CHAPTER THIRTY-SIX

LIFE AS A POKER PLAYER

“
I’m a big believer that when you feel like you’ve got this
game mastered and you’ve got nothing left to learn, that’s
the exact point where everyone else starts to surpass you.
“

MASTE RCL ASS

 CHAPTER THIRTY-SIX

life as a poker player

SUBCHAPTERS

• HAVE A PLAN • BE AN ALL-AROUND PLAYER • ALWAYS LOOK FOR LEAKS IN

• BE CONSISTENT AND ALWAYS
PLAY TO WIN
• HAVE A BALANCED LIFE
YOUR GAME
• BE ADAPTABLE
• DON’T PLAY THE VICTIM
• THINK OF POKER AS RUNNING
A BUSINESS • BE EMOTIONALLY STABLE

CHAPTER REVIEW

f your ambition is to be a professional poker player,
I it is important to have a plan for your progression.
Success in your poker career will take a lot of hard work
and a plan will greatly increase your chances of realizing
your goals. Daniel recommends starting with a play/study
ratio of around 80/20 for optimum results. In addition,
you must bring your A-game to the table consistently. It is
also important to lead a balanced life because your mind
will perform poorly if overextended.
Tournament players can play cash games to increase their
skill level at deep-stack poker. While being predominantly
about short-stack play, tournaments do start off with
deep stacks. This cross-discipline training is necessary
to reach your potential and acts as a safety net if your
regular game goes out of fashion. Being an all-round
poker player will help your long-term results. Also, you
must become adaptable by learning new strategies and
counterstrategies, because complacency will lead to you
being surpassed as a player.
Online players can fix leaks quickly because they are able
to play a lot of volume. When playing online, you should
compare your data against that of the good players you’re
up against. Try to identify the things that they are doing
that you are not, and start incorporating those tactics into
your game.
As an elite poker player, you must be self-aware enough
to determine if bad beats really are the result of bad luck,
or if you’re just playing poorly. One way to do this is to
discuss bad runs with stronger players to see what they
think. Regardless of how you go about it, there is no value
in playing the victim. You should always be thinking
critically about your game and trying to figure out ways to
improve.
Professional poker players do not get a regular paycheck.
This lifestyle demands self-discipline and a yearning to
rise through the stakes. It is crucial that you never let your
ego affect your mindset.

Treating your poker career as a business is a great way

to maximize your income. Keeping detailed records of
all your profit/loss figures will allow you to adjust in
the most efficient way. Another way to ensure that your
business thrives is to analyze playing statistics in order to
highlight the leaks in your game. Identifying your leaks is
the first step toward fixing them.

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 CHAPTER THIRTY-SIX / LIFE AS A POKER PLAYER / DANIEL NEGREANU

UP YOUR GAME

Watch this video introduction to leak finding in an Posting hands on Two Plus Two is a great way to
online poker database. Database analysis by a skilled improve and to get validation from stronger players.
player is the fastest way to improve your results once you This is an ideal way to remain confident that you’re
are past the beginner stage. playing well during a bad run.

Use your notebook to make a framework suitable for

recording live poker stats. Discuss the metrics you’ve
chosen with your classmates. While not as accurate as
online database software, keeping detailed records is
essential for live players. The RunGood app is also worth
checking out. More than 160 statistics and custom graphs
will help you to break down your results and analyze your
game with greater accuracy.

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