Introduction
For today’s live poker enthusiasts, this name might be unfamiliar, but if you’ve been watching older online poker games, then you might have seen the “OtB_RedBaron” username, who quietly took the hearts (and money) of many players.
Back when bankroll management and GTO were still new things, there were players who were ahead of their time, such as Jonas Mols. For him, poker was a profession that needed time and energy in order to succeed. Though there is nothing dramatic about his wins, there are some secrets that contributed to his success and quiet but strong popularity among poker pros.
Background
Even though his online poker presence is popular, there is not much information about his background. What we do know is that he is from Belgium and started playing poker in his early 20s in the 2010s online, mostly on PokerStars under the nickname “OtB_RedBaron”.
He began by analyzing and studying the game himself, spending countless hours. His self-discipline and challenges transformed him into a better professional. In 2012, he challenged himself by setting the goal to play 100,000 hands on PokerStars and have a 6 EV bb/100 win rate. On the first try, he achieved a 3.9 EV bb/100 win rate, while on the second, he achieved a 7 EV bb/100 win rate.
Little by little, he was becoming better, but variance in poker sometimes hit hard and threw away even the most skilled players from the tournament seats. Nevertheless, Jonas Mols is seen as one of the best and most disciplined poker players in online poker history.
Jonas Mols Poker Playing Style
By observing his games, one cannot say he is aggressive and exploitative like other pros. Instead, his playing style is characterized by having strong discipline over his bankroll and applying pressure when mathematically he has more advantage. Though he used to say that the bankroll is overrated, and he did not want to win 10,000 in a year. “It’s either 100,000 or nothing at all”.
Overbetting sometimes is also part of his style, but it’s not emotional; it’s logical, which we clearly see in one of the games against Kanu 7, where Mols had 4 and 5 and beat the opponent who had King and Jack by overbetting on the “river” (last card) that granted him a straight and going all in. What looked like a bluff at first resulted in emptying his opponent’s entire balance.
Major Achievements and Earnings of Jonas Mols
- Belgian Poker Series Grand Final in 2011, at the No Limit Hold’em main event, he ended up in 10th place with the prize of $13,752.
- Unibet Open Prague in 2012 at the No Limit Hold’em main event, he finished 27th and won $3,947.
- Later in 2012, he played in the Palm Beach Big Game in London, where he finished in the 3rd place and took home $15,070.
- Again in 2012 in London, he participated in the Genting Poker Series – GPS London Leg 2 at £500 + 50 No Limit Hold’em High Roller event, where he finished the 1st and won $14,142.
- Grosvenor UK Poker Tour in June of 2012, he ended in 10th place with the prize of $3,219.
- On July 1st, 2019, he participated in the 50th World Series of Poker (WSOP) in the $5,000 No Limit Hold’em 6-handed event number 70, where he finished 99th and took home $7,618.
His live tournament achievements are not much compared to those of other poker professionals. During his live poker career, he earned more than $57,000 in total, and he left live tables soon.
On the other hand, Jonas Mols’s online poker presence is much stronger, and based on 2020 data, he had already won over $2 million and played more than 250,000 hands on PokerStars. Though he mostly played at $25/$50 table stakes, he earned millions from these games due to his skills and good bankroll management. His most famous online wins include winning a $157,425 pot against Timofey Kuznetsov and games against Kanu7.
Mols’s main focus has always been online poker, and he was not a fan of live play. After the 2020s, he sort of disappeared from the scene and is said to be playing anonymously once again.
Strengths and Weaknesses of Jonas Mols
Strengths
- Winning millions of dollars on the tables with $25/$50 stake.
- Very strong at online cash games and slowly built a reputation opposing other pros like Linus Loeliger and Timofey Kuznetsov.
- He is considered by the other pros as one of the best 6-max no limit hold’em players in the world.
- He plays with discipline, with thoughtful bet sizes and consistency. That is why he is comfortable when playing for huge money. He knows how and when to stop, change the size, and attack.
- Before jumping into huge stakes, he studied and played according to theory and logic, not by intuition or gut feeling.
- He is strategic and plays without emotions during the game, which is something only pros can do, while regular players are having a hard time with that.
Weaknesses
- Lower live tournament earnings compared to other pros. His total lifetime earnings in live tournaments are $57,749.
- He has not won big titles and tournaments like the WSOP, though his name is strong in online cash games.
- He is very mysterious and does not share much about his strategy aside from players like Benjamin Rolle (bencb789). Nobody knows much about him.
- His skills are less seen in live tournaments. He participated only in a few, and before 2020, which does not give him the same recognition as live tournament winners have.
Summary
Jonas Mols is an online poker star from the 2010s who reached new heights in this game. His playing style consists of a good mix of theory, balance, and attacking when needed. He had earned over 2 million dollars in online poker cash games, which he is most known for, while his live tournament earnings are above $57,000.
However, we do not know much about him, and he disappeared from the poker scene after 2020. Hopefully, he returns, and we will see the cards he has up his sleeve and learn a lot from him, as other professional poker players did.