Unlocking Higher Stakes in Poker: How to Break Through

[@PhilGalfond]

Mindset is one of the biggest levers to your success. My 44-page ebook on improving your mindset is entirely free for you all: www.philgalfond.com/mindset-yt

[@guillermoalvarez9400]

Do you think it’s detrimental to keep playing 1-2 if you’re trying to move up since those players won’t force you to improve your leaks that will get exposed in bigger games, and you’ll fall into bad habit

[@lindalucky9214]

Lots have the right mindset and lose. PS. I never see you running Deep like Negreanu n Matosow 😂Matosow....lol.hahaha

[@haypapa]

so u saying u cant run all your hands and see if u run avobe ev or not? cant be unknown...

[@joshuajohnson7519]

Phil, I don't know you as a person, and I'm sure you have your flaws, but everything I've ever seen publicly from you has been pure class. It's hard to fake it for as long as you've been around, so I'd say it's who you are. Thank you for the straight forward advice in the videos you post. Best of luck to you, your family, and in all that you do for the remainder of your life.

[@neilsimpson3359]

Came here for a poker video, got a brilliant life lesson instead. Superb.

[@PhilGalfond]

Awesome, thank you!

[@IceBug1337]

You are such a good teacher, Phil. Thank you.

[@PhilGalfond]

Thank you so much! That truly means a lot to me. And you're very welcome!

[@RicardoMartinez-oy9dg]

This is a powerful video. I’ve been playing professionally for years and I need to hear these words and be reminded of these things you talk about every so often.

[@choboruin]

I remember seeing u post how u were going to focus more on socials and content. It's crazy to see how far your production value has gone up. Beast.

[@jamesm9999]

0:48 this is more than just poker advice. That's some life advice right there

[@PhilGalfond]

Absolutely! Most people want my poker advice rather than my life advice, so I have to sneak it in!

[@JT-he7fw]

My goal is to convince my wife to let me unlock low stakes 😅

[@sudstahgaming]

Its possible but you have to unlock high stakes wife allowance

[@JT-he7fw]

@@sudstahgaming lol seems like negative EV

[@sudstahgaming]

@@JT-he7fw Women makes us pure degens lol!

[@richboyprado]

@@sudstahgamingpreachin

[@kevinnfknsd229]

This may sound obvious but I had to make more money from my real job(and give it to her) before she was ok with me playing.

[@frederickmccabe5675]

The only thing I've seen keep talented players from moving and staying up in stakes is negative EV gambling. It's a lot more prevalent than solid, non problem gambler poker players think.

[@seanhunter111]

That section on variance is amazing. Variance is at the core of what makes poker work as a game people play for money. Fundamentally true and really important for people to recognise.

[@danielgarland9838]

Awesome video Phil! I have played both 1/3 and 2/5 and have lost the rake in 2/5 and in 1/3 made it to where I was a marginal winner in 2022 and 2023. For me it is at 68 years of age the mental stimulation and meeting awesome people from all over the world in Vegas where I live is one of the main reasons I play! I'm going to create some discomfort and scratch it off my bucket list to play a session of 5/10 just to create some growth and character. Kind of like getting into the ring before I'm ready kind of thing! I don't envision being a reg at these stakes even though bankroll wize I'm equipped to play them. I feel very confident when I break my cherry at that stake level win or lose it's going to be awesome experience! Thank you for sharing this great video! Best wishes to you!!

[@jarnokursi1934]

Thanks Phil. These videos made my mind to come back to poker and train my mental side as well. I'm pretty solid at strategy and training with plo but really couldnt handle bankroll management and swings when i was younger. Now playing about 30h per week and 10h goes for study and mental training. Thx again for great content. Sorry for Finland rally english 😅❤

[@kevinsmith968]

This was great advice . I thought I didn't tilt as much because I would be able to take bad beats without blow ups . But started to learn there are many different types of tilt not always the obvious ones . Plus trying to limit the variance at crazy tables definitely made me more predictable .

