Fedor Holz: Why Beginners Should Avoid Playing MTTs

Poker professional Fedor Holz recently commented on a hand from a $15k Triton Series tournament in Vietnam, highlighting why beginners should avoid playing Multi-Table Tournaments (MTTs).

The hand in question involved Austrian player Rokiita and Chinese player Biao Din. Rokiita limped with 42o from the small blind, and Biao Din, with 7 big blinds, checked behind instead of pushing all-in. This decision was praised by Holz, who stated that a mini-raise and a check are approximately equivalent, while an all-in is much worse.

Holz explained that the expected value of checking with tens is significantly higher than that of a mini-raise or all-in. This is due to the polarity of the small blind's limping range, which consists of strong pocket pairs and complete trash. Against this range, checking behind with tens is optimal. Jason Koon further elaborated on this, stating that the small blind's limping range includes hands like T5o, 96o, and 73o, and that checking behind allows the big blind to see a free flop against these hands.