important to me in poker.

Q: Do you think that taking “strange lines” has merit in MTTs?

I keep it simple.

• If I have a good hand and can get 3 streets of value, then I raise. I don’t care what a solver tells me.
• If I think my opponent will bluff enough and I get more money through bluffs, then I just call.
• If I think my opponent is too weak by betting OOP since he would check a lot of good hands, then I would bluff raise a lot.

Of course a lot comes from experience and studying but overall that’s my basic approach.

Q: How would you recommend bridging the gap between study and actual play?

Out there, you play vs bad players, who have a ton of leaks. A solver does not teach you to exploit. You play against an unrealistic opponent that doesn’t exist.

All winning players make their money from bad players. Do you know how to exploit bad players?

Let’s go studying with solvers.

Q: What’s your approach to developing discipline specifically for in-game decision making under pressure?

Don’t do things just because others do it.

Do the routines that have a significant impact on you.

If it doesn’t carry over to poker, try something else. Discipline comes from repetition. I practice a lot. That gives me the needed discipline.

Q: What do you think about using ChatGPT (or similar) for reviewing hands / training for beginner poker logic mistakes?

I am not sceptical. I tried it myself.

It can help with understanding certain terms and very basic stuff. But everything beyond, like reviewing hands or getting feedback on a hand is just very bad advice (maybe it will get better).

Opinion on Other Poker Players and Rooms

Q: Who do you consider to be the best online high stakes MTT players? Are there any particular poker players that you are impressed with these days?

Samuel “€urop€an” Vousden, Mikita “Fish2013” Badziakouski, Adrian Mateos.

Guys like €urop€an or Mateos always stand out to me. They always play very solid (which is still rare these days) almost at 100% perfection and still find crazy good exploits against different player types.

There are a lot of good regs winning a lot of money and some of them do that by purely being solid or by purely being “crazy”.

Q: Who do you think is the most underrated high stakes player, because they lack big scores?

Tomi “Elmerixx” Brouk, even though he recently had a big score in the Millionaire Maker. But to me — the most underrated player.

Q: Coolest or nicest professional player?

Stephen Chidwick.

Q; What is the best site to play MTTs on, based on player pool strength for low stakes?

Softest: CoinPoker

Biggest Schedule / Guarantees: GGPoker

Q: What drew you to CoinPoker and choosing to become an ambassador for the site?

Their vision is to invest heavily in tournaments and offer healthy guarantees, as well as run ongoing promotions. And of course their willingness to invest into events for our community on a monthly basis.

Also from all the poker sites next to GG they have a real shot on closing the gap.

Personal Questions to Ben Rolle

Q: Is it true you are one of the weakest regs in online high stakes MTTs?

Absolutely. I am being exploited left and right. Luckily I got sunrunner accounts on all major poker sites.

Life on easy mode.

Q: Why don’t you play more live events? I saw you did a few WSOP events a couple of years ago and that was it.

I am too busy with RaiseYourEdge as well as Acend Club (my Esports Org). I also enjoy the online grind a lot more. So I am not really “craving” playing those Triton events.

Q: Did you have a normal job before playing poker professionally?

I worked in a park and then sitting at a cashier in a supermarket as a side job next to my bachelor studies. I grew my bankroll grinding $1 SNGs.

Q: What was your longest ever downswing?

Last year I lost like 400 or 500k during the summer. And in 2012-2013 I had a 400-500 buy ins under EV downswing for approx 15 months.

My EV went 45% up, my winnings remained at break even. Hyper SNGs had INSANE variance, but then the years after, my winnings exploded.

I was near quitting to be honest but some of my friends kept pushing me.

Q: How do you still care about poker or anything after winning millions?

Because I enjoy the game.

Brutal truth.

Thus, I don’t have the patience and professionalism to make it far in poker. That’s the difference.