Interview with Mihai “cybermitzu” M.
from left to right: cybermitzu, JstAplayer93, currrr14 , alynoss89, TheNr23 , opexcz , Torg0th, prosvk
Introduction
I’m 26 years old and live in Bucharest, Romania. I was in my second year of college studying Management and Marketing when I started playing poker. I didn’t like the idea of a 9-5 job, and I had some friends who were making money in poker so I decided to try it.
Although I only played Holdem, when I started I was playing every format: mtt, sng, cash, freerolls, you name it. After I was becoming more comfortable with the game, I decided to focus on one specific game type and chose HUSNG because a couple of my friends were doing well with them. At that type, reg speeds were the main game type and there wasn’t much for information other than HUSNG.com. Guys like HokieGreg, Croixdawg, and Primordialaa were producing content at that time and giving regular strategy advice. Although access to information wasn't nearly as easy as now, I was still able to study quite a bit and after I was comfortable with my game, I climbed from the lower stakes to being a $100-$200 reg.
When turbos started becoming more popular I transitioned to them. After hypers came out, I made the switch to them and now that spins are here, I play a combination of spins and hypers. During my time playing hypers, I started working with the HUSNG.com Staking Program. I'm still with them at this time and I've really learned a lot from the coaches there. Working with the program has helped my game quite a bit.
Also, it’s let me meet some poker players as well. currrr14, torgoth, and 307th came to Bucharest for 3 months last summer and then this January, a group of us went to Thailand for a month and a half.
Charles Hawk: How many years have you played profesionally?
Mihai “cybermitzu” M: I've been playing around 5-6 years.
Charles Hawk: Tell me about weaknesses you had back then. Which mistakes cost you the most?
Mihai “cybermitzu” M: My ego probably hurt me a little bit in the early stages, but I also think it helped me grow. In the end, I'm fine that I had that early on and worked through it.
On the other hand, it definitely cost me some money. Back in the days of reg speeds and turbos, there weren't many reg battles and most players were just bum hunting and printing money. I'd sometimes get bored and start a battle with a reg just because. Also, I'd take little issues like a same-time sit very serious and battle over that. ;-) I also didn't like to decline first. I'd play until they would decline. If you add those together with the occasional tilt or playing my B/C game from being tired, I probably spent more time and energy on areas I shouldn't have. Again though, I believe it helped me grow as my ego pushed me to get better so I didn't struggle vs another reg.
Other than that, I didn't have any major issues. Swings, bankroll management, and tilt were fairly minor to me. I never broke any keyboards or yelled at the monitor.
Charles Hawk: Are you still as motivated as you were back in the days when you were climbing up the limits?
Mihai “cybermitzu” M: I'm probably not as much as I was earlier in my poker career. But, I think that is normal and happens to almost everyone in any job/career. Each individual needs to figure out for himself what works to keep him motivated. For example, always setting new goals and focusing on a good balance of work/poker with leisure activities as well.
Charles Hawk: Any reg war stories?
Mihai “cybermitzu” M: I don't really remember any off hand, but some of them used to be pretty funny. I would talk some trash to regs in chat and I've been told I have pretty good trolling skills. :-)))
Charles Hawk: Tell me about transitioning from regspeeds and turbos to hypers?
Mihai “cybermitzu” M: The adjustment actually came pretty easy to me. It was still HU, with just a faster structure. I saw most of the action going there, so I knew I had to make the move and I made sure I studied enough that I was prepared.
Charles Hawk: Do you remember your biggest downswing?
Mihai “cybermitzu” M: Yeah, it was around 10-12k when I was playing some random $300s, $500s, and $1ks way back in the day. Not very many $1ks though, and I ended up ahead on those. :-)
Charles Hawk: Do you have any specific rules “what not to do while grinding”?
Mihai “cybermitzu” M: My main rule is to eliminate distractions while I grind and study. That includes browsing online, reading the paper, watching youtube, chatting on skype, or talking on the phone.
Charles Hawk: If you would need to coach a losing player to play husng hypers, what three pieces of advice would give him?
1. Think in terms of ranges, frequencies, and overall strategy.
2. Be prepared to put in hours studying on your own.
3. Make sure to also focus on your mental game.
Charles Hawk: You are the member of husng.com staking program. Why would you recommend it to others? What are the main advantages you see from being a member?
Mihai “cybermitzu” M: It's very organized. They have people managing it 24/7 and they have a lot of experience with poker, staking, and both HUSNG's and Spins. Also, they have a lot of great resources and give players access to all the material they need to succeed.
Charles Hawk: What do you do in your spare time?
Mihai “cybermitzu” M: If I'm at home and I'm not grinding, I'll watch some TV series or movies. I also enjoy free time with family and hanging out with friends. Lately, I've also been trying to go to the gym 2-3 times per week. I like to get drunk from time-to-time, and I like good food, so I'm always up for good restaurants.