Great video, Phil! I want to touch on the 2nd trait you mentioned with my own brief history: I used to have elite competitive drive in my early 20's, was videogame (Warcraft 3) progamer before becoming a poker pro, but somewhere along the way, i found spirituality (at first, as a response to some big health issues i was experiencing) and dove deep down that rabbit hole. The effects it had on me was that, on the positive, i become a lot more at peace and accepting of the insane variance thats tied to this game, but it has also significantly blunted my drive and competitiveness. Because, what competitive drive actually entail? You want to become the best so your ego gets fed and inflated, and you create an identity out of that (i'm the best, i'm elite, and all the perks associate with this status/financial symbol), but what spirituality teaches is is how to let go of that, detach ourselves and find that we are actually a field of consciousness in which presence can arise. To this day, i'm not sure how i can make this work, when i got these two very separate, almost mutually exclusive programs running in my brain BIOS. Maybe other people went down this path and share the same struggle? Would love to generate a discussion on this topic.
I would be interested in another video covering the traits of medium and small winning poker players. This way I can compare and contrast the new video to this one.
I watched this feeling like Joaquin Phoenix in "Gladiator": "You wrote to me once, listing the four chief virtues of poker: Logic, Ambition, Self-awareness, and passion. As I read the list I knew that I had none of them."🙃
Thanks for short but v high quality content Phil. First, every elite poker player that I know is really strong with logical reasoning and deductive logic. Hand reading is essentially deductive logic, and it's a key skill for elite players. The area of intelligence that's most important in poker is logic. Second, elite poker players possess a huge competitive drive. Every elite player I know is fiercely competitive, at least with themselves, but often with others as well. Many poker pros were college athletes or professional athletes, and that competitive drive is critical to success. Third, self-awareness is essential. Most elite players know when they're in a game that's not good for them, and they have enough humility to admit it. They are also aware of their own weaknesses and work hard to improve them. Fourth, passion for the game is crucial. Every elite player I know was obsessed with poker at some point and loved the game. That love is necessary to get really good. Finally, aptitude in math, psychology, and empathy are important, but not as important as the other four traits. High school-level math is sufficient, and an interest in and understanding of how people think is helpful. Empathy, or the ability to understand and empathize with opponents.
Sometimes I get upset about getting into poker so late (in 2018) and even get jealous of people who got to experience the “Poker Boom” especially the online boom. But then I realize that I’ve got it pretty good because in 2023 Phil Galfond has a CZcams channel with incredibly high quality and valuable content and even replies to comments. Also, I live only a few minutes away from The Lodge card club in Austin Texas, which I think is one of the best places to play in the world. I guess “The Poker Boom” can mean many things and actually be somewhat subjective.
Hi Phil, I’m very passionate about poker. This game has changed my life drastically for better and also as weird as it may sound I think it has made me a better human being by virtue of better self awareness and through that understanding others and have more empathy. I also want to thank you for your great videos and holding nothing back in them. As a poker player myself I can’t thank you enough for sharing your wisdom. I really hope to one day see you in person and have a chat with you. All the best to you and your family
You wrote to me once, listing the five chief virtues: Logical reasoning, competitive drive, self-awareness, passion, intelligence. As I read the list, I knew I had none of them. But I have other virtues, father. Ambition. That can be a virtue when it drives us to excel. Resourcefulness, courage, perhaps not on the battlefield, but... there are many forms of courage. Devotion, to my family and to you. But none of my virtues were on your list. Even then it was as if you didn't want me for your son.
hey would you make a video covering some of the many heads up PLO hh in the 2+2 high stakes thread posted this month? Between berri, amsogood, sanita55, linus, and even stefan going at it
Nice video, I think you missed out 2 key things which is networking & bankroll management/game selection…1) elite players are surrounded by elite players and attract other elite players, basically have strong circles and 2) elite players bankroll manage/game select at least to an extent that they have opportunities for big money, including (relating to networking) access to funds/staking or certain big value games/opportunities, maybe also have additional avenues of income to support their poker “variance” What do you think also about their relationship with risk, their consistency and energy management?
I agree with everything except for point #4. I don't think passion for the game is necessary. I think you can despise the game and still have all the other traits mentioned lead to success.
When you are an elitist and going through a downswing which is inevitable as a poker pro, your love, passion and burning desire for the game is what is going to get you through the tough times. Without that passion you would just quit when the tough gets going. The best to have ever played the game would have gone broke many times over and failed until they eventually broke through.
