Why You’re Stuck (How to Improve at Poker)

[@PhilGalfond]

For more mindset hacks, check out my FREE 44-page ebook -> philgalfond.com/mindset

[@pcole980]

Phil you're an absolute hero and a great ambassador for the game. Thank you for all the invaluable knowledge that you share with us all 👊

[@WeakestMental]

Hey, that's my graph at 00:09! I posted it on r/poker month ago, lol.

[@300lbcanary2]

Really great topic. Sent it to my son, he isn't a poker player, but so much of it can apply to life in general.

[@twistedspine7300]

my biggest mistakes always come from one of two things, being rushed or low confidence. i avoid sites that have very fast decision clocks like global poker for example (15 seconds), because even though i usually get to the right answer i process things much slower than most people. i was always the last kid to finish a test in school, but also usually had the best score. in terms of low confidence, if i've made a couple of consecutive mistakes where i knew what the right play was, my confidence tanks and i have to quit for a while. my confidence swings hugely in either direction. on the positive side, when my confidence is high i make really good decisions. self awareness about your individual weaknesses is key.

[@JamusN]

Seeing mistakes in a positive light is great advice. Great video.

[@PhilGalfond]

Thank you 🙏🏻

[@aaronspektor2624]

As free content goes, you have the hands down, most clear, concise and immediately useful posts on youtube.

[@tomprice4016]

This is crazy good segment. Thanks, Phil.

[@markcummings3146]

Your content is the best free poker stuff on the internet Phil, cannot thank you enough!

[@brianpotter2812]

Thank you, Phil! I took a break and told myself that I wasn't going to play if I was tired, I played in stakes that I was properly bankrolled for, and quit when I started getting tilted. This has helped me slow the bleeding TREMENDOUSLY and has overall increased my bankroll by 20% in the last week alone. I appreciate your videos and you have been one of the most impactful and effective coaches that has improved my game.

[@GameOverMovieReviews]

Great video and very helpful. Last tournament I went out of I made a mistake (and was called by someone making an even worse mistake) and I knew I'd messed up but thinking about it now, it was because I was tired and was tilted. The specific "why" is very important. Thanks

[@jeremiahpierson6553]

your video series continues to be wildly helpful and to the point. Very happy to have you in this space. Lets get that mic pre-amp turned down a bit to keep the noise floor from being so apparent in your final product.

[@dagreco]

Hey just a headsup: your mic is doing lots of white noise on this recording, maybe look into it for the next video

[@PhilGalfond]

Yeah, thank you. Unfortunately there was some weird interference during this recording session. There are a few more videos from it 😞 but I solved the issue for the next recordings I did.

[@dagreco]

No big deal, just letting you know in case you haven't noticed :) @@PhilGalfond

[@hxhdfjifzirstc894]

It's not 'white noise' (that's something different) -- it's actually called 'excessive sibilance', and it's usually from too much EQ/compression, or a crummy microphone. (likely a combo of all three).

[@hxhdfjifzirstc894]

@@PhilGalfond The video's not horrible, but you might ask your editor to cut the high end EQ boost in half. That should be about right. It's just a minor issue that most people won't even notice.

[@jamesgreen6984]

If you know deep down what caused the interference and given enough time, you were able to fix it for later videos then there must be another reason that ​you made this mistake. Its not a knowledge problem, its a performance problem @PhilGalfond

[@neilfarquhar716]

The best content on KZbin. Thanks Phil 😃👍🏻

[@davidculhane4388]

Very insightful video. Thanks for the content Phil! I have learned so much about poker snd poker/life balanfe from your videos. Keep it up!

[@pr1metime.]

I've been watching some of your old videos and they've helped me level up so thank you! I've been playing poker for a long time now and there was a period of time when my game plateaued because I didn't put the effort into improving my game. And I can definately say if you aren't getting better, you are getting worse by default because competition around you is getting better. Always appreciate you contents Phil!

[@louismaberry9683]

Great. Thank you!

[@ExBeeOne]

The *act now* prompt at the end, made me jump up, lie down, and do as many pushups as I could. I got 5. Tomorrow I'll try for 6. Thanks, man. I love your videos!

[@xKumei]

Focusing on improving my C game is a huge reminder for me right now. I've been studying a ton to increase my cap, but the fact is that it doesn't always lead directly to better performance. Instead of trying to gain MORE knowledge, I need to focus on making what I know so far habit.

