Seeking Balance Structure and Improvisation: Balancing Theory, Intuition, and Wellbeing with Thomas Boivin
Jan 29, 2025
In this conversation, high-stakes poker pro and coach Thomas Boivin shares insights from his unique blend of structured study and intuitive play. He discusses the importance of simplifying strategies for better decision-making and the need to balance solver-based strategies with trusting one's instincts. Thomas also opens up about his journey into coaching and the personal growth that enhances both poker skills and wellbeing. He emphasizes cultivating self-acceptance and choosing joy over mere profit, revealing a holistic approach to life and poker.
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Coach To Accelerate Your Growth
- Teach to learn: coaching forces you to explain concepts and accelerates your own understanding.
- Use coaching as a tool to become a clearer, more confident player and thinker.
Prioritize High-Impact Parameters
- Focus study on parameters that shift equilibrium the most rather than tiny frequency tweaks.
- Small preflop or flop changes can create large downstream exploitable effects.
Wide C‑betting Creates Big River Edges
- Thomas describes a small-blind open where most players c‑bet too widely and create downstream mistakes.
- That flop error lets opponents find bluffs and call rivers profitably versus an overly weak range.