You'll know Jon '@apestyles' Van Fleet as one of the biggest winners in online poker history, with $16.6M in online cashes.
What you might not know?
The childhood bullying, periods of depression, and battles with drink and drugs he overcame along the way.
A thread 👇👇👇
What you might not know?
The childhood bullying, periods of depression, and battles with drink and drugs he overcame along the way.
A thread 👇👇👇
1/15) Jonathan Van Fleet was born in 1982 in New York.
He was picked on as a child, but when a growth spurt made him bigger than the bullies, he was able to turn the tables and defend others from bullying.
He'd soon get the same emotional reactions at the online poker.
He was picked on as a child, but when a growth spurt made him bigger than the bullies, he was able to turn the tables and defend others from bullying.
He'd soon get the same emotional reactions at the online poker.
2) "If someone kept three-betting me, I'd think: 'I’m gonna show them!" Jonathan Van Fleet told @ElliotRoe1 on the Mindset Advantage Poker Podcast.
"But whenever I’m acting emotionally, I’m not playing my best poker.”
And playing great poker is something Van Fleet excels at.
"But whenever I’m acting emotionally, I’m not playing my best poker.”
And playing great poker is something Van Fleet excels at.
3) After graduating from Texas Tech, Jon Van Fleet took to poker behind the now-infamous screenname "apestyles".
The first online tournament he ever won was a $20 event.
“I won $2K and I remember standing on my porch going 'Oh my god, I’m rich!' I couldn’t sleep that night.”
The first online tournament he ever won was a $20 event.
“I won $2K and I remember standing on my porch going 'Oh my god, I’m rich!' I couldn’t sleep that night.”
4) apestyles’ bankroll grew from $2K to $70K quickly.
“I had a period where I just won everything in a row. I didn't even really know what I was doing.
“I remember thinking, 'Wow, you can really do this'. It was mindblowing."
But youth and money can be a dangerous mix.
“I had a period where I just won everything in a row. I didn't even really know what I was doing.
“I remember thinking, 'Wow, you can really do this'. It was mindblowing."
But youth and money can be a dangerous mix.
5) Despite success on the tables, apestyles admits he was bad at money management when he was younger.
"Making $200K a year from poker isn’t like you have a $100K a year job," he says.
"Nothing is certain in poker. You should still be living like you have a $40K a year job."
"Making $200K a year from poker isn’t like you have a $100K a year job," he says.
"Nothing is certain in poker. You should still be living like you have a $40K a year job."
6) So when Black Friday struck in 2011, apestyles couldn’t believe it.
“My heart just dropped,” he told @PokerListings. “I would say I went through a depressive period.”
He bounced from Costa Rica to England to Prague to play online poker, before settling in Cabo San Lucas.
“My heart just dropped,” he told @PokerListings. “I would say I went through a depressive period.”
He bounced from Costa Rica to England to Prague to play online poker, before settling in Cabo San Lucas.
7) It was in Cabo that apestyles' battle with drink and drugs really became serious.
"Honestly, I lost my mind and blew six figures more than once. It was tough to come back from."
His friends intervened and confiscated his computer. They told him they'd only give it back...
"Honestly, I lost my mind and blew six figures more than once. It was tough to come back from."
His friends intervened and confiscated his computer. They told him they'd only give it back...
8) ...if apestyles could tell them what day it was.
"I got the month wrong," he says.
apestyles went to rehab in 2014 & reassessed his life. He left rejuvenated & ready to crush, with help from family & friends.
“Every time I sobered up, I would go on these huge upswings.”
"I got the month wrong," he says.
apestyles went to rehab in 2014 & reassessed his life. He left rejuvenated & ready to crush, with help from family & friends.
“Every time I sobered up, I would go on these huge upswings.”
9) "Now I wake up, coach, study, work out, nothing out of the ordinary," says apestyles.
He also did a lot of volunteer work.
“Feeling useful to somebody else really added completeness to my life.”
And to nobody's surprise, he started crushing high stakes poker once again.
He also did a lot of volunteer work.
“Feeling useful to somebody else really added completeness to my life.”
And to nobody's surprise, he started crushing high stakes poker once again.
10) In 2017, apestyles enjoyed his largest career score, winning the @partypoker MILLIONS for just over $1M.
To date, he's had 29 6-figure scores online.
14 of those came in 2019 alone, in the exact same tournament, the Blade $25K.
6 wins: $2.31M
3 2nds: $610K
5 3rds: $629K
To date, he's had 29 6-figure scores online.
14 of those came in 2019 alone, in the exact same tournament, the Blade $25K.
6 wins: $2.31M
3 2nds: $610K
5 3rds: $629K
11) Not only is @apestyles one of online poker's biggest all-time money winners ($16.6M), he's also stood the test of time.
“I’m known for constantly beating up on the high stakes, evolving and adapting with the game.
"But the game has got tougher, there's no doubt about it."
“I’m known for constantly beating up on the high stakes, evolving and adapting with the game.
"But the game has got tougher, there's no doubt about it."
12) To help others compete, @apestyles created a “Back To Basics” Webinar Bundle exclusively for @BBZPoker.
“The average player is way more educated, but there are still lots of leaks and lots of ways to win money," he says.
"The low to mid stakes are still really beatable."
“The average player is way more educated, but there are still lots of leaks and lots of ways to win money," he says.
"The low to mid stakes are still really beatable."
13) The @apestyles “Back To Basics” Webinar Bundle is a collection of classroom-style presentations touching on the basic fundamentals of winning MTT strategies.
So if you're in the early stages of your poker career, you'll get to learn from one of the best to ever do it.
So if you're in the early stages of your poker career, you'll get to learn from one of the best to ever do it.
14) Despite $4M in profit & 10+ years of coaching experience, @apestyles has no plans to slow down.
He recently started streaming high stakes on #Twitch at twitch.tv/apestylespoker
After just a handful of streams, he's already won a Bounty Builder Series & final tabled an EPT.
He recently started streaming high stakes on #Twitch at twitch.tv/apestylespoker
After just a handful of streams, he's already won a Bounty Builder Series & final tabled an EPT.
15) There aren't many players like @apestyles. He's been there. He's done it. He's seen countless others come & go.
Yet for 15 years, he's remained a constant at the top of the high stakes.
He'll evolve, adapt & continue to turn the tables on poker bullies.
He'll show you.
Yet for 15 years, he's remained a constant at the top of the high stakes.
He'll evolve, adapt & continue to turn the tables on poker bullies.
He'll show you.
We hope you enjoyed this thread!
If you want to learn @apestyles' secrets, check out his training video bundle here: bbzpoker.com/product/jon-ap…
SOURCES:
• scribd.com/listen/podcast…
• pokerlistings.com/jon-van-fleet-…
If you want to learn @apestyles' secrets, check out his training video bundle here: bbzpoker.com/product/jon-ap…
SOURCES:
• scribd.com/listen/podcast…
• pokerlistings.com/jon-van-fleet-…
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