Tournament poker (MTTs) is volatile, but the most exhilarating. A battle between minds at every unique encounter as stack sizes shuffle moving the final table closer. The luring big score keeps players coming back over and over again, and gets players excited every day.
In this article we’ll discuss what it takes to make it in these exciting games. Enjoy!
The mental game:
Mindset in MTTs is one of the crucial elements combining poker success. Without a strong mindset the formula fails. There might be some moments of spark, but no real force driving it to its peak because of fears, doubts, and becoming too emotional on and off the tables. Many people start with unrealistic expectations and give up too soon when it’s not working out. If you’re serious about making it, be willing to commit for years. Expect long break even and losing stretches in between but perseverance, integrating the right habits, and working with the right people will yield massive long term results. The brutal nature of variance makes MTTs the most difficult form of poker mentally, if you already play you’ll know, but they remain soft and there are plenty of good games to find. Good game selection, strong work ethic, good coaches and friends, and a sturdy mindset will take you a long way.
Committed poker players make sure every bit of their time is used in a way that enhances their experiences. Beating the games at the highest level, any level even, requires massive amounts of hours in the lab and on the grind, and a mentor to turn to when things are rough. Mentors and coaches show you new ways in your thinking that you can’t see yet.
Showing up is about the development, who you become as a result of trying, failing, and adjusting. Humans are meant to evolve, striving for one’s full potential is the highest soul expression. Those curious moments are there to be aroused every moment. Worrying, stressing, wanting things to be different, and fearing the step up to new levels all block the natural flow.
What is your ideal life? How can you speed up manifestation without always burning out? How can you maintain curious play over years? Thoughts become things. You are the leader of your life. Create a vision and crush it.
Think long term because this is a long term game. 2 years is short term, especially with MTTs. Someone just starting out must be prepared for the long game. If you’ve been at it for a while, keep going! Work in the right way, connect with the right people, procrastinate less, but rest when it’s needed. Don’t over indulge, organize, keep your energy high, and minimize distractions. Stay focused on the goal.
Build habits around focus and flow. What things need to be done every day to ensure long focus? How much rest and relaxation is necessary? Where might self sabotage be too much? What are the 20% activities that will produce 80% of results? Are you collaborating and paying for coaches and education? What is your deeper why?
Strategy:
Study routines should be implemented into every grinder’s routine, crushers rarely miss study sessions. Many players build the lazy habit, skip one session and another, then look back and hardly any studying has happened. Imagine being firm with a plan and study a few times every week? Any given session seems insignificant but compounded over time is where major results start to come.How much better would you be in one year if you studied a few times a week, every week? In the moment it feels like nothing, over time it decides everything.
It’s common for players to get bored alone so it’s encouraged to work with friends and coaches for accountability. Accountability has power, not only do you not want to let yourself down, there is now someone else to show up for. Showing up for them carries more weight. It’s also more fun studying with others, bouncing ideas off each other, whereas alone you might miss things. Studying alone is also very effective and should be done if you have no one to work with.
Start building momentum today. Commit to showing up for study sessions with the big picture in mind. The level each session increases your ROI isn’t much day to day but it’s the difference between becoming a high stakes crusher and remaining a low stakes dreamer. Reach out to people and set dates to study. It’s crucial.
Strategy and mindset together, done right for years, will take you to high stakes.
The power of mentors and coaches
The most important thing in life is family, connection, love, play, and high spirits. We can’t control other people’s behavior, but we can make sure to show up as our best for them, so that our relationships are more loving and compassionate. Having a good balance between poker and life is essential, our job is to show up on our A game for both. Mentors are crucial because they’ve learned what the student goes through. Their insights into handling different situations in life helps us uncover blind spots in the way we act and react. So instead of going in blind, we already have preparations to make sure things are dealt with in the right way. It speeds up the learning curve. 📈
Poker is a battle of the mind, show up for your development! That always means investing in yourself. Time, money, love.
Poker is a thrilling game. A chance to play the best game ever created for money. In the process growing as a crusher in every department and meeting some of your best friends across the world. Eventually moving into coaching, investing, entrepreneurship, or whatever new passions arise. Why do you play? Think about your long term plans, health wise, socially, and passionately. What are you committed to? What does it take to get the results you want?
Mindset in poker is crucial! You can NOT execute your A game with emotional baggage dragging on your brain’s ability to produce logic. Every top dog in poker works with several coaches. Life is ongoing, having these experts to turn to whenever you hit a roadblock will keep you focused on the main goal.
A good mindset means more energy and enthusiasm for life. Intent on the most important tasks, always leaving room to enjoy life, meeting people from all walks of life and spending quality time with family and friends. That’s what this hunt is really about, providing for ourselves, our loved ones, meeting new people, sharing great experiences, and having fun in the pursuit. The time spent on and off the tables, finely balanced, will elevate your potential.
What about when times are hard? Stretches of no results and low money is possible for every MTT player. Those starting out and small-mid stakes grinders trying to make it big must understand that it takes years of precise steps; study, play, connect, play more, face doubts, face fears, mini triumphs, mega triumphs or I might not make it. It’s a rollercoaster of emotions. MTTs are volatile. They are the most exhilarating, a battle between minds at every unique encounter as stack sizes shuffle moving the final table closer. There will be victories, it only takes one, but most times be prepared for the worst.
Losing money isn’t fun, constantly busting deep is a drag. A long losing stretch feels like forever in MTTs. The mind’s first reaction is to question it, then works to be optimistic again, before getting unlucky, then some final table hope, more bust-outs and the downswing goes on. How will you handle these periods?
What is downswing really? It’s a collection of past events that has no effect on this moment unless the emotional baggage from previous sessions is sprayed on the present. Learn to stay focused on the present moment and let go of previous hands. It gets nasty sometimes, but these periods are necessary to sustain the game (recreational players and weaker regs need to win for poker to be profitable). Your time will come if you stay focused and do the right things. It’s much tougher today but a fundamental understanding of the game will make you money if you find the right games. Get really good, then it’s up to you how far you want to take it. There will be great times of success if you work smart and persevere.
Do you believe in your ability to make it happen? Are you ready to commit to the proven practices that take elite poker players to the top year on year? You can gain massive momentum in your game after a couple of years if you keep going. Imagine what the 5th year would look like if the habits were built and adhered to? The first couple of years could be rocky, it’s the third, fourth, and especially the fifth year that will turn you into a crusher. Connecting with other players and hiring coaches is what every top level player has in common. Everyone has blind spots. Mentors and friends are there to help each other see past the faults quicker, holding each other accountable to fix them.
A-Game Poker Masterclass
Elliot Roe is among the best mindset coaches in poker. Elliot continually works with players at the pinnacle of the game so that they’re emotionally prepared to crush and ready to handle big losses. What would learning from him do for your game? You’d be much better prepared to handle every situation in poker, every session, every day. Having a guy like this at your disposal is a must for any serious player.
Click here to check out Elliot Roe’s A-Game Masterclass!
Note: If you have the money, but are on the fence send me a direct message on Instagram to set up a call with a team member.