5 Lessons From Phil Galfond

Hey grinders,

Last week, we held a Q&A session with Phil Galfond. In it, he shared insights on approaching studying, mental game and how to get the best out of any coaching program you’re in. 

In this week’s edition of the newsletter, I wanted to share 5 takeaways from the conversation.

If you missed our Q&A session, don't worry - you can now rewatch it on YouTube.

Surround Yourself With Others

Phil believes that the key to success in poker (or any pursuit in life) is surrounding yourself with people on a similar journey. It not only accelerates growth but also makes the process of learning more enjoyable.

Most of Phil’s growth has come from studying with others and it doesn’t have to be with people more advanced than you. In fact, Phil often studied with players who played a few levels below him.

Additionally, it can be challenging to connect with people who are more advanced than you unless you have something valuable to offer in return.

How He Would Get Better At The Game Today

If Phil was starting out today, he would rely on learning from people (mentors, coaches, communities), not tools, to begin with. Solvers can be quite detrimental if you don't know how to use them well. 

He also emphasises structure in your studying - reading a book, going through a course or joining a coaching program will be far more useful to beginning players. 

Tilt Control

Set out some prerequisites that you have to adhere to when you’re struggling with your mental game. 

View them as decisions that you have made that the future tilted you doesn't have to make, but has to strictly follow. Those could be - a stop loss, taking a break every hour, getting some fresh air after losing a buy-in. Set up guardrails for yourself. 

View Every Decision In Vacuum

Poker is a game of information, but when it comes to mindset, a powerful perspective is to view every decision as an opportunity to make the perfect play whenever it’s your turn to act.

By treating each decision point as its own new game, you can clear your mind of distractions like worrying about certain cards or focusing on past results.

Keep An Open Mind

In a community environment, even a brief interaction can provide value far beyond the cost of membership. It might be a new connection, a comment someone makes, or a key perspective on a hand that you hadn't thought of before. These moments can lead to significant breakthroughs and growth. However, it all starts with putting yourself out there and engaging with others.

I'm curious to hear what things from our conversation caught your attention! Reply to this email to share your thoughts.

We're also getting closer to the relaunch, and the excitement is building! As we gear up, we're looking to onboard a few more members who would benefit from joining our growing community. If you know someone who would find this valuable, let us know.

We’re going to be reaching out with more details soon.