[@Nateinthewoods]

Stunning and well put together video, Phil. You are the MAN 🫡

[@PhilGalfond]

Thank you kindly!

[@v0inier]

Really good video, S tier. As a psychologist I do not agree with the affirmations/just telling yourself part though. It might help for some, but most studies show no result or even bad outcomes (lying to yourself can be alienating). I think the best method is to act like the identity you want to tap into. In you mind, what's the difference between 1/2 and 2/5 players? Start acting like the 2/5 player. Another way is to think about all the lousy habits of 1/2 players and be disgusted with them, which makes it hard to keep that identity. Those are among the best strategies to change identity that I know of from research. But why not break free from identities all together? I would say that is the real goal, all of them are just holding you back "I'm aggressive/ I'm unlucky / I'm theoretically sound / I'm don't feel emotions" all of them hold you back. Without identity dictating your play, you have more possibilities to make the best play or the most out of life.

[@milkd.4206]

Thank you for these Phil!

[@PhilGalfond]

You're so welcome!

[@Wildest_Wahoo]

This should be a mandatory video that everyone must watch before starting to play poker. 😂

[@baileyayyy5085]

Hands down the most practically helpful hand breakdowns on the platform...

[@edward6902]

showing stacks and pots as number of BB is a great way to accelerate the journey to comfortable when you’ve just levelled up

[@sensiv]

One thing about the Bad Luck and the Victim Mentality: Your Brain only remembers bad situations. Thats why you see so many people complain about (Online)-Poker being rigged, because they simply dont remember when Variance was in their favour.❤

[@kailinaleekuk]

Phil Galphond, Benjamin Rolle, Fedor Holz, The Robin Hoods of poker we need today. Given pokers current climate........ Thank you for the valuable insights!

[@johnd5619]

This was such an awesome vid Phil! I cant think of another one I liked this much. 👍

[@kickdeboll]

Phil GOATfond strikes again 🐐

[@hitenparmar7582]

Thank You Phil .... I randomly landed on your video... Especially the section after 11 min is truly amazing and good to hear ... I am going through that phase and it really helps to get some great advice !! Thanks !!

[@PhilGalfond]

You’re very welcome!

[@Womenandwine]

I can’t tell you how many people I know in tournaments complain hiw they always lose flips or lose their all in kings to queens. Truth is naybe you have list them more then you were supposed too. But I akways find they go bust on these cause along the way in the tournaments they had many many spots where could have easily stole some small , medium, and yes occasionally big pots, but they either chose not to or didn’t know how too. And if they had they would have had not gone broke in tbe tournament when they took a bad beat. Winners win and losers lose in the long run. It’s that simple

[@Brisk317]

This is one of the best poker videos available. Advice that’s useful for beginners and experienced players. Thank you for the content you are providing!!!

[@vladimirelgrande754]

Great content! Thank you a lot, Phil. All the best.

[@HabibVentures]

Thx for world class advice

[@trashcanfly]

Thanks a lot for putting these videos out, they really help out :)

[@veghyn69]

I had the same "emotions" thought back in my first couple of years playing. I wanted to be a machine without emotions. Once I came to terms with the fact that I was human, my results got much better

[@dasvdm]

i'am a loosing player, and i'm a looser in the game of life. Conicidence? no. thank you for theses kind words.

[@RenixGames]

You are a great teacher. You explain things so clearly and are very humble and sympathetic to the one's trying to learn from you. Enjoying the videos!

[@CeegeePoker]

5:54 "git gud" - Phil

[@PhilGalfond]

😃

[@drezayzel]

Thanks for the pep talk, Phil. Much appreciated 🙏 ☺

[@PhilGalfond]

My pleasure!

[@jlaux7]

13:10 It also helps to drop the idea of dollar amounts at the poker table, and start thinking in terms of big blinds. $50 at a $1/2 table is 25 big blinds, but at a $2/5 table it's only 10 big blinds.

[@user-vf6ed1cw3d]

Thank you for the info you are giving. I really appreciate the advice that you are giving. Thank you, Phil, for making something difficult more simple. Respect to you man. Shake your hand.

