Liam Skinner – IPA 2021 MVP

Congratulations to Liam Skinner of the Brown Poker Team in being named the Intercollegiate Poker Association Most Valuable Player! Liam is a recent graduate from Brown University where he studied economics. Liam averaged 8 points or 2nd place across 8 games during the regular season – the highest average in the league. Liam and his team won the 2021 IPA season and placed second in the 2020 IPA season. He will be joining Susquehanna International Group as a trader.

What was going in your mind throughout the year? Were you keeping notes of each player or going over spots where you thought you played poorly?

Liam: I had a spreadsheet where I would jot down some notes during the matches, so when I got the same opponent more than once, I could remember how they played before. Apart from that, I was just trying to play solid and adjust correctly for the tournament structure and stack sizes. Knowing how to play short-stacked and knowing the push-fold charts is super important.

Future career plans? Any plans to play in major tournaments?

Liam: I’ll be starting work full time at SIG in the fall, where I’m expecting to play plenty of poker!

What was the camaraderie like on your team?

Liam: There was a lot of genuine camaraderie on the Brown team, everyone’s been playing together for a few years now and we all wanted to see each other do well. Sometimes you lose a few flips in a row and you need some moral support in order to not get tilted, so we were all cheering each other on during the matches!

Any advice for future IPA players?

Liam: Even if you’ve mastered your basic poker skills in cash games and sit-and-goes, pay attention to the tournament structure! This year’s point structure incentivized players to hang on and play pretty tight due to the payouts increasing linearly, and I think the teams that adjusted to that were rewarded. Also, take notes on your opponents – if you sit down and already have 3 hours’ worth of notes on someone because you played them in the last match, that’s a huge leg up.

Can you describe your growth as a player since playing poker on the college level?

Liam: I only started playing poker competitively/for money about three years ago, and I’ve put in plenty of time studying and practicing to get to where I am now. I owe a lot to my teammates – most of them are more experienced and better players than me, and playing with them over the last couple years forced me to take it seriously from the start, unless I wanted to be the fish at the table. I’ve definitely grown a lot as a player throughout college and I owe that to these guys, and to our former teammates Julius and Dan.

Anything else you’d like to add?

Liam: If you want to get better at poker, put in some time studying! Reading, watching videos, and doing hand review is essential to improve your game. Ask lots of dumb questions, and try to challenge yourself and play with people who are better than you. Just not for your whole bankroll.