Can I Beat A Pro Poker Player With 4 Days Of Training?

This is episode #12 my TV show, The Tim Ferriss Experiment! The show is like MythBusters meets Jason Bourne. In every episode, I partner with the world’s best and most unorthodox teachers (e.g., Laird Hamilton, Marcelo Garcia, Stewart Copeland), who train me for a final gauntlet. Shocking breakthroughs, injuries, epiphanies, and disasters are all part of the journey. Along the way, I show you how to replicate results in an attempt to prove that “you don’t need to be superhuman to get superhuman results… you just need a better toolkit.”
I’ll be releasing all episodes of my TV show, The Tim Ferriss Experiment, on KZbin- for free. It was a maze to secure the rights, but now it’s done.
Make sure to subscribe to my KZbin channel to get notified of all upcoming episodes.
Enjoy!
Tim Ferriss is one of Fast Company’s “Most Innovative Business People” and an early-stage tech investor/advisor in Uber, Facebook, Twitter, Shopify, Duolingo, Alibaba, and 50+ other companies. He is also the author of five #1 New York Times and Wall Street Journal bestsellers: The 4-Hour Workweek, The 4-Hour Body, The 4-Hour Chef, Tools of Titans and Tribe of Mentors. The Observer and other media have named him “the Oprah of audio” due to the influence of his podcast, The Tim Ferriss Show, which has exceeded 900 million downloads and been selected for “Best of Apple Podcasts” three years running.
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[@timferriss]

Want more of “The Tim Ferriss Experiment”? Here are all 13 episodes: I Learned To Play The Drums In 5 Days With No Experience: kzbin.info/www/bejne/fHPNiHitoNGSqZI I Helped A Stranger Start Her Dream Business In 1 Week: kzbin.info/www/bejne/pIutl5KYZ8d_brs I Hired A Pickup Artist To Help Me Find A Girlfriend: kzbin.info/www/bejne/aauzkmqYZtqkaqM Can I Beat A BJJ World Champion With 5 Days Of Training?: kzbin.info/www/bejne/hWbFg5ymfcieibM I Learned Filipino In 4 Days: kzbin.info/www/bejne/h5y3nnSvhMSknKc Can I Beat A Pro Poker Player With 4 Days Of Training?: kzbin.info/www/bejne/kJDYhp6ghrCUo6s I Trained Like A Pro Golfer For 5 Days: kzbin.info/www/bejne/n5DReJmDebmUeLc I Helped A 28-Year-Old Face Her Fear Of Open Water: kzbin.info/www/bejne/ZmbVcpl4d85_Z9k I Learned How To Surf In 5 Days: kzbin.info/www/bejne/Z5DGkHl5ib1jnc0 I Learned Rally Racing In 5 Days: kzbin.info/www/bejne/jnfQo4iHqNOpbZo I Learned To Shoot Guns Like John Wick In 5 Days: kzbin.info/www/bejne/hmfchJVphZtno9k Learning Parkour From A Hollywood Stuntman (5-Day Challenge): kzbin.info/www/bejne/p4S2nY15ebanl5Y I Hired A US Navy Seal Drill Sergeant To Kidnap Me: kzbin.info/www/bejne/gmq3q6eZi8ybmtk

[@redmandarinushka]

Yes! The vibes of 2007 are back! Please keep this videography team

[@bokajdolenc906]

Exactly my tough I felt so nostalgic!

[@nro9450]

Gonna have to disagree on this one mate

[@FourthExile]

Lol ikr

[@PGproductionsHD]

@@nro9450why

[@mitchsmix269]

These vids are from a long time ago

[@6oEkpdySuuWu64iV]

Halfway into this video, I thought, 'This feels so nostalgic for some reason,' but I couldn't put my finger on it. After a quick Google search, I realized why - this was filmed 10 years ago.

[@Kingsfool]

Heads up poker is almost a different game, surprised that was the challenge.

