You can learn how to play poker in various ways: reading specific book guides, watching tutorials, and so on. But if you want to have a true understanding of the game, there is nothing better than watching poker pros in action and learning all their tricks and strategies.
This month's poker star is Jeremy Becker, who won several Wynn tournaments in a row, making him one of the most promising young players of the year. Who is Becker? What does his career look like? And what can you learn from him when it comes to playing poker? Learning the answers to these questions might allow you to become a better player!
Who IS Jeremy Becker?
Becker's first recorded win dates back to 2016, which means he is rather new to the poker industry. The young poker player from Tampa started competing in local tournaments, slowly but surely raking in wins.
Over the years, he moved on to bigger - and more prestigious - events, bringing him to the Wynn Casino Tournaments in Las Vegas earlier in May. Over the course of a few days, he got a cash win in nine consecutive events, coming in first place in five of those, which is an unbelievable feat all by itself.
Becker left the gambling venues $26,114 richer, bringing his total live earnings to $842,934.
The young pro's success caught the attention of poker legends like Daniel Negreanu, who tweeted: "Could this kid be the next “The One?” Granted they are low buy-in tournaments, but this is quite the run".
When getting interviews, the 27-year-old player shared that he started going to the local casino during his sophomore year in college, and he fell in love with the game straight away. He learned how to learn to play poker rather quickly, and the moment he graduated college he turned poker into a career. In fact, he only had one job prior to going pro – working as a caddy at a golf course.
Becker left the comfort of his home earlier this year to try his luck at Sin City and try to win more money by participating in bigger events. But things didn't go as planned for the young pro, as he lost quite a lot at the beginning of his journey.
Becker said: "I had really been studying the game more, and for the first time in my career, was questioning my life decision of being a professional poker player. I felt like I was making great decisions and just getting screwed over and over in these tournaments".
However, he kept showing up at the most prestigious gambling venues in Vegas, and eventually, his dedication paid off. If he keeps improving from game to game as he was doing so far, he has a decent chance of achieving his dream of winning major tournaments left and right.
What Can You Learn from Becker's Story?
With a promising poker career ahead of him, there is a lot we can all learn from Becker when it comes to turning pro. First of all, the fact that he started learning how to play poker for beginners at a young age and took his time learning all about the game gave him a great head start by the time he turned 21 and could play poker more freely.
In addition to that, his fearlessness can only be admired. Not everyone can leave their past behind without blinking when chasing grand opportunities. But you can't miss out on precious opportunities when they present themselves! Otherwise, you might find yourself unable to move up the poker ladder.
And lastly, the young player's determination and dedication serve to show that if you practice enough and never give up, you might find yourself sitting at the poker table with the best poker pros out there.