Hey Phil, great video as always. I have a suggestion for a video below. For a bit of context, I used to be a losing to a break even player online during 2014-2017. I was a winning player live though. I played occasionally live since then but given online poker was banned in Australia I ceased playing. More recently I played some online poker in New Zealand and was winning over a decent sample size. I put this down to maturity and less impulsive decisions as 30 year old now but also putting more work into my game. Essentially, every morning I do one course from pokercoaching and take notes (10-30min a day). Basically my question for you is if you are time limited but can spend 10-30 minutes every day studying and dedicated to learning poker, what would you fit into it? Thanks in advance.
RECALL! Seems to me the best in the world have the most ridiculous freakish memories. Imagine listening to every Phil Galfond video, and every other high quality poker video whilst also memorizing every solver chart, hand histories, player tendencies etc with ease. To me, incredible recall is damn near everything.
@@basdfef4775 What a waste. I've always been crazy envious of people with world class memories. I watch a million poker videos and read books and study hands and blah blah blah and remember 1/3rd of it, or 1/2 ot it or whatever it is. I just can't imagine having a photographic memory or close to it . Some scientists say there's no such thing as a "photographic memory" and believe some peope just have an unusually good ability to use mnemonic strategies to encode and recall information Either way, I wish I had it. I truly feel thats generally what separates really damn good players from world class ones.
Pattern-recognition is definitely a useful poker trait. Maybe not as useful as it is in chess, but you're not gonna do very well in poker if you can't remember what happened when you 5-bet all in with AQ after the nitty old bloke in the BB made a cold 4-bet.
Hi Phil. I like your list but from my observations I feel the very best usually are also somewhat of fearless explorers - kind of the do what it takes mentality no matter what. They are willing to do things that others havent even considered or are afraid to do - similar to your story about Dwan turning made hands into bluffs before it was "cool".
I’m surprised discipline and patience isn’t in this list. This seems to keep most players in the red, including myself. I guess that discipline and patience may separate the winners from the losers but not the winners from the elite…
💯 patience is an absolute must. A lot of time sometimes hours ur gonna be folding n not hitting anything while ur opponents r gonna hit everything. They dont call it a grind for nothing.
I wish you hadn't added the background noise track... Your content is really good and really takes thought to appreciate and it's just an annoying distraction
I think if you play online poker you really don’t need to know much math at all. Most of the math in live poker I use is just trying to get the bet sizes right to set up a good river jam. In terms of things like calculating pot odds, I find I rarely use this. I just know that if the bet is smaller I have to call with more of my range.
Can you answer this question please? I have a theory that very few of the elite of the elite poker players took the jab for C-19. I mean the absolute best cash game players in the world at NL. Just that little small selective group of players that you would consider top 10 or that you don't want at your table that's below the age of 50. Can you confirm or deny this? You probably know this.
The "top 5" poker players only play in tournaments with less than 100 people and buy ins that are $10,000 and more. So yeah, those wins will add up in a hurry but it doesnt necessarily mean the person is any better at the game than someone at the $1/3 level.
You remind me of Chip Reese. You both possess one single trait that made people like Chip the best to ever play the game. I'm surprised you didn't mention it. Chip was the best in the world for so long because he had the best temperament. Of course he had knowledge of the game(s) and was an excellent player. So are many others. It takes something more to rise to the top. Nothing rattled him, but many of his opponents would become extremely rattled. I think temperament is something you're born with. It's a natural trait. Instinctive. I don't think it can be taught. You have a good temperament or you don't. From what I've seen of your play so far you have it. That being said, your success is no surprise.
He gives action, punts his stack off and rattles his mouth away. Love him or hate him he is needed for the game. He has external income outside the poker ecosystem to feed the poker community which is vital for the game. You treat these players with love and respect so they keep donating.
I think maybe its possible that the top 5% of poker players win 90% of the money *that professional poker players win* but I also think there are a lot of players in the very biggest games that are rich outside of poker and are NOT elite pros but have a good understanding of poker and they win a substantial amount of money a lot of the times that would dwarf the average 2/5 or 5/10 pro casino grinder that is winning 100-200k a year
Make more philosophy videos like this one. And make more Holdem than PLO because PLO videos cannot reach people out of the poker world and they hardly can finish the video .
Thank you Sensei, I found my leak all because of this video. Thank you for taking time to share your knowledge. My leak is self awareness what's yours? Write it below.