[@ahaaha8462]

The best scenario is to find a whale packed game that is both bigger and softer to make you comfortable in the stake😅

[@lunchbox6576]

I just started studying in earnest, I stopped believing in luck and developed a base line understanding of probability. If you crack my hand it is not bad luck it is just part of the 7 percent of the time my hand in that situation would get cracked. Tell them, good catch , let it go and treat the next hand as a new situation.

[@PhilGalfond]

Exactly!

[@mcfly7]

I like the best case. Once again bravo.

[@Raviiii.]

putting into words things i might barely start to realize for myself if at all ! Wizard !

[@JackFate61]

Thanks for addressing this, Phil. I am grateful to you for sharing your wisdom.

[@user-su2es9vr8y]

what's the best poker books for beginners (covering hand statistics and basic play)?

[@TheMarkODonohue]

Hey Phil, have you read the Mental Game of Poker 1/2? I’d love to hear your thoughts on it.

[@jesssayit2291]

so many great pts here that are never spoken of

[@adamo36532]

Best video of yours so far.

[@PhilGalfond]

Amazing. Thank you so much!

[@ts4gv]

Question about variance. In blackjack, a great card counter's standard deviation is about 10x their winrate, above or below. In other words, for a card counter who makes $100/hr, in a given hour they'll end up somewhere between winning $1,100 and losing $900 about 70% of the time. How does this compare to a poker player who averages $100/hr? Just looking for a ballpark figure.

[@qsdailydose8970]

Phil I appreciate you so much !

[@PhilGalfond]

I appreciate you, too!

[@guillermoalvarez9400]

In lower stakes, the player skill level isn’t as strong, so there isn’t as much of a need to play a high variance style if you have an edge, since there will always be better spots. Against better players at higher stakes, you have to take some of those spots. Like you can get away with rarely bluffing against low stakes but higher stakes players will eat you alive if you don’t. Same thing with shoving with draws, lesser players will still pay you off if you get there, better players won’t

[@berdyderg900]

Bad reg

[@mikehallrealestate]

Variance luck basically only matters from a long term results perspective towards the tail end or Mtts imo

[@patrickjordan2233]

Edit because I forgot.😂😂.. Thanks Phil! I started playing 29ish years ago? Personally, I like to"double down" on studying, reading, and theory work during "downswings"...-play less & study more - Generally, when I've come out my variance downswings confidence is better, and play is more optimal, and more leaks plugged... I'm not nearly Phil's level, or even a "Pro", but i have made a living @ times while i was shopping for my next employer... Now, I'm into building business #3... 😁👍👍 (Still love the game, the challenge of *improving", and the testing myself...❤️)

[@chowdogs2]

9:00-9:20 is the best shit I’ve ever fucking heard man. Keep it up Phil

[@johnnyneckar4977]

"I have these emotions, I am human". Sure, Phil, sure...

[@LarsAndersen-ig9yt]

"If there was no luck in poker I would win every tournament." - Phil Hellmuth.

[@MissDeal55]

I feel like the opposite is also true on the psychology/identity part. Meaning, if people step down in stakes for a session for whatever reason, they sometimes sit down with a chip on their shoulder and it blinds them.

[@prithvishetty2883]

Hey Phil, big fan here. Can you make a video on a poker aspiring player on how to start learning gto and how to go about it. Would be of great help!!

[@justinhart7172]

Thank you Phil, best video you’ve ever made

[@bennychua9932]

even if im not a poker player i would still watch galfond video. ❤

[@PhilGalfond]

♥️

[@matthewkagan1346]

Nice video Phil! Three notes for you: Suggestion: Save money on the cuts to B-roll of guys who look like they belong in an Advil commercial (e.g. :49). Don't need it. Comment: Looking good! Fitness regimen working. Question: As you worked your way up, at what levels did you notice big skill improvements among opponents. Was it fairly linear (everyone gets a little better at every level) or more stop-and-go (e.g. 1/3; 2/5; 5/10 play similarly but 10/20+ is huge quality jump?

