Michael Jordan Helps You Go (Poker) Pro

Whether you have him ranked first or second in the basketball G.O.A.T. discussion (or lower if you’re the type of person who limps UTG), there’s no doubt that Michael Jordan had one of the most storied NBA careers of all time.

Beyond the unbelievable basketball skills and nearly unparalleled work ethic, it is the impenetrable mindset of success that ultimately separated ‘MJ’ from the pack. From being cut from his high school basketball team to becoming one of the biggest superstars the world has ever seen, Jordan demonstrated that success is about turning every setback into a stepping stone.

With that in mind, here are three insights from His Airness that will help you go from poker pleb to poker pro.

1. “Champions do not become champions when they win an event, but in the hours, weeks, months, and years they spend preparing for it. The victorious performance itself is merely a demonstration of their championship character.”

Although the likes of WSOP Main Event winners Jamie Gold and Jerry Yang may convince you otherwise, on a long enough timeline, the path to true poker success is lined with consistency and hard work. From honing your hand ranges, to understanding stack size and positional implications, to mastering your emotional control, poker is a game that will test every aspect of your preparation, or lack thereof. And while you might pull a Jamie Gold every now and again and heater your way to a huge score, his results since that day are a perfect example of what happens to those who don’t embody what Jordan so aptly called the “championship character.”

2. “I would tell players to relax and never think about what’s at stake. Just think about the game. If you start to think about who is going to win the championship, you’ve lost your focus.”

While it works for basketball too, there are very few areas in life more suited to MJ’s advice than the poker table. The world of poker, and especially tournament poker, is filled with potential emotional pitfalls and the urge to look ahead to the big payoff at the end of the rainbow. However, if long-term poker success is the goal, the reality is that your timeline will be filled with opportunities, most of which will ultimately fail to materialize. In those moments, it’s critical that we maintain the kind of focused, moment-to-moment attention that Jordan advocates. By resisting the urge to focus on the pot of gold sitting at the end of each poker session, instead concentrating on the specifics of the hand in front of you, you’ll be better able to maintain the psychological edge necessary to win those elusive championships.

3. “If it turns out that my best wasn’t good enough, at least I won’t look back and say I was afraid to try.”

When attempting to go from poker pleb to poker pro, one of the worst handicaps you can saddle yourself with is the fear or failure. Whether it comes from an upbringing that embedded in you the belief that failure is unacceptable, or the very real financial pressure of chasing your dreams, a fear of failure will likely prevent you from taking calculated (and profitable) risks in the moments when it is most required.

Be it going for a bluff late in a tournament against an opponent with a “capped range” (meaning they are unlikely to have very strong hands) or facing tougher competition at higher stakes (when you are properly bankrolled for it), embracing the possibility of failure is a necessary step in the journey to poker success. Just as MJ didn’t quit basketball after his early failures, doubling and tripling down on his efforts instead, so too must we be unapologetically resilient in the face of adversity.

By following these 3 insights – always trying our best, staying focused on the here and now, and continuing to put in the work both in times of feast and famine, we can learn to emulate the spirit of MJ and begin carving out our own path from poker pleb to poker pro.