Hello-I am not sure why you tube does not give viewers a way to comment on the "shorts" videos. I love your videos, style, communication style etc but I have to say I dont necessarily agree with something you said in your video short entitled- Great Poker Players & Math, Psychology, and Empathy. I doint think empathy is the right character trait. I have a passion for poker playing and improving my game so please dont misconscue what I am saying. I happen to think that Narcissists make great poker players, but please dont misunderstand that I am saying the majority of poker players are narcissists, as that is not what I am saying, while realizing some, perhaps many, are. Narcissists and sociopaths are great at sussing out peoples wants, needs, feelings, fears and exploiting them and they have a pathological lack of empathy. I dont necesssarily think it is empathy that is the compontent which helps people excell at gleening others needs, wants feelings, fears in relation to self serving, or opportunistic, profiting endevors, as it is with those who are valuing and desiring more genuine and connection focused relations ....just my observation, experience, viewpoints.
Well put. I agree. Empathy is probably the wrong word. It’s more about being able to understand someone else’s wants and fears, which you can do without feeling them yourself.
Great video, Phil! I want to touch on the 2nd trait you mentioned with my own brief history: I used to have elite competitive drive in my early 20's, was videogame (Warcraft 3) progamer before becoming a poker pro, but somewhere along the way, i found spirituality (at first, as a response to some big health issues i was experiencing) and dove deep down that rabbit hole. The effects it had on me was that, on the positive, i become a lot more at peace and accepting of the insane variance thats tied to this game, but it has also significantly blunted my drive and competitiveness.
Because, what competitive drive actually entail? You want to become the best so your ego gets fed and inflated, and you create an identity out of that (i'm the best, i'm elite, and all the perks associate with this status/financial symbol), but what spirituality teaches is is how to let go of that, detach ourselves and find that we are actually a field of consciousness in which presence can arise. To this day, i'm not sure how i can make this work, when i got these two very separate, almost mutually exclusive programs running in my brain BIOS.
Maybe other people went down this path and share the same struggle? Would love to generate a discussion on this topic.
I think Phil helmuth excels at humility and self awareness.
I think this video was about the top 5% not the literal top 1 player in the world of all time /s
This is about elite pros, not has-beens who only play clueless amateurs in private games.
@@bobsburgers8885 I think we agree lol. The /s stands for sarcasm.
There are so many great poker players named Phil. And also, Phil H.
Hellmuth is nominated for the Nobel Prize for Humility every year, but he's far too humble to mention it or any of the the tournaments he's ever won.
I would be interested in another video covering the traits of medium and small winning poker players.
This way I can compare and contrast the new video to this one.
I watched this feeling like Joaquin Phoenix in "Gladiator":
"You wrote to me once, listing the four chief virtues of poker:
Logic,
Ambition,
Self-awareness,
and passion.
As I read the list I knew that I had none of them."🙃
😂
Thanks for short but v high quality content Phil.
First, every elite poker player that I know is really strong with logical reasoning and deductive logic. Hand reading is essentially deductive logic, and it's a key skill for elite players. The area of intelligence that's most important in poker is logic.
Second, elite poker players possess a huge competitive drive. Every elite player I know is fiercely competitive, at least with themselves, but often with others as well. Many poker pros were college athletes or professional athletes, and that competitive drive is critical to success.
Third, self-awareness is essential. Most elite players know when they're in a game that's not good for them, and they have enough humility to admit it. They are also aware of their own weaknesses and work hard to improve them.
Fourth, passion for the game is crucial. Every elite player I know was obsessed with poker at some point and loved the game. That love is necessary to get really good.
Finally, aptitude in math, psychology, and empathy are important, but not as important as the other four traits. High school-level math is sufficient, and an interest in and understanding of how people think is helpful. Empathy, or the ability to understand and empathize with opponents.
Sometimes I get upset about getting into poker so late (in 2018) and even get jealous of people who got to experience the “Poker Boom” especially the online boom. But then I realize that I’ve got it pretty good because in 2023 Phil Galfond has a CZcams channel with incredibly high quality and valuable content and even replies to comments. Also, I live only a few minutes away from The Lodge card club in Austin Texas, which I think is one of the best places to play in the world.
I guess “The Poker Boom” can mean many things and actually be somewhat subjective.
It no longer exists... Online is an absolute fix
😊 thank you for the kind words, and great attitude to have!
