In episode 3 of the mental game podcast, our mindset coach Karina had a conversation with Jon ‘Apestyles’ Van Fleet. He shares how important is to have a warrior mindset, build a routine and study in a structured way.
Apestyles also gives a clue on what is it like to be a poker veteran with 20+ years of experience and poker, especially from a mindset perspective.
Click any of the icons below, sit back, relax and enjoy the conversation with Apestyles on MD Podcast.
In today’s episode…
… with Apestyles you are going to learn:
- How does Jon explain the warrior mentality and why it is so important in poker?
- What are the biggest mental challenges he faced in his career as a poker pro?
- How to maintain your motivation long-term?
- How to overcome downswings?
- What are the TOP 3 mindset traits a player should work on to progress?
- And much, much more!
If you are interested in any particular advice and mental game experience, read till the end.
Meet Jon ‘Apestyles’ Van Fleet
Apestyles doesn’t need much of an introduction but let’s get into a bit more details…
He made a name for himself during the original online poker boom of the 2000s under the nickname ‘apestyles.” He is considered among the top 5 best skilled MTT players.
With a poker career spanning two decades, Jon’s accomplishments are lengthy. Yet his most notable accomplishment was becoming the first-ever Partypoker Millions Champion. He walked away with $1,027,000 after crushing the $5 Million GTD online tournament back in 2017.
Jon’s biography is an inspirational tale about facing obstacles head-on, defying the odds, and overcoming adversity.
Follow Apestyles on social media to find inspiration and motivation from a poker pro, playing both live and online, and streaming:
“I am gonna put everything I have into focusing on what I can control which is my physical fitness and I am gonna spend the rest of my time playing poker and trying to get better.”
What is it like to be a warrior and why it is so important in poker?
Apestyles has a pretty interesting perspective on what it’s like to be a warrior – you can be both good and bad as a person. The ability to keep going, take responsibility, and the competitive aspect of it is really important for him.
If you want to be good at poker – you just keep playing your game, no matter the person in front, put your headphones on and do your best to take him out. You just need to make good decisions and keep your negative emotions and Ego in control.
What is the mindset of a poker pro?
Apestyles advises poker players to have the right motivation to progress and become pros. And the question you should always ask yourself, especially after a bad beat or if you are on a downswing is: “Should I give up? Or try harder?”.
“Are you ready to give up poker?”
The answer gives you an idea of what is your motivation and dedication. Then you should only move on with structured studying and consistency – both in strategy and mindset transformation.
You should raise your awareness
According to Jon, you become a great player with the discipline to reflect on your mental game and fix flaws. “That’s when you start to see your flows and you can work on them.
Keeping a journal, and asking for feedback from fellow players is what gives you a perspective to think about. You need to know what really stays behind your actions – is it emotions, past, strategy flaws, etc. Start with the self-awareness to see and identify areas for improvement and work on them.
Daily and weekly journaling helped him a lot. Now, being a streamer Apestyles receives a lot of feedback to reflect on. But he started with a journal.
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You’ll hear stories of successful people and how they handle the mental game challenges they face to become PRO. This podcast is part of our mission to provide knowledge and a profound perspective about the psychological side of the game.