Choosing the right company

Players such as Erik Sagström, Fuat Can, Daniel Larsson, Sargon Ruya and myself have all originated from Linköping. This makes all our successes in the online poker rooms more incredible.

A friend of mine recently received the following business advice from his lawyer: "Välj rätt sällskap" which when translated means “Choose the right company”.

This is sound advice when applied to playing poker. In order to learn about becoming a decent poker player you must first acquire some help. This could come in the form of: choosing the correct poker book, which internet site to look at for advice, or choosing the appropriate "colleagues" to socialise and play poker with.

When you've found the right company, it all comes down to the matter of capitalising on it. I probably wasn't the hardest worker during my years at University, but my results were nothing to be ashamed of. The reason for this was that I always studied in a group. If there was something I didn't know then there was usually someone I could ask for help. If there wasn't, everyone helped to solve the question at hand.

And that's exactly what our edge is in Linköping is. If you socialise with people who have succeeded in poker or have a talent for it, you can get help and support when it comes to develop your game. You can identify your mistakes whilst playing against your friends. Like in any other sport, you improve by practicing with the best players you can find. You can discuss how different pots should be played, share experiences and find the support of your peers during difficult times.

By choosing the right company, you can gain poker knowledge very quickly as opposed to a lone player who could take months or years to acquire the same amount of knowledge. This is the reason why my friends and I set up an online group called "The Swedish Santas". We are four buddies who are all successful poker players and write about our experiences at the tables and give professional tips to both novices and experienced players. If you take our advice and the advice of other winning players such as those featured in the Deal, I can guarantee that you'll improve your game a lot faster.

See you at the tables,

Bengt Sonnert