Success Stories
Jarkko
High-Stakes MTT Reg
When Jarkko, a successful online MTT player, first came to me, he was spending a lot of time in the land of ‘what if’.
In our initial session, we discussed how he was spending a lot of his mental resources in game asking himself questions like ‘Why don't I know the answers?’ and ‘Why am I so unlucky?’
This questioning, among other beliefs and habits, led to a dynamic where Jarkko was numbing and distracting himself with his phone and other stimulus, rather than showing up to his sessions and life to the best of his ability.
Piece by piece, we began to unpack the roots of Jarkko’s discomfort and replace them with practices allowing him to thrive rather than struggle.
A big part of the initial work was centred around creating systems for his sessions.
Together, we implemented pre-session routines, registration windows, end-game mindsets and other dynamics which gave Jarkko the tools he needed to consistently play at his best.
As our work progressed, we delved into Jarkko’s life off the felt and discussed how best to best optimise his sleep, nutrition and exercise routines.
Our combined effort has led to a dynamic in which Jarkko is no longer questioning himself and in his own words:
‘The biggest success has been being able to enjoy the game a lot more. I don’t think about the ‘what ifs’ anymore or dwell on the past.’
Since making these shifts, Jarkko has gone on to have some massive success:
‘I had my two biggest scores last autumn as well as my two biggest live cashes this year and my first live win last September.’
This success has included coming 2nd in the 5k Titans on Stars, outmanoeuvring the likes of C.Darwin and Sam Grafton on the FT for a 70k score.
Whilst crushing at the tables, he has also become a new Father and nationally winning American Football Coach.
Congratulations Jarkko!
Jamil
PLO2k Reg
When Jamil and I started working together, he was already a very established cash game professional.
So why hire a coach?
Despite the success, there was an issue.
A distinct lack of balance.
When Jamil was working and progressing, things went well. Inevitably, however, Jamil would burn out and sink into what he called ‘10% mode’.
This aggressive cycle that would lead to long stretches of lethargy, inconsistency and self-criticism.
The bulk of our work has been centred around giving Jamil the tools he needed to maintain his well-being over the long haul. Treating professional poker as a marathon rather than a sprint.
Simple things like ensuring a morning routine happened consistently made a big difference. Jamil and I set up a prop bet in which he would pay his siblings $150 each every time he didn’t follow through on his routine.
Within a few months of working together, Jamil achieved a 100+ day meditation and breathwork streak.
As we explored deeper into Jamil’s inner world, it became clear that he had been holding onto some self-resentment and this dynamic would express itself in his daily actions.