[@PhilGalfond]

But I've already paid that Advil actor so much!

[@PhilGalfond]

The biggest gaps tend to be from the 2nd highest to the highest stake at a given online site or live poker room. The very best players always choose the highest stakes, which can make it disproportionately tough. When I was coming up online, I stayed made 5/10 my main game even when I thought I could beat (and afford) 10/20 because I thought my hourly was higher there.

[@matthewkagan1346]

​@@PhilGalfond I wonder if that changes in today's environments, where the 5/10 is the biggest game regularly spread in many large public casinos (bigger games are mostly private). At commerce, for example, it's common to have 6-7 5/5 NLHE games going and 3-5 5/10, with nothing higher.

[@barthilhorst7551]

Great video, love the background music as well

[@JuventusAnalyst1897]

If i want to study, starting from really 0, what should i do? My focus is on cash game

[@StellaDavila]

Thanks Phil! Great mentoring here! 😅

[@trumanashforth]

great video, started playing about 9 months ago and just moved up to online 2/4 in live 2/5, your videos have probably made me a few thousand dollars, thank you for these!

[@PhilGalfond]

Awesome! You're very welcome. I hope they help you make even more over the next 9 months.

[@PhilGalfond]

By the way, online 2/4 should be significantly tougher than live 2/5 FYI. If you're beating online 2/4 over a long period, you're probably good enough for ~10/20 live (but be responsible with your bankroll!) If you're not sure of your online results (small sample) and 2/5 feels like the right stakes live, I'd suggest you try lower stakes online (.25/.5 or .5/1) until you prove you're a winner there.

[@trumanashforth]

@@PhilGalfond it’s certainly interesting playing online vs live. I’ve had guys live fold QQ to a 3 bet, so the exploitation is certainly different in each field (as I’m sure you know much better than I). I beat online .5/1 relatively quickly but the swings online are also tough because of multi tabling and buying in deep. Fun to play similar stakes that require different routes to success

[@donpablo838]

It’s highly unlikely someone playing 9 months has moved up to 400nl is what Phil is trying to tell you. It’s unlikely someone playing 9 months is truly beating 100nl at a good rate for that matter. Are you seriously tracking your results online?

[@karanrrai]

Really nice video. You covered it all.

[@johnmar6376]

Love your videos

[@generaltrank7410]

The law of identity: The Player you believe yourself to be is the player you will see

[@michelaveline]

Thanks from Brazil!!!

[@PhilGalfond]

De nada!

[@kierolovesyou]

Such a good watch Phil

[@PhilGalfond]

Thank you 😊

[@Doodz613]

As much as these reality check videos are necessary and beneficial, I think a step-by-step guide on how to improve and what resources to use to study would be a lot more valuable to most players. Some might really want to better their game but completely lack the knowledge of how to start.

[@PeteyPablo1]

THESE ARE GOLD

[@donnaowens3037]

So good Phil!!

[@PhilGalfond]

Thank you!

[@user-tm8cu4md6f]

I play short deck

[@jovanmaric6160]

Great video

[@shawn4white]

Going to play 1/3 tonight at the local casino, going to think that I’m a 2/5 player and that I can crush all these souls here….

[@huggins_will]

Great video. I am being intentional about mental game development the 1st quarter of the year - working through Elliot Roe’s Master Class course. This was a great video to complement that work. Thank you.

[@PhilGalfond]

Thank you, and that’s a fantastic course! Stick with it and put in the work, and I expect you’ll see great results!

[@chrisletang7000]

Wow ur comments don't just apply to poker but for life life, about how ur mind works. Nice

[@WayneChiangPoker]

A must watch for any aspiring pro.

[@PhilGalfond]

Thank you, Wayne ♥️

[@mmfb88]

Hey Phil are you ever going to play Jnandez in the galfond challenge?!

[@PhilGalfond]

If he wants to.

[@mmfb88]

would love to see it!@@PhilGalfond

[@AndreasFroehliPoker]

Fantastic advice for a lot of people Phil

[@PhilGalfond]

Thank you, Andreas 😊

[@gambler222]

Greatest Poker Teacher Is Back!!! Thank you for another informative and inspiring video. KUDOS!!!!