[@landonmeyer6774]

Yeah they talked about position a ton and then it’s heads up lol

[@joelindley16]

I was thinking the same thing. I’ve played Texas holdem quite a few times and never just against 1 other person

[@GMATCoachBen]

Yes, it's very different from the full tables, but I'm guessing they did it because 3 heads-up challenges makes for better quick drama for the show, and a very winnable challenge to win at least one of the 3.

[@Kingsfool]

@@GMATCoachBen Maybe against those folks but any serious pro would have destroyed him heads up. I’m pretty sure one of his wins was fake anyways, he got it in with J8 vs J9 and even though he had way less chips than the other player, somehow won the hand and the match…

[@asherbank1941]

people are definitely playing differently knowing that you're a legit fish, but still a very interesting concept

[@I.C.Robledo]

A new player with a B.A. from Princeton, being trained by a world-class poker player does not equal a "legit fish," as the outcome of this video shows... Anything can cause people to play differently though - cameras all over, being in a room with THE Tim Ferriss or THE Phil Gordon, etc.

[@MindsetDan]

Very nice Tim! Keep these experiments coming. Love them!!

[@chrismatteson1312]

As a person who plays a lot of live poker, no scene of this video was more enjoyable to me than you audibly gasping at Aces. I would absolutely snap fold to any bet. I enjoyed this perspective of the game. Thank you.

[@darlucey]

Brilliant video Tim. Very original. KZbin needs more of this! I feel like the payoff would have been better if you played simultaneously with 4 players like the pros

[@gripsed]

Very cool to see you playing poker Tim!

[@theanniewooding]

Laughter at 17:55 and applauding at my TV screen at 20:17. This is excellent. Brilliant. I understand it’s from a while back but great content strategy.

[@RobRochon]

lol!! Good work Tim. You're ready to take on Phil Ivey and Phil Galfond now ;-)

[@michaelhuang7007]

As someone who just got into playing poker for fun due to having retired/semi pro players as friends, this is amazing to watch. Great wins! Edit: one careful thing about checking: it doesn't always mean they have a mediocre hand. stronger players check to the aggressor to test you and they can raise you after you bet. But it's great to see you talking thru the importance of positioning, range and how your stack affects your play.

[@michaeljames3912]

Better title, "Can I understand variance in 4 days. Answer: No 😂😂

[@nro9450]

Did you watch it though

[@jiamonx2]

sounds like you know something about poker :)

[@Jack-hv3uj]

This shouldn't be the top comment as may put people off watching - he won all 3 games against top players

[@michaeljames3912]

​ Him winning these 3 matches was entirely down to variance. Any poker player worth their salt can tell you that winning 3 heads-ups matches in a row is not a meaningful representation of your skill level. I'm a mediocre player and if I was to play a heads up match again the best player in the world, with the structure they used here, its going to be almost a coinflip.

[@jrb2474]

​@@nro9450he doesn't have to watch it cause he understands how variance works in poker

[@PGproductionsHD]

Great cinematography

[@kennethbattaglia2994]

I now understand the secret to all of Tim's success: he's a naturally lucky guy! 😊 love you tim!!!

[@rafghad4399]

3 of the best players in poker. literally no one has heard of those people.

[@superpasi7315]

exactly what i thought, they probably just learned tha rules as well lmao let Tim play HU vs me I'll give him a run for his money

[@MrBodies07]

Also looked like she had a big chip lead when she went all in giving Tim the win

[@bruce4139]

When you said all you had to do was trust in your system and not deviate really spoke to me, same thing in life and recently ive been deviating, I need to get back to my studies just for 4 weeks more then I can take it easy. Great job btw

[@devinreed5725]

Consistency is the way to win in life and gambling.

[@DerekDDuval]

‘This is what professional poker players call the office’… except NO poker players call that the office 🤦‍♂️

[@nro9450]

Thanks I’ll just listen to the guy that’s a living in poker wins

[@conormcc1997]

The last thing a poker player wants to hear is the office 😂

[@DerekDDuval]

@@nro9450 if you look it up (Hendon Mob) you’ll see his last cash was about 15 years ago.

