If you missed the first part of this interview, click below. In it, you'll learn about Felix's journey from Magic the Gathering to working with PokerStars, what he loves about his job, and what's new for this year's Irish Open!
Where can we meet you next?
Before the aforementioned Irish Open, I'm really looking forward to Campione, we'll be doing our first streams of the year there from March 10-16. I'm looking forward to having a large representation of players from Switzerland there, plus the location is beautiful, it's going to be great!
If you could choose, would you rather take a trip to Las Vegas or Monte Carlo?
Definitely Monte Carlo, 100%. If you had asked me 10 years ago, I would have said Vegas. But now I'm definitely saying Monte Carlo. Last year I had my first big success there on the EPT with very good money, but it wasn't just about that. There was a great atmosphere everywhere, that tournament hall with the opening ceiling is amazing. You feel like a rock star on stage. I love Vegas too, but I'm sick of all the artificial stuff, how it's all about the money.
We know you're also a passionate coach - what do you think makes a good poker coach?
That's a good question. In my opinion, a good poker coach should first and foremost be able to understand the person they are coaching. I think the most important thing is to understand and identify where the problems are. There's no point in trying to impose something on a person or trying to hammer a bunch of material into their head. We live in the age of the internet, various solvers and endless amounts of educational material. A good coach should rather look for a context, the important thing is that the student after the training says "wow, that really gave me a lot"!
To give you an example, will someone come to me saying "I got on a big stack and now I'm scared I'm going to lose it" or "how can I be more active on the bubble"? Yes, in theory you can just answer that you need to step on the gas and be active, but this is not rocket science - he learns something like this in every video and he feels it inside himself. As a coach, I have to get into his psyche and find the emotional difficulty there that he needs to overcome in order to play like that. And you can only do that if you listen carefully.
Every player is different, everyone sees the game differently. And as a coach, you have to be able to put yourself in the other person's perspective and identify those obstacles that often stem from psychological and personal difficulties. People from coaching are often better able to deal with their personal difficulties and take a step forward in their personal development as well.
Do you have a coach yourself as well? How do you work on improving yourself?
At the moment I don't have someone I regularly study with or exchange views with, but I do regularly communicate with bencb (Benjamin Rolle) who I have been working with for years. Outside of that, I like to look at interesting hands that have happened to me or someone else. When I get home, I throw them into solver and then like to discuss them with players whose opinion I respect. The community is always very helpful in this, and the debates that arise in this way can be beneficial to all parties.
In addition, I always take notes when I hear or see something interesting. I also keep a lot of sticky notes on my computer, and whenever I need to remember something or get burned on something, I write it down. It helps me move forward. And that's what life and business is all about, in my opinion - through good routines and small steps, constantly moving forward. If you improve just 1% every single day, exponentially your improvement will grow.
What are the most common mistakes you see beginners make?
Very good question. The first thing that comes to my mind is that people are afraid to bet in spots where they have little value. A lot of times you have a borderline hand and on the later streets you say something like "I've already blown the pot enough, I don't want to be stingy anymore"....well that's a mistake, when the pot is big, opponents will gladly call even with a weak hand. If you happen to bluff, they can catch you, and if you bet for value, you'll get a bit more.
The second big mistake I see is patience. Very few players know what it really means to be patient. It's not about pulling back and stopping playing, or building up your stack and then just waiting for the ITM. Patience means always being ready for action, even after 10 hours of play. Many recreational players lack courage and would rather take a smaller reward than take a risk and fight for a bigger one.
Final question, what are your plans and goals for 2025? You already have your first trophy, right?
Yes, I've already managed to win a €165 tournament in Mallorca this year, which was played by about 100 people. After my faux pas last year in Hamburg at the High Roller, where I only finished second and the trophy slipped through my hands, this was my revenge, and it was the perfect start to the year. Anyway, this year I want to perform well, I want to make good decisions and not focus so much on the result.
My current goal is the EPT Monte Carlo. Last year Dirk van Leuk won the Main Event there, yes he was the guy who didn't know what was going on and thought he busted in one of the hands. He's a really great guy, very nice, but when I saw him with the trophy, I said to myself, one day I want to sit there with that trophy. I put that trophy in the background on my phone and I visualize that win regularly. If it doesn't happen this year, it doesn't matter - poker teaches us patience and I have no doubt that one day that moment will come!
Felix has prepared a new website https://www.grndontour.com/ for his community and the general poker public, where you can find all the important information about his projects!