Chris 'Fox' Wallace (Poker Pro, Coach and Author) - Ask Me Anything!

[ChrisFoxWallace]

Greetings, you are still a person with a lot of experience in poker and I have a question for you. What do you think is the hardest thing about poker?

For most people it seems to be developing an understanding of the reality that poker doesn't care. You can not teach anyone a lesson or make them play the way you want them to or make the game adjust to you. YOU must be the one who adjusts. YOU must make the right plays for the situation, rather than be angry that the situation wouldn't change to be more like you want it. This is a very hard thing for people because we are mostly used to being able to change the world around us, but poker doesn't care about that. You adjust, or you go broke.

 

[ChrisFoxWallace]

Got knocked out on the third phase of the satellite thru freeroll, just before final round, for tournament high roller ko bounty builders, should i pursue my poker career?

You'll need a lot bigger sample size than this. After you are winning over a sample size of 1,000 tournaments, get back to me with your results and I'll be able to give you a better answer.

 

[ChrisFoxWallace]

Hi Chris, does min bankroll depends on wich kind of games do you play? for example, if you focus on omahas turbo tourney you should have the same available amount than if you only focus on deepstacks NLH? Thanks in advance.

No, every game will definitely be different. For bigger field tournaments you need much more than for single tables. You need more for Omaha than holdem. You need more for turbo tournaments, but the key is to know what your ROI and cash rate are over a large sample.

 

[ChrisFoxWallace]

Hi Chris, I have one hand that is haunting me and would like your input.

Colossus $400 tournament. Blinds 1500/3000/3000.
Hero (62000) UTG: KcJc - Raise to 8k
Villain (22000) UTG+1: XX - Reraise all-in
Folds around
Hero folds

Should Hero have called? I felt tilted after folding. Just wondering what the "correct" play would have been. At the table, my image was tight so most likely would have gotten only the BB to call. The Villain just sat down at the table after being moved from a broken table. Was I wrong to have even opened the hand UTG?

I wouldn't open this hand under the gun for this very reason. With 20 big blinds, everyone can resteal against you, and at this point in a tournament like the Colossus there will be a ton of resteal and open shove stacks behind you. If you don't want to call it off, don't raise with 8 players yet to act, most of whom are short stacked. As played, you have to call, you are getting incredible odds.

 

[seiya1989]

Hello Cris. Thank you for taking the time to answer our questions. My question is the following that motivated you to start your journey in the world of poker?

 

[ChrisFoxWallace]

Hi
I wonder if you advise whether what I did here was correct.

Hero raises 3bb in UTG with KhKc, MP calls, and tight passive player (AF1) in SB squeezes to 13bb, this player has a 3% 3bet percentage.
I call, BTN folds, flop is 3d8h9c, , SB bets 1/3 pot I call, turn is Js, SB bets 1/2 pot, I fold.

Was this the right play? I couldn't think of much that I was beating against this player - maybe QQ.

Why call preflop if you are going to fold on a safe board? And QQ is just as likely as AA. I don't think you can fold this one.

 

[ChrisFoxWallace]

Hi Cris, I would like what the your more difficult descision that you have had in the a tournament that you remeeber. Could you tell about the situation?

Recently, it was flopping a big draw in day 3 of the wsop Main Event this year. I opened from MP, flopped a big draw, bet small, and got snap raised to 4x my bet by a recreational player. I knew he had a set, he just had to. The way he bet, the speed and confidence of it, he had to have a set. I had enough chips to make him fold, and had a nice draw, so I shoved, but I should have folded, because I knew he was going to call and show me a set and was risking my tournament life when I didn't need to.

 

[ChrisFoxWallace]

Hi Chris. I enjoyed reading about your poker experience. I would like to sign a contract with a foundation or backing as they call it that sponsors online poker players. Please tell me which discipline in online poker is the best to choose today? And is it a good idea to sign a contract with such funds? MTTs are too long for me, I'm more inclined towards cash, I'll be grateful for any advice.

Best regards, Dmitry.

You have to play whatever you are best at. The game that makes you the most money is the best game for you. I generally discourage any kind of long term backing deal. If you are good enough to make money, then build your own roll at smaller games and don't give half your income to someone else.

 

[ChrisFoxWallace]

Hello Chris . Hope things are going well for you !!! Did you play in the WSOP? What events did you play, and how did it go? Cheers, David

Hi David. I played about seven events, had one cash, and cashed in the one event I played at MGM, but didn't make any real money. I did make money playing cash at the series, but didn't play nearly as much as usual. I'm happy with that, writing, coaching, and side hustles, are more fun than playing full time. When I play less, I enjoy playing a lot more.