[@CribNotes]

Poker player here. And I use the term "office" all the time.

[@Christian_Prepper]

*All of you are correct... depending on where you are from and where you're playing terminology may differ. As an example, a "Full House" is also sometimes referred to as a "Boat".*

[@goldirasecrets9648]

This was sooo good. Love it!

[@jasonpowell8569]

Wow what a great video! I think this is why poker is such a beautiful game. Recreationals can beat the pros at times.

[@AfterCoffeeWithJess]

How exciting! I never knew this show existed

[@yunusemresanlikaya]

I recently explored you and you are truly awesome

[@SuitedPup]

9:54 classic tell - Tim gets excited and happy after everyone folded - indicating he was bluffing 😂

[@patrickwest6876]

Great stuf Timf! Now you need to go play against a table full of players starting with $500 in a 1-3 or a 2-5 game. That's REAL poker that everyone plays. You very rarely go 1 on 1 unless you make it to the final table in a tournament. Lots of good games here in Houston. Let me know when you will be here and I'll show you around!

[@steffpeeters]

Literally three random people… 3 of the best 😂😂😂

[@juanchoo8989]

Amazing, truly amazing. Poker is amazing

[@BibBobBibOnVacation]

Fun to watch ☘️

[@Simon.Z.Engstrom]

where can we find the toolkit?

[@boiledprawnshack4196]

lol. All about that farm. Like a 2005 BBC documentary

[@digital_nomad_english]

Love the thumbnail 😅reminds me of the episode with Cal Newport where you show him that stoic video thumbnail

[@edrow7403]

nice call with J9!

[@grytteco9486]

thank you TimTim

[@n2golf989]

Way better outcome than golf🤪. Great job!

[@jimlawton4184]

As a pro poker player, I have to comment on the line about 1:30 into the video where you suggest you may turn poker into a game of skill. There is no work for you to do in that regard, as poker is already a game of skill! Obviously variance/luck will factor in the short term but once you’ve played a few thousand hands it’s not about that anymore.

[@Wildest_Wahoo]

Tough challenge. Learning 4-max cash and then playing heads-up sit and go tournament in 4 days is hard for sure.

[@480brad]

Really cool episode

[@recs84]

Where can you train/learn about when to fold/raise? I am interested in learning the skill they were practicing when the two of them were at the table and Tim had to call fold or raise. thank you

[@marcusgrosomanidis3396]

There’s charts on the internet showing you which hands you should play from each position

[@BradenJay99]

This is great, but does it feel like this was made in 2010?

[@peznino1]

It is ancient junk repurposed for $$$ and it's that terrible 4hour junk stuff he got rich and famous with

[@Christian_Prepper]

*Close. Credits at the end of this video says "2014".*

[@ponderwonder]

The first half of this was excellent, and is what I would show to friends who don't understand poker. I would have loved to have seen Tim lose though. It'd be a shame if this encouraged some gambling degens to get into poker thinking it's easy. The message should be that, although variance exists, skill wins in the long run. Great watch though. Really good intro to a wide range of poker topics, and the examples and explanations were on point.

[@berndstromberg1586]

Seems like I have to go to Vegas to play some heads up if the "Pros" play like this :D

[@chrisfitzpatrick9108]

Moral of the story is you played 3 games against people who didn't give a shit if they lost $500 and no one in the history of poker has ever heard of any of them.

[@LurphMe1]

Super epic, Tim. Keep it up with poker, it’s a great game.

[@TheChaussonkiwi]

Hahah I would nhave ever imagined that Tim Ferris didn’t know how to play poker ! Life is so funny.

[@adrianoalves20]

Awesome!

