#017 Chris Sparks: High-stakes Poker, the training regimen of a world-class mental athlete, and coaching the top 0.01%

Nov 30, 2021

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Professional Poker - What's Your Life Like as a Professional Poker Player?

How Do Cash Games and Tournaments Work?

The Fish at the Poker Table, You're the Fish

Is the Best Poker Player the Most Profitable?

On Line Poker - Game Selection

Is That a Thing That Exists in High Stakes Private Games?

Isaid Tei It Varies Much?

Molly's Game Is the Classic.

The Yin and the Yang in Poker

How to Develop a Sensitivity to Changes

Psychological Leverage in Poker

What Does It Feel Like Inside You?

How Do You Know When Something Is Coming From the Subconscious?

The Captain's Log, a Morning Page

How Do You Slow Down?

The Biggest Tournament I've Ever Played

How Do You Prepare for a Poker Tournament?

How Long Does It Take to Play Poker?

Creating Your Environment, Assume You Have No Free Will

Control Your Environment for Your Future Self Forever

How Do You Decide What You Want?

01:00:09 • 3min

The Top Values Experiment

01:03:37 • 5min

Do You Have a Zero Sum Strategy?

01:08:25 • 2min

Coaching in the Poker World

01:10:48 • 4min

What Role Does Coaching Play in Your Client's Life?

01:14:35 • 3min

The Importance of Systems Thinking

01:17:56 • 3min

The System's Bible

01:21:19 • 3min

Is There a Relationship Between Tokyo and Japan?

01:24:30 • 3min

Is There a Professional Poker World in Japan?

01:27:57 • 3min

The Long Game, Is It a Long Game?

01:30:49 • 3min

Investing in the World of Poker - Do You Have an Edge?

01:33:37 • 3min

What's It Like to Live With One of the Greatest Pianists?

01:36:58 • 4min

The Importance of Taking a Break

01:40:31 • 2min

The Short Cut Is to Be Consistent

01:42:37 • 2min

I'm Not Hyperoptimized, but I'd Like to Say That

01:44:48 • 3min

The Impact of Small Decisions

01:47:40 • 2min

The Best Podcasts, Articles and Resources on Forcing Function

01:49:36 • 2min

Play to Win Meda Skills and High Stakes Poker

01:51:12 • 2min

Chris says he isn’t the best poker player in the world, but he may be the most profitable.

Pro poker player Chris Sparks is training for the highest-stakes tournament he has ever played in after a long sabbatical. He says he has already decided he is going to win, and now he is doing the necessary things to create that outcome.

What is the dynamic amongst poker friends? Chris says “frenemies” – all bets are off when the cards are on the table. Chris only plays when he expects to make money, and elaborates on the role of recreational players, stating that if you can’t recognize the fish at the poker table, you are the fish.

In the poker world, the meta skill of finding good games, of getting invited, and staying invited are critical. A good example is how Chris got invited to a famous comedian’s poker parties multiple times. Chris recounts these parties that feature full sets of dealers, cocktail waitresses, and masseuses--and it all ends when the comedian gets tired.

We talk about Chris’s consulting agency, Forcing Function, travel, and living with one of the world’s best pianists. Currently, Chris is coming out of a sabbatical and is preparing to play his largest tournament to date, with the prize pool potentially reaching seven figures.

For Chris, everything is a bet. But with any bet, the decision should be weighed with the things surrounding it and you go in with eyes wide open.

Links

Chris’ Website - https://www.chrissparks.io/

Forcing Function - https://www.forcingfunction.com/

Chris Spark’s essay on Poker: Play to Win: Meta-Skills in High Stakes Poker

Rounders Movie - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9r-K5dmt0Rc

Molly’s Game movie - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vu4UPet8Nyc

The Artist’s Way by Julia Cameron - https://amzn.to/3ljtOIh

Forcing Function Podcast - https://www.forcingfunction.com/podcast

Forcing Function Performance Library - https://www.forcingfunction.com/library

Experiment without limits workbook - https://www.forcingfunction.com/workbook

The Fifth Discipline Field Book by Peter Senge - https://amzn.to/3I5rrCU

The Systems Bible by John Gall - https://amzn.to/3D3S9bj

Additional Episodes If You Enjoyed:

Kevin Espiritu: Bootstrapping Epic Gardening to 8 figures by mixing Media + D2C Biz models. Oh and Poker, Pink Pineapples, and Male Models

Jason Hitchcock: Your Guide to Web3 (DeFi, NFTs, and The Metaverse)

David Perell: Intellectual Openness & Mental Models for Success

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