Watching experienced poker players playing the game and navigating their way to the top can teach you a lot about what it takes to become an Everygame poker pro. You can learn from their success stories and from their losses as well, and Phil Hellmuth's latest flop is the best example of that.
Earlier this month, Hellmuth suffered back-to-back coolers during a high-stakes poker event, which caused him to lose his cool and all his stack quicker than he anticipated.
In an unfortunate turn of events, the renowned poker hall of famer lost about $92,000 to Seth Gottlieb, even though he had pocket queens. As the two butted heads, Gottlieb stated: "I've got aces," and as the flop produced the J♣, 10♣, 10♦ - he was even more confident in his hand. But as turn and river produced a ♣8 and then ♣6 – Hellmuth has had enough, and he left the table after announcing: "I quit."
Only a hand earlier, Hellmuth lost to Gottlieb as the former had ♥A and ♦J, while the latter started the round with pocket fives. And while Hellmuth had a strong hand, as the community cards revealed ♣J, ♠9, ♣5, ♥7, and ♣2 – he had to admit defeat.
Major Poker Losses in History
Phil Hellmuth is not the first poker player to suffer great losses, even though they did everything by the book. Brian Townsend, for example, was a relatively successful poker player until he hit a rough patch that caused him to tilt. He started relatively small by playing $0.50/$1.00 online poker games, but he slowly progressed to more lucrative games. At the height of his career, he earned about $25,000 a month during his poker matches.
But in 2008 and 2009 his online accounts were suspended as he was involved in multi-accounting. He slowly built his reputation back, but in 2010, he made a series of bad choices which lead him to lose about $4 million.
Phil Galfond also suffered some pretty substantial losses. When he was invited to High Stakes Poker for the second time, he tried to play aggressively, trusting his gut instincts as he went. And while he later stated that he was content with his approach, he still lost $431,800 in the process.
Galfond also had back luck with his poker training platform, as he invested almost $10 million into it, and it didn't pay off. But at the end of the day, he managed to sell the platform and cut his losses.
What Can You Learn from Hellmuth's Misfortune?
There are multiple lessons to be had here: first of all, you are never immune to losses. Even the best and brightest lose from time to time, and if you are not ready to deal with some disappointments throughout your poker journey, you are not ready to turn pro.
It is also important to learn how to deal with losses. You can't take your losses to heart, as it might affect your ability to play in future games. If you start doubting yourself and your ability to win, you will certainly tilt, and that can be avoided if you manage to remain cool even when things don't go your way.
And lastly, you should remember that it is all about decorum. Don't sulk or storm off after a bad game, as it might damage your image and affect the way your opponent treats you in the future. Strive to remain as gracious as possible even if you lose, and you will earn the respect of others.