[@loco4dogg]

Another thing I would like to see is how/what do you make notes on for players.

[@ericcomp7032]

The poker niche has the best lighting. Your set is 🔥. Your editor is doing excellent work. Shoutout whip woosh 5. Clear, succinct, direct communication is easy for me to understand. Thanks Phil 😊 seems like you've spent some time contemplating what your audience wants/needs.

[@PhilGalfond]

Thank you so much 😊 And yes, thanks to my awesome editing team!

[@jujuloopoker5883]

Phil you truly always give the best advice and genuinely inspire me / so many, thanks mate! X

[@qsdailydose8970]

Thanks Phil!

[@Charlie_Echo]

Such a great point that knowledge does not equal execution. I know I make mistakes but I've been looking exclusively for new knowledge to help me get better; actually there's at least as much value - probably more! - in finding ways to more reliably execute on the knowledge I already have.

[@Southflorida61693]

This is really good advice, love yours videos man, you, Polk, and Alec torrelli are great.. I like your humbleness and relate-ability.. improving your A game and minimizing your C game buy implementing a certain habit to help this happen has really helped me since I first watched this video about a week ago.

[@pokerforaliving447]

Great vid!!!

[@christophervanlalpeka6255]

You're really awesome... I really appreciate you.... Thank you

[@stylin40s]

One thing to keep in mind is that, either way, plus or minus, the results will be compounding. Taking up the healthier eating, exercise, and meditating will create a better you. Which will allow you to uncloud your judgements and increase your focus. The little edges are what make the biggest difference. Other than that, one of my favorite sayings... Do you know the difference between an amateur and a professional? An amateur practices until they get it right, a professional practices until they can't get it wrong.

[@vediboy22]

Really useful insights for improving, I have seen similar advice for improving at chess and I'm sure a lot of this can be applied in several areas. Love it!

[@maxev817]

Hey Phil, great video! I really appreciate your focus on growth and learning. Mistakes are invaluable growth opportunities, provided we can overcome our initial defensiveness and reflect on them sincerely. Why are they so valuable? Because they help us identify our weaknesses, enabling us to address them and improve continuously. A tool particularly compelling for this is 'The 5 Whys.' This technique involves asking 'Why?' five times in succession to get to the root cause of a problem, which is often multifaceted. To enhance the effectiveness of the 5 Whys, ask, 'How do I know that?' for each response, then meticulously examine the evidence before formulating a plan to address the identified issues.

[@ryanrhoades5282]

Every time I watch Phil’s videos- I’m overcome with the strange desire to cuddle him and whisper- “thank you- you poker sage…”

[@BigMcLargeHuge__]

I'm beginning to think tilt check-jamming my 66 into a flush completing board with 4 over cards was a mistake and not just a cooler... 🤔

[@PhilGalfond]

😂

[@butcho7492]

😂😂😂😂😂

[@sincityinfinity6255]

Phil any chance your ebook is on Kindle? If not I’ll still download it but maybe it’s something worth looking into for all of us. You’re a good person and we (the poker community) appreciates you

[@jackchi1123]

Damn i had a horrible session recently and this video help me more than I can imagine

[@YoshiBugatti]

We want to see you on HCL!!!

[@TheRileyShot]

Genuinely helped about learning why i make mistakes rather than , ill just fix it next only to do the exact same. Now the hard work, finding a control for my attention and tilt 😢

[@patrickjordan2233]

Warren Buffett was once asked..."what's the worst investment mistake you've ever made...?" His response: "the worst investment is the one i didn't learn anything from..." 👍👍

[@loco4dogg]

Another great video Phil. Maybe you've done this video already, what I need is to see exactly how you study a hand, or situation. What are the steps involved? If this is something that is in your Run it Once training then maybe that's what I need to do cause while I'm a winning player $$ wise I feel there is more I can accomplish. I know I can do better.

[@petedupre85]

The Plato of Poker

[@PhilGalfond]

♥️

[@blackbeardgoatjr2434]

This is more than just improving in poker, this is how you improve in life!

[@DonnieL90]

This is no poker but a real life lesson ❤

[@JM-vk2ru]

legend

[@etherjoe505]

Damn good stuff.