@@PhilGalfond ACR is a set-up, you can't tell me otherwise
Hi Phil, I’m very passionate about poker. This game has changed my life drastically for better and also as weird as it may sound I think it has made me a better human being by virtue of better self awareness and through that understanding others and have more empathy. I also want to thank you for your great videos and holding nothing back in them. As a poker player myself I can’t thank you enough for sharing your wisdom. I really hope to one day see you in person and have a chat with you. All the best to you and your family
You wrote to me once, listing the five chief virtues: Logical reasoning, competitive drive, self-awareness, passion, intelligence. As I read the list, I knew I had none of them. But I have other virtues, father. Ambition. That can be a virtue when it drives us to excel. Resourcefulness, courage, perhaps not on the battlefield, but... there are many forms of courage. Devotion, to my family and to you. But none of my virtues were on your list. Even then it was as if you didn't want me for your son.
Your faults as a son is my failure as a father.
This is the saddest thread for this video
Are you not entertained?!
Thanks for the content Phil. You are a great role model for me in poker.
I appreciate that very much 😊
hey would you make a video covering some of the many heads up PLO hh in the 2+2 high stakes thread posted this month? Between berri, amsogood, sanita55, linus, and even stefan going at it
Nice video, I think you missed out 2 key things which is networking & bankroll management/game selection…1) elite players are surrounded by elite players and attract other elite players, basically have strong circles and 2) elite players bankroll manage/game select at least to an extent that they have opportunities for big money, including (relating to networking) access to funds/staking or certain big value games/opportunities, maybe also have additional avenues of income to support their poker “variance”
What do you think also about their relationship with risk, their consistency and energy management?
Let's go Phil! Over 30k subs, I hope the prop bet is going well
Glad you are back, Phil! I've learned quite a bit from you over the years- your insight is top notch! I appreciate the channel!!
As a solid winning player but not elite listening to this is so insightful, thankfully I have a lot of these traits but not yet truly mastered them.
Im elite
Hi Phil - this may have already been covered but I would really enjoy a video on how you / how elite players study away from the table. Thanks.
Thank you.
I agree with everything except for point #4. I don't think passion for the game is necessary. I think you can despise the game and still have all the other traits mentioned lead to success.
When you are an elitist and going through a downswing which is inevitable as a poker pro, your love, passion and burning desire for the game is what is going to get you through the tough times. Without that passion you would just quit when the tough gets going. The best to have ever played the game would have gone broke many times over and failed until they eventually broke through.
I like this content. You're uniquely positioned to give us insights into the life and world of elite players.
I have an elite ego. Does that count?
Hey Phil, great video as always. I have a suggestion for a video below.
For a bit of context, I used to be a losing to a break even player online during 2014-2017. I was a winning player live though. I played occasionally live since then but given online poker was banned in Australia I ceased playing. More recently I played some online poker in New Zealand and was winning over a decent sample size. I put this down to maturity and less impulsive decisions as 30 year old now but also putting more work into my game. Essentially, every morning I do one course from pokercoaching and take notes (10-30min a day).
Basically my question for you is if you are time limited but can spend 10-30 minutes every day studying and dedicated to learning poker, what would you fit into it? Thanks in advance.
RECALL! Seems to me the best in the world have the most ridiculous freakish memories. Imagine listening to every Phil Galfond video, and every other high quality poker video whilst also memorizing every solver chart, hand histories, player tendencies etc with ease. To me, incredible recall is damn near everything.
@@basdfef4775 What a waste. I've always been crazy envious of people with world class memories. I watch a million poker videos and read books and study hands and blah blah blah and remember 1/3rd of it, or 1/2 ot it or whatever it is. I just can't imagine having a photographic memory or close to it . Some scientists say there's no such thing as a "photographic memory" and believe some peope just have an unusually good ability to use mnemonic strategies to encode and recall information Either way, I wish I had it. I truly feel thats generally what separates really damn good players from world class ones.
Pattern-recognition is definitely a useful poker trait. Maybe not as useful as it is in chess, but you're not gonna do very well in poker if you can't remember what happened when you 5-bet all in with AQ after the nitty old bloke in the BB made a cold 4-bet.
2:34 Competitive spelt incorrectly in the video
Well, what a catastrophe. That makes the whole video moot.
Is this your day job...? Correcting spelling mistakes on youtube videos.....??
Hi Phil. I like your list but from my observations I feel the very best usually are also somewhat of fearless explorers - kind of the do what it takes mentality no matter what. They are willing to do things that others havent even considered or are afraid to do - similar to your story about Dwan turning made hands into bluffs before it was "cool".
I believe what you're looking for is execution.
Knowing a strategy is different than implementing it.
I’m surprised discipline and patience isn’t in this list. This seems to keep most players in the red, including myself. I guess that discipline and patience may separate the winners from the losers but not the winners from the elite…
💯 patience is an absolute must. A lot of time sometimes hours ur gonna be folding n not hitting anything while ur opponents r gonna hit everything. They dont call it a grind for nothing.