[@raygreeko]

I have a feeling this will have turned you into a life long player. Poker is the greatest game

[@Christian_Prepper]

*"Phil" is apparently short for Nephilim! My goodness he's tall, but not as giant as a real Nephilim, that's why Phil is SHORT for Nephilim.* 😂😂😂

[@hectorgarcia5814]

Wtf this was so much fun

[@Sasquatch10]

I've read a book on poker before but thanks to this, finally i understand it.

[@user-ur9yq6ik1h]

10:21 that reaction 😅

[@MrDavidlwright]

Why so blury?

[@conzo2166]

How can I get best training in the world across all thing?

[@AcePoker444]

Cool video

[@DigitalNomadicLifestyle]

He called a raise with QT honey!

[@d3adpool472]

i finally understand poker!

[@Sasquatch10]

You and me both! Time to go bankrupt!

[@mopman777]

*watches video, gets excited about poker* *reads comments, remembers who plays poker*

[@jimlawton4184]

The outs on the KJ vs 79 all in were slightly off, you actually have 14 outs which made the percentage make more sense lol!

[@banemen27]

I like to play in the small blind aka "the sauna"

[@MD-cd1ww]

3 of the best players in poker 😂

[@KonstiH17]

best part of the video lol

[@Kingsfool]

She had way more chips than you in that J8 v J9 hand, how did she bust?

[@richbuckingham]

Because it's fake obviously

[@MrDavidlwright]

Time to take a course in video clarity

[@olinater5]

30% VPIP heads up is a losing strategy tho

[@chessone3469]

After this video i went to check Tim's height

[@geoffl]

Wow, poker is having its viral moment

[@gunsup0331]

i hope this is a joke

[@grologrolovic4193]

When was this recorded?

[@dannypacini9820]

Seems like way back like 10+ years ago. That dude Phil Gordon hasn't been in the scene since the fall of Full Tilt Poker

[@lukelightstone]

2013

[@I.C.Robledo]

I'd like to see Tim Ferriss up against some big names in poker like Tom Dwan, Phil Hellmuth, Garrett Adelstein, and Nik Airball - maybe even Magnus Carlsen or the Botez Sisters, so it's not all super-pros. This shows me 4 days with an elite player like Phil Gordon probably beats my 20 years of casual study/play. Nice work! Edit: Btw, yeah it's easy for me to say this, as it's not my money. Though... someone like Tim Ferriss could gather funding from friends/colleagues/sponsors/donors if he really wanted to do something fun like this. I could care less if he plays with his own money or not, when we're talking big money games.

[@kurekimurat]

Nik Airball? lol

[@I.C.Robledo]

@@kurekimurat Yeah, if he still has any bankroll left to play with, why not?

[@JeffZuccMusk]

You can maybe understand poker variance in 4 days. It takes at least 5 years to get to a pretty high level, but even then you might be winning only at midstakes games

[@Kamilmp4]

So basically the system is “bet all in with a mediocre hand and pray for the win”… nice

[@seniorito5309]

hows the experience with nicholas cage?

[@martinkelland8660]

You forgot a royal flush as the best possible hand

[@ChattyCinnamon]

The most valuable hand is a royal flush not a straight flush

[@damitzdesign]

Royal Flush is actually the best hand....

[@bappo795]

As a pro poker player, if you are wanting to get into poker after watching this video, just know this video makes poker look waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay easier than it is. Please don't think you can go crush pros in the long run by just "being patient and aggressive". Simply put, he got lucky winning 3 heads up matches in a row. Put him heads up against the pros a couple hundred more times and he would go broke just about every time. If you want to get into poker, expect after a month or 2 of study and practice, you MIGHT be able to beat 2nl online for a couple cents an hour.

[@InternetLiJo]

Bro, this video is what we call “good for the game”, calm down.