[@bravestory5000]

@PhilGalfond what is the backround song at 6.40?

[@davidgeorgecross815]

WOW...enjoy your stuff. This is absolutely the best video you have ever put out/ thanks!

[@PhilGalfond]

Awesome! Thank you so much! You’ll really enjoy my newsletter if you haven’t checked it out. It’s deeper stuff like this compared to most YT vids. I pulled this topic from my content there. newsletter.philgalfond.com

[@Samuel88853]

playing too many tables at once is the cause of a lot of mistakes in my opinion. Esp. the performance kind you mention

[@PhilGalfond]

Definitely true for many

[@Hugo-.F.-000]

That's exactly what i was going to write!

[@ekw555]

but . . . . what if my plan was to become the solver, never making a mistake?? just kidding. this is some very solid advice. and it warms my heart to hear TA's C-game strat mentioned. sometimes we forget to work on the parts that would help us the most.

[@kevinvia2420]

I was Playing 2/5 last night and someone I'd never seen showed up. He sad he was your friend. But that's not what's important. When I sad I loved your channel, he sad and you know what he's probably the nicest guy in poker. That's a good friend. Wish I'd remembered the name of who was spreading your good will.

[@PhilGalfond]

♥️

[@hxhdfjifzirstc894]

Was his name Tom? LOL

[@butcho7492]

Another excellent lesson Phil. Thanks!!

[@Doodz613]

wish i knew how to study properly to really improve my game

[@PhilGalfond]

What games do you play? I’ll think about creating some content along these lines.

[@Doodz613]

@@PhilGalfond Would love that! I mainly play NLH and PLO. I keep hearing study, study, study, but have no idea how to approach it in a structured way that would actually help me improve my game.

[@hxhdfjifzirstc894]

@@Doodz613 This might be an outdated idea, but have you ever read a book on poker? Not trying to be sarcastic, it just seems like an easy way for people to study, if they have no idea how to study.

[@paulchild4055]

Absolute gold

[@Humanprototype-wh8qr]

I am gonna perfectly improve day by day 😊

[@evingmadeez5008]

My biggest mistake is trying to get the money in before they do(acting too quickly).. but honestly doesn't bother me as much as being 80 to 90% favored (flop) and losing time & time again 😒😒😒

[@sincityinfinity6255]

If you live in Vegas Phil I hope someday we randomly meet at a table in a live tournament

[@20pointer]

elliot roe's teachings?

[@Senorzilchnzero]

Phil would have been an amazing psychologist.

[@learn.ai99]

Theres an ai software that removes white noise from ur vids

[@jesperkristensen5875]

In terms of content, superb as always! A bit of constructive criticism this time around. Both the underlying music and the high number of cuts feels new in these type of videos, and it really put me off. Specifically with the music it gave the video a feel like all those generic motivational videos on here. Not going to pretend to be a KZbin expert, and I may well help you reach a younger audience, but for me in my early 40s I was annoyed at those two factors taking away from focusing on your advice.

[@bobsburgers8885]

I think my biggest issue is that, while I understand the theory very well, and I can usually find the right play given enough time, I'm not good at finding it in an amount of time that's reasonable. If I had 10 minutes to make every play I feel that I would be a very strong player, but that's not how poker works. This kind of matches up with my other skills as well. I love turn based strategy games but I hate RTS. I love logic puzzles but I hate time limits (or even timers if I'm doing a puzzle). I can be good, but not quick. Will I just never be anything more than a small winner or is this something I can work on? I'm also in my mid-late 40s and my education is in math (2 math degrees, worked as a software engineer)

[@leslieandclash7030]

the greenline in the thumbnail is realistic and acheivable

[@hxhdfjifzirstc894]

Did you know that if you double your bankroll only about 20 times, you'll be a billionaire? I only mention it, because I feel like people ignore how simple the math is.

[@SavagePoker81]

GTO & Solver are useless for Phil Ivey LOLZ!

[@NSNB77]

If you don’t make mistakes, which means you don’t have friends lol

[@hxhdfjifzirstc894]

You don't need to be perfect -- you only need to be making shitloads of money.

[@tiddlewink101]

Top notch video wpld. Please stop making these videos 😅 sharing too much valuable info…

[@joeingram1]

WAY 2 MUCH STRAT

[@PhilGalfond]

😂

[@PhilGalfond]

😂