Phil is there any chance we could see you on a live NLH stream, such as Hustler or The Lodge? Big fan!
Great Video and Content Phil... Keep up the great work and advice!
Appreciate it!
I wish you hadn't added the background noise track... Your content is really good and really takes thought to appreciate and it's just an annoying distraction
I think if you play online poker you really don’t need to know much math at all. Most of the math in live poker I use is just trying to get the bet sizes right to set up a good river jam. In terms of things like calculating pot odds, I find I rarely use this. I just know that if the bet is smaller I have to call with more of my range.
Can you answer this question please?
I have a theory that very few of the elite of the elite poker players took the jab for C-19.
I mean the absolute best cash game players in the world at NL.
Just that little small selective group of players that you would consider top 10 or that you don't want at your table that's below the age of 50.
Can you confirm or deny this? You probably know this.
The "top 5" poker players only play in tournaments with less than 100 people and buy ins that are $10,000 and more. So yeah, those wins will add up in a hurry but it doesnt necessarily mean the person is any better at the game than someone at the $1/3 level.
You remind me of Chip Reese. You both possess one single trait that made people like Chip the best to ever play the game. I'm surprised you didn't mention it.
Chip was the best in the world for so long because he had the best temperament. Of course he had knowledge of the game(s) and was an excellent player. So are many others. It takes something more to rise to the top.
Nothing rattled him, but many of his opponents would become extremely rattled. I think temperament is something you're born with. It's a natural trait. Instinctive. I don't think it can be taught. You have a good temperament or you don't.
From what I've seen of your play so far you have it. That being said, your success is no surprise.
Hard to argue all these points....but then I present to you....Nik Airball...how do you explain that?
He gives action, punts his stack off and rattles his mouth away. Love him or hate him he is needed for the game. He has external income outside the poker ecosystem to feed the poker community which is vital for the game. You treat these players with love and respect so they keep donating.
I think maybe its possible that the top 5% of poker players win 90% of the money *that professional poker players win* but I also think there are a lot of players in the very biggest games that are rich outside of poker and are NOT elite pros but have a good understanding of poker and they win a substantial amount of money a lot of the times that would dwarf the average 2/5 or 5/10 pro casino grinder that is winning 100-200k a year
03:32 He is not talking about the other Phil
Make more philosophy videos like this one.
And make more Holdem than PLO because PLO videos cannot reach people out of the poker world and they hardly can finish the video .
self awareness, when he smiled he deffo thought of hellmuth
How many poker players are there? Are there hundreds of winners or thousands?
Oh good I got a D in collage calc
#6 Shuffling chips? j/k
Logical reasoning = Bayes theorem
Nice video. The pokersites and the casinos make 95% of the money I think. Of that 5% left the 5 % best players wins 95% of it. :)
Is tom dwan still crushing poker?
He just crushed the Million dollar cash game on HCL. His skill really showed vs their top regulars.
Thank you Sensei, I found my leak all because of this video. Thank you for taking time to share your knowledge.
My leak is self awareness what's yours? Write it below.
Phil Hellmuth has the best self awareness.... lmao
HU 1v1 rust?
Isn't playing against the best players poor strategy?
Surprised you didn't mention work ethic
I'm sure if it was a top 10 video it would have made the list.
Hello-I am not sure why you tube does not give viewers a way to comment on the "shorts" videos. I love your videos, style, communication style etc but I have to say I dont necessarily agree with something you said in your video short entitled- Great Poker Players & Math, Psychology, and Empathy. I doint think empathy is the right character trait. I have a passion for poker playing and improving my game so please dont misconscue what I am saying. I happen to think that Narcissists make great poker players, but please dont misunderstand that I am saying the majority of poker players are narcissists, as that is not what I am saying, while realizing some, perhaps many, are. Narcissists and sociopaths are great at sussing out peoples wants, needs, feelings, fears and exploiting them and they have a pathological lack of empathy. I dont necesssarily think it is empathy that is the compontent which helps people excell at gleening others needs, wants feelings, fears in relation to self serving, or opportunistic, profiting endevors, as it is with those who are valuing and desiring more genuine and connection focused relations ....just my observation, experience, viewpoints.
Well put. I agree. Empathy is probably the wrong word. It’s more about being able to understand someone else’s wants and fears, which you can do without feeling them yourself.
Meh. I guess two out of five is sort of ok ish. I guess that's why I can only compete against 🐟🐟🐟
Poor man's Will Jaffe IMO