 

[ChrisFoxWallace]

Thanks for your answer. I will read.
I have another questions, after your book what book could I read?
Thanks.

I don't know. There isn't one great book on tournaments. Read the five most popular tournament books on Amazon and you'll learn some things from each one. But there isn't one book that really covers things at this point. Maybe I need to write one.

 

[CNXRegie]

Hey CardsChat! I've just joined the team to write news and strategy articles and take photos at big events. I thought I would celebrate by doing an AMA here on the forums.

I have been playing poker professionally for almost twenty years, have written two books on the subject, worked for numerous training sites, and coached hundreds of students. I also won the WSOP $10k HORSE in 2014 for over half a million dollars and have made two deep runs in the WSOP main event.

If you have questions about poker strategy, life as a pro, bankroll management, mixed games, tournaments, photography, writing, guitars, or the best places to eat in Vegas, I'm here to help.

My new book, Short Stack Ninja, was an Amazon Best Seller in it's first month and continues to get great reviews.

Hi Chris! The late stages of a HORSE tournament can be challenging. What are some tips for navigating the bubble and making a deep run towards the final table?

 

[lilu80]

HI Chris. Recently, I watched the Squid Game series on Netflix and there was one interesting statement similar to the one that a poor and a rich man are no different because a poor man cannot take advantage of life. The rich man, on the other hand, is bored with it because he can have everything. Both are unable to enjoy life. Do you think a rich man can be bored with life? Often such scenarios are created for films that rich people bored with life are looking for other experiences, which, as it turns out later, are not human, which often makes them lose their humanity and soul. What do you think, does it depend on the upbringing of a person and who he is, or can excess money really get boring, turn a person into a bad person and ultimately destroy his humanity?

 

[RhinoRyan89]

Hi Chris

Quick question today

What is your average VPIP

Thanks

 

[Gritz18]

hello chris

I'm an amateur player and I don't intend to become a pro, my focus is to play only freeroll tournaments, my question for you:

Do you think I can improve my game by playing only freerolls, you know that in these tournaments the players are very loose and without much skill and strategy.

Grateful Cesar.

 

[nighton]

Hi i have a simple question was easy for you to control your bankroll u were always disciplined? and there is a limit in terms of years to play better because i dont know if is to late for me

 

[Suns of Beaches]

Hi chris

Do u play live mtt's like wsop main event on ur own or do u sell shares?

Thx!

 

[nameless]

Hello how did u approach mixed games ? Are easy to understand and u get better results in mixed games that holdem?

 

[luckyfish98]

hello, can you please tell me how much poker is luck and how much depends on brains

 

[Atararo14]

Hi Chris,

Lately I have started applying Nash's push or fold chart when I have 10bb and under and noticed my results have dropped.

Is it recommended to apply this table in small stakes ?

 

[RhinoRyan89]

Hi Chris

Who are your Favorite poker and none poker related author's if you could elaborate.

Thanks in advance

 

[Luvart]

-Question to Chris 'Fox' Wallace:​

What's the difference in 3bet pots/defending vs 3 bets when playing with 100bb stack and when playing with 200bb+ stack? I'm talking about online cash games.

 

[Dmitriy_rus7]

Hello Chris. How do you feel about spin and go tournaments?

 

[muleyy999]

Hey CardsChat! I've just joined the team to write news and strategy articles and take photos at big events. I thought I would celebrate by doing an AMA here on the forums.

I have been playing poker professionally for almost twenty years, have written two books on the subject, worked for numerous training sites, and coached hundreds of students. I also won the WSOP $10k HORSE in 2014 for over half a million dollars and have made two deep runs in the WSOP main event.

If you have questions about poker strategy, life as a pro, bankroll management, mixed games, tournaments, photography, writing, guitars, or the best places to eat in Vegas, I'm here to help.

My new book, Short Stack Ninja, was an Amazon Best Seller in it's first month and continues to get great reviews.

If you were starting out today to play online and make say $100 a day average what stakes would you play and what would be the size of your bankroll?

 

[kley126]

If you are going to play a World Series tournament that would be the most important thing for you money or go for the bracelet?

 

[pentazepam]

Hi.

What are the five most common mistakes you observe from players when playing short-stacked, and how can they be avoided?