Hagbard Celine Discusses MTT Tools

Recently, PokerSoftware.com sat down with Tournament Poker Edge Content Director Charles “Hagbard Celine” Sizemore to talk about multi-table tournament tools.  Sizemore was kind enough to answer our questions and give unique insight into what pieces of poker software can help you dominate MTTs.

PSW: Could you first introduce yourself to our audience?

Charles Sizemore: My name is Charles Sizemore and I go by the name “Hagbard Celine” for Tournament Poker Edge.  I've been playing MTTs professionally for about two-and-a-half years, mainly the mid- to high-stakes MTTs online, but also some live here and there.  I'm also the Content Director and an instructor at Tournament Poker Edge.

PSW: It seems that most people who are even halfway serious with MTT play are using hand history tracking tools.  Which one do you use and why?

Charles Sizemore: My desktop computer is an iMac, so I use Poker Copilot, which is perfectly fine for MTTs. It has an HUD that includes all of the stats I like to use while playing. However, it's really not great for analyzing your play away from the tables, as any filtering of your stats takes forever. My laptop is a Sony Vaio and I have Holdem Manager on that. In my opinion, HEM is far and away the best program of its kind.

PSW: Are there any other MTT tools you use and can recommend to our audience?

Charles Sizemore: There is a great ICM calculator at HoldemResources.net and ProPokerTools.com is a fantastic site to run hand simulations. I also use Official Poker Rankings to look opponents up.

I just want to stress, though, that these programs - mainly HEM and OPR - are tools to use and shouldn't be crutches to lean on. For example, good players will change gears as they play, so the stats you have on them might not reflect the way they are playing right now. Nothing really beats paying close attention and staying focused.

PSW: Table Ninja has some features like displaying stack sizes in big blinds as well as auto-registration. Have you used either?

Charles Sizemore: I have not used Table Ninja yet. I just don't play on my laptop enough, but I have heard nothing but great things about it.

PSW: You're part of a list of pros at TournamentPokerEdge.com, which has burst onto the poker training scene as a major player. Could you talk about how you got involved with the site?

Charles Sizemore: I've known the two creators of the site – “RonFezBuddy” and “Killingbird” – since I began playing seriously and RFB has been something of a mentor to me. They approached me with the idea early last year and wanted me to be an instructor and also help them drive the content. I found their ideas and business model impressive and jumped at the opportunity to help them build something great. And it certainly didn't hurt to get the opportunity to work with such great players as “bigdogpckt5s,” “HITTHEPANDA,” and “Wein.”

PSW: What do you think the poker training site does better than the competition?

Charles Sizemore: First, I think we have a great team of instructors that possesses all of the skills necessary to really crush MTTs. Around them, we've built a wonderful community of players dedicated to learning and excelling at the games they play. I also believe that we are probably the most responsive training site available today. We are very open to the ideas of the community and are not afraid to try new things in terms of video formats.

PSW: For those who want to start playing higher stakes and more volume, what would you recommend for them to do in terms of bankroll, training, and schedule?

Charles Sizemore: First, take a step back and ask yourself what you want from the game and what sacrifices you are willing to make in your regular life in order to achieve your goals. MTTs can be very time consuming, so just make sure that the payoff is going to be worth it.

Once you've done that, get to work! For me, training sites and forums were my two biggest tools. I'd suggest giving TPE a try, get involved in the forums, and make poker friends. Think about the game constantly and always be learning. But most importantly, keep it fun. It is a game after all.

PSW: Since there are quite a few poker training sites available to players these days, are the games getting tougher? Are there still big edges?

Charles Sizemore: The games are tougher in general than they were, say, two years ago. But, I still believe that of all forms of poker, the biggest edges are still to be found in MTTs. It's still where you have the largest volume of recreational players just playing for fun and taking a shot.

PSW: Finally, there are quite a few people who have given some tremendously positive feedback about Tournament Poker Edge after subscribing. What would you like to say to them?

Charles Sizemore: I'd like to remind them that our efforts wouldn't be possible without them and offer my thanks to them and all of our subscribers. I know I can speak for the whole staff of our site when I say that we are lucky to have such a great community filled with people who are passionate about the game. It makes our job easy! Thank you!