[@PhilGalfond]

Wow, thanks!

[@maikijs5]

good content💛

[@EZIO__-fs3lo]

I played 0.25/0.5 plo on GG for a few days. Ran it up to 20 buy ins and got bored so I joined 10/20. I ended up doubling twice and running. Am i a 10/20 player now?

[@3h4bMusic]

😂😂😂

[@Wazzupphu]

Good stuff Phil.

[@brettblaster]

Goat

[@0580steve]

In general, I thought you didn't t recommend shot taking?

[@Fatpigkenny]

FoBP…that’s the key

[@WYSIWY6]

My game so much build on tricks

[@mmfb88]

Like the great Roger Federer says..”One point at a time”. For poker: One hand at a time.

[@Mdevlin0]

Phil I’m having an issue. I’ve moved up in blinds a couple times, and I’d like to think that it was mostly due to prioritizing off table learning The problem is I’ve ran into a wall with free material. It seems everything free that I can get my hands on is stuff I already know. I’m not high enough in blinds to pay the ~$100/month for the good stuff, so my question is: do you know of any good resources that don’t come with a high price tag? I may be willing to fork over some dollars, but I just don’t think I can afford what I know is the good information at this time.

[@Mdevlin0]

I suppose this question doesn’t need to be directed at Phil; I’d love to hear what other people are using out there for study material.

[@PhilGalfond]

From the Ground Up at runitonce.com is $50 one time and comes with one free month of RIO Essential ($25). I’m unsure if you’re beyond that level but it’s better than the free stuff so it will probably help.

[@Mdevlin0]

@@PhilGalfond i mostly play SNGs, and that course is a bit pricier. From the outline, it looks like only a couple of topics would be helpful for sure. Maybe if this downswing I’m in continues much longer I might have to buy it. Either way, I appreciate the response, Phil!

[@Pisco514]

Thx Phil!

[@cobywright5034]

GOAT!

[@zwijn]

Great!!

[@dsim5254]

What do you suggest for those who don't have legitimate methods of playing low stakes poker to build a bankroll? For example there are no ways to play online legally in my state.

[@pc4424]

U play illegally

[@3h4bMusic]

Thanks for all the insight, Phil I just liked as many comments as possible to help with the algorithm ( I disliked the idiots though lol) Salute to you, Big Dawg!

[@Scopeidium]

Theory: Variance happens over all timeframes and some lifetimes are spend 'unlucky'.

[@dirtvegan]

Oh

[@imemine8605]

Iv pmayed for a living fir 19 years but the first 5 or 6 years of that we're a horrifically stressfull roller-coaster because my bankroll management was not existent i used to play with 4 buy ins at my roll 20k in my roll plsying nlhe5k i look back st young me snd think what a moron i coukd beat those cames now im 40 and i cant beat knowhere near those stakes if id bsnkroll msnaged correctly when gsmes were super soft I'd be a millionaire. I still maje a great living at nl400 to 600 and the same at plo but nl5k back then was softer than nl400 is now.

[@robertshawnmitchell]

Preach!

[@rajahferrier7475]

It's not the poker playing holding me back, it's the blackjack and roulette on the way out of the casino that's hurting me 😢😢😢

[@yuriypryamorukiy4269]

I AM A 2/5 PLAYER !!!!

[@karrde666666]

It's harder in a way at lower levels against calling stations because you have to actually have it, which doesnt happen often

[@berdyderg900]

Maybe you're just not good (his main thesis in this video)

[@karrde666666]

@@berdyderg900 I'm not good because I have to wait longer for hands against calling stations? I could rewatch it a thousand times and never see that part

[@PhilGalfond]

I promise it’s not harder!

[@jamiealexander7065]

You suck if you can't beat low stakes lol.

[@karrde666666]

@@jamiealexander7065 where bouts does it say I lose, I said it takes longer. I'm guessing your poker is as good as your comprehension