Name: Chris
Age: 25
Hometown: Taipei, Taiwan
Games & Stakes: FR 2/4
Sites you play on: Pokermaster
It’s a classic story. A poker player finds success playing the game in high school and college. He then dumps the college classroom and heads out to play poker instead. Maybe Las Vegas, maybe some private games, and a bunch of hands online. Even poker legend and winner of the 1978 World Series of Poker Main Event Bobby Baldwin dropped out of business school at Oklahoma State University to pursue a career in poker.
Poker players throughout the poker boom of the 2000s were attracted more to big dreams at the tables than hitting the books on campus.
And while BPC student Chris may have indeed finished college recently, this young poker player has decided to seek his fortune with poker cards and chips rather than a briefcase and a 9-to-5 job. His chosen the poker table over the office desk.
And his success has already begun. Chris is part of the 30k Zoom Master program and has had his best month so far. In May, he finished almost 2k in profits – not too bad and hopefully a sign of much more to come. He now has dreams of playing the game professionally.
Chris got into poker like many young players. He had previously been a fan of video games and was a regular player of the popular game Hearthstone. That changed once he started playing poker, however.
“My friend introduced me to poker and how you can make money,” he says. “I play a lot now. As a fan of games in general, I thought. ‘Why not change games so can make money using my skills and mind.’ So I started playing after that.”
As he begins his poker career, Chris doesn’t have a regular job. He’s hoping his profits will continue to grow in coming months so that he can make a nice living at the tables. Away from the game, he likes to watch movies. But while getting his poker life started there is little time for the cinema or Netflix. His poker routine is pretty standard right now, with lots of hours of working at the virtual poker tables. Here’s his daily schedule is as follows:
- Wake up.
- Eat breakfast and drink coffee.
- Immediately play some hands online for a few hours.
- Hit the gym to stay sharp physically and mentally.
- Eat dinner.
- Then in the evening and at night, it’s grind, grind, grind. In fact, he terms his night as “grinding to sleep.”
Many BPC players no doubt can share a similar experience as No. 6. So far his efforts are starting to pay off as evidenced by a nice upswing in May. He’s not resting on his achievements so far, however, and one of his goals is to move up in stakes as soon as possible.
Chris has been pleased with the experience at BPC, and says the coaching and strategies have been phenomenal. Players receive analysis, strategies, and ideas about situations that can help them think about poker in a different way.
“My coach Asimos has been teaching me some great game plans,” he says. “I’m not just randomly clicking any more.”
When considering online poker coaching, Chris says it’s important to ask yourself what areas need improvement in your game. See what coaches best fit your stakes, skills, and needs. Take the training seriously and work with your coach toward improvement. And again, as he says, use your coach and BPC training to help get out of that “just clicking a mouse” mode.
What is some advice Chris offers for other players in a similar situation and level as him?
“Follow what your coach says 100 percent,” he says.
Of course, not every hand or even every day is a winner. Players must adjust to these swings and stay in the moment. Tilt can definitely be a profit killer. Chris tries to find something else to take up some of his time and take his mind off any negative thoughts or bad decisions.
“During a bad run at the table, I just play less,” he says. “I watch some TV or a movie. I try to do something that makes me happy – and then fight back at the tables.”
Finishing the 30k Zoom Master program will be a huge accomplishment for this young poker rounder – and he’s working to make it happen. Chris plans to reward himself a bit after the feat.
“After I finish the program I want to spend some time travelling,” he says.
A little getaway may have been in the cards, but his goals still remain. He says: “After the trip, I will be back to grinding, grinding, grinding.”
That mentality and determination hopefully pay off in the coming months.
Sean Chaffin is a freelance writer in Texas. His work appears in numerous websites and publications such as PokerNews.com. Follow him on Twitter @PokerTraditions.
