108 – Kevin Rabichow – The Mentality Of A Winner

Summary:

In this episode, Kevin Rabichow, a popular Run It Once coach and longtime professional, talks about shifting into new poker games. He shares the biggest differences in mentality between online cash game and tournament pros and gives insights into the key mindsets that lead to success.

Listen in to hear why certain people “make it” while others fall to the wayside – and discover how to stay ahead of the pack.

Time Stamped Show Notes:

[00:40] – Introducing Kevin, a popular Run It Once coach and longtime professional

• 01:00 – His initial success came from heads-up, no-limit cash games; he’s shifted into different formats and he’s been quite successful
• 01:30 – He has learned that mindsets and mentalities are different in different games
• 01:45 – He picked up poker in university; post Black Friday he moved from the U.S. to Toronto to refill the bank roll and coach
• 03:00 – He liked teaching and playing heads-up no-limit, but with solvers and today’s advanced level of play, it’s not so popular
• 03:30 – He’s been learning new games, as have his students

[04:00] – How his mindset has shifted as the game has changed

• 04:05 – He made the process of learning a new game fun and like a project
• 05:45 – Comfort is dangerous in a game where everyone’s trying to get better; the continuous learning process is so important
• 07:17 – He understands when people don’t have motivation

[07:40] – How he’s learning new games

• 08:00 – He attributes his success to a forum where the best players shared their thoughts on the game
• 08:40 – If you know how others think, you can learn to play accordingly; he plays as much as he can, watches livestreams, connects with others, and studies
• 09:55 – By learning what everyone else in the network is doing, he can plan his next focused learning
• 10:40 – He has a priority list for how to spend his time

[11:13] – On the difference between online and live tournament players

• 11:20 – Tournament players are more competitive; like athletes
• 12:05 – It’s humbling because he realized that being smart is not enough
• 12:45 – In live tournaments he learned that he to be sharp for four days or 60 hours; he needed to learn how to pick up information and think clearly
• 14:18 – He hadn’t experienced a competitive focus like that which was required for tournament playing

[15:05] – On experiencing a new level of focus

• 15:35 – he plans his routine outside of poker now; he chooses a tournament poker that makes sense for him

[16:05] – On what makes certain people make it

• 16:30 – Fearlessness and confidence: Some of his students can play through spots they haven’t been coached through and others don’t have the confidence
• 17:30 – Try something you haven’t perfected and use new strategy without fear
• 18:45 – Tips for players to visit; read comments about theoretical concepts and engage professionals
• 19:45 – What happens in poker doesn’t happen in other professional sports; you can also watch hours of professional, high-level play
• 19:00 – Run It Once forums are a good place

3 Key Points

1. Be honest with yourself and have foresight. You need to study!
2. Have fearlessness and confidence.
3. Study and learn from high-level play.

Contact/Resources

• A-Game Poker Masterclass – Website
• Kevin’s Twitter and Instagram
• Run It Once

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