Thread by @MatthewMarinel5

The poker dream is alive for you. This weekend I crossed the $1mm profit mark in my Ignition poker database after starting at 100nl in 2018. I wanted to mark this occasion by offering my best pieces of advice for leading a successful poker career.

1. Plan for struggle. Seeing high stakes grinders post impressive results can make it feel like poker should be easy. You may feel insecure because your results might not be as good as others, but you're not seeing all the downswings that people don't share.

All winning players experience struggle, heartbreak, and frustration. Poker is insanely hard and everyone everyone suffers from self doubt and stress at some point. You just don't see as many screenshots of stuff like this, the sum of my 4 consecutive failed shots at 10/20.

I tried to move up in Jun 19', Aug 19', Sep 19', and Feb 20'. It was depressing as I'd grind it up at 5/10 only to get obliterated at 10/20. I thought the regs at 2knl are just different and I may never beat them. I overcame it eventually, but only with hard work and persistence.

2. Consistency > Genius.

Poker suffers from a culture of genius, which puts wunderkinds like Linus on a pedestal as a brilliant savant that crushes the highest limits day after day with computer-like precision.

This can have the effect of making you feel powerless, because you have little direct control over your intellect, and someone like Linus seems to be made of different stuff. But you don't have to think that way.

Many people actually have the potential to be a 6-figure winner in poker if they find the right direction. I struggled at SSNL for years before I found Poker Detox CFP. I've seen plenty of other career stragglers hit their stride and realize the results they sensed were possible.

This is really about having a growth mindset. It's about believing that you can grow and evolve instead of your life being predetermined by a benchmark distributed at birth. Not everyone can be Linus, but everyone has greater potential locked inside that's waiting to be accessed.

3. Believe in yourself.

I listened to a Bill Burr podcast years ago where he declared "the responsible thing to do is follow your heart" in response to a listener's question about taking a career risk. It resonated a lot with where I was in life.

I was working as a wedding videographer and small-time commercial director at the time, but I really wanted to pursue poker. I believed in my heart that I had the potential to succeed in poker, but I was never going to know unless I took the chance.

So I took the plunge and applied for a CFP to make it a reality. When I applied for Detox CFP in 2018, I said in my submission video, "I will be the most successful player you've ever had". That turned out to be right. This is not an endorsement for hubris, but for self-esteem.

Part of succeeding is thinking your the baddest mofo alive, so if you're truly passionate about something then lean into that passion and drive. Get excited. Dream big dreams. Play like you expect to win.

Don't feel like you need to put on airs of faux modesty for others, like "aw shucks, I made $1mm on this site but it wasn't much really. Just right place at the right time, and I ran above EV anyway". Fuck that.

I've stayed up late for an extra 30+ minutes reviewing every 10bb+ pot for the past couple of years. I've invested countless hours and dollars in coaching, software, and training. I've taken many shots that didn't work, only to dust myself off and try again. And I'm damn proud.

If you found this valuable and want to read more, you should check out mobiuspoker.com/blog. My poker coaching partner @mobiuspoker tweets and blogs insanely high-value content you may find insightful. Our business takes MSNL/HSNL winners and turns them into crushers.

Also, bonus shoutout to @PokerDetox. They're a growth-minded CFP that gave me all the tools I needed to succeed and championed me as a coach for years. They're my go-to recommendation for micro-SSNL grinders looking to make the same leap I made.

(7 min Burr podcast clip)