[@tdineen12]

heads up is the hardest type of holdem. the training doesnt apply here. you can't fold 70% heads up pre flop

[@Pedro-ds3cq]

People who say poker is a skill game love to talk about variance, but most of them are losing money in the long run as well

[@chatanakredyt]

Anyone can beat the best player in the world in short run, this video is entertaining but not understanding variance is the main theme

[@ruen2628]

there is actually a hand beter than the straight flush called the ‘royal flush’ its a straight flush but it has to be 10 J Q K A suited

[@mantasvalciukas5734]

Set up the game with 10 minute blinds in live poker which is what 5 hands per level? If that. And then learn basic all in/fold strategy of bellow 20 big blinds. You basically talk about a skill game and then create a format where you negate the skill as much as possible. Alternative title, how to master roulette by showing you the 3 times I bet on black and win.

[@endrek3967]

lol i love ferris always but this....was quite bad jajaj sit&go headups turbo looks like quite of luck :D or like a spin&go fish :D

[@Pheadrixx]

ah yes shortstack headsup the most skill based poker format what a great test of skill.

[@synchronium24]

Even starting with deepstacks doesn't necessarily overcome variance. Exhibit A, Phil Hellmuth winning 3 heads up matches in a row against Daniel Negreanu.

[@jorgecurdi9373]

Gets pocket aces, everyone folds 😅

[@cheflev9884]

Holdem isn’t gambling lol. It’s literally a game of skill with variance…which is actually a lot of games, includes sports

[@designerfars]

The most valuable hand is the Royal Flush.

[@nro9450]

Agreed but it’s just another straight flush. No such thing as a “royal straight” so don’t necessarily need a royal flush

[@zyzzbrah1312]

I could beat you without even looking at my cards. The most valuable "hand" is knowing what your opponent have and/or doesn't have.

[@thomasminter]

A "Royal Flush" is just a fancy name for an ace-high straight flush.

[@mezu8]

That all in rivered 9 ... doesn't she have way more chips than him?

[@bit2easy]

3 of the best player? 😂😂😂

[@halettebrennen8460]

This video will lead to A LOT of players going broke! LOL For whatever reason, when people start to play poker many of them do very well. But over the long run... well that's another story!

[@pvtglarson1]

your telling me phil helmuth didnt want to be in this?... and that day you were first playing that aces hand is too sus im assuming they had a mechanic on the deck

[@adan2974]

You should do day trading next.

[@DeterminedTV]

Missed “Royal Flush”…… which IS the best hand in poker 😃

[@bryan-still-a-poker-player]

Lol Phil Gordon

[@jimmyannunziata6133]

Of course Tim wins all 3 haha

[@CharlieCarrel]

Eyes on poker are a good things Good job with sharp the learning curve There are some bigger fish to try and fry, if you want, next time ;)

[@skillfuldabest]

This is like 10 years old though

[@bappo795]

Holy shit it's Charlie Carrel

[@Micloren]

@@skillfuldabest That would explain why he hired Phil Gordon instead of Charlie or Liv (was his podcast guest not long ago).

[@emmanueljerry2032]

He won the 3 of them 😭

[@olivierporte]

I disagree with Phil Gordon’s view that poker is a game of skill. It’s a game of skill, but ONLY in the long-term. In the short-term, poker is a game of chance. The problem is most players won’t play enough hands (millions of hands) for the long-term to come into play, so for most people poker is still a game of chance. Compare poker to a game like chess where a beginner would NEVER beat a professional who is significantly more skilled. Poker is a different story (where a beginner can beat a more skilled professional on any given hand) because poker is a game of chance in the short-term and only in the long-term does skill matter.

[@Antidote9]

This is fun, but J9o call off was terrible😂

[@picklerickrickpickle]

Doug Polk shouldve been the teacher...

[@danperlea5034]

He wants to turn poker from a game of chance to a game of skill??? How ridiculous and insulting to professional players.

[@MrDavidlwright]

Ok im gonna reset and see if its me.

[@me-me-me-me-me]

In the short term anybody can

[@christophermoyer6103]

19:56 he has 14 outs, not 11

[@skillfuldabest]

Correct but they got the equity percentage correct lol (I calculated 31.5% but and they showed 31.8%)

[@zacnewford]

you can beat a pro poker player without any training. it’s poker.