trigs;331152 wrotei would love to hear some suggestions or places to look for plugging one's leaks. i've read a couple articles about how to use pokertracker's filter to check for general leaks in one's game but all of it has been for cash games.
Yes the reason behind this will be apparent as you start to grow both your cash and mtts game (or maybe you already understand why). Cash games players make there money based on other players statistics vs there own statistics (or cards, stats and cards are the same thing). MTT players fundamentally make their money based on the misconception that more chips equals more $ and that tournament life is the most important factor.
So finding leaks largely has a different meaning in tournaments.
i'd appreciate if someone could give me some suggestions on what to look for specifically for MTTs.
My suggestion is you shouldn't exactly look for it yourself. Later you can start to do that, but you'll generally always have to bounce ideas off other players. I'd suggest posting hands too, but you have to remember as students of the game we don't always know what hands we should post.
Also getting a coach to review a whole hand history is very enlightening. Kind of a you don't know how much you don't know thing. If you get a good coach obv. I find the videos that are out very meh, there are great vids but 90% are just shit. They don't teach they just review hands and talk about them, every so often you'll here something that helps you.
Another thing that one can do if they are serious is 'ghost', using a screen share program you can watch another player play and talk to them or they can watch you. Its a little strange, kinda future tech thing, but its incredibly helpful.
I'll review anyone hand history for them, doesn't mean so much because I'm not a crazy winning player this year but ive studied the game pretty intently and worked with some stellar players.
also, like we've mentioned, i don't have a big sample size so i'm not too sure how much stock i can put in using my stats to find leaks. however, i'm sure it's still a worth while venture.
For stats you need a sample size. Thats more cash. For mtt, its my job, for example, to see a piece of a players strategy and assess him as quickly as possible, find his leaks, and make assumptions on the rest of his game. So for me or someone who is better they don't need to see a lot of hands to find your bigger leaks.
I should reiterate to anyone reading that becoming aware of a leak is like the best feeling in the world.
EDIT: and i really have to work on taking more notes. i know i don't take enough.
This is one way you can teach yourself the game. It makes you think about what your opponents are doing and how you should counter it. And it forces you to think about the game in a different way.
I went from 24 tabling to 1 and taking notes every hand and my progress with the game was mind blowing.
Anyways hopefully you see you can have realistic goals without playing full time. Just remember if you eventually move up in stakes even if 2 years from now, you 'hobby' can net you like 20-30k+ a year
But you have to not only love the game, you
have to love learning about the game. (which we do when its working for us)