Sports & Gaming
Closing
Lesson time 03:08 min
Phil shares the pitfalls of early success and talks about how he’s grown in his 25 years of playing the game.
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Topics include: Closing
Preview
[MUSIC PLAYING] - When I won big money in my 20s, to be honest, I really wasn't ready for it. I wasn't prepared for success that young, and I made a lot of bad decisions. You know, I became-- you know, once I started-- I got on TV, and people started to know I was, I started, you know, I started making tons of bad decisions, some of which I don't really want to, you know, go into too much. But I made a lot of bad decisions. And, you know, it's just because I've really-- I didn't really have no one to talk to. I didn't really have anyone in my family who was really too successful, you know, to tell me what to do with money, what not to do with money, how to take care of things. You know, so I was spending money, like, on ridiculous things that now I realize don't matter. You know, I was buying $500,000 cars, you know, spending money on watches, you know, things that I thought made me happy at the time that do absolutely nothing for me now. I wasn't the best person, you know, with my family. I really wasn't engaged. I was really sort of, not to speak harshly of myself, but I was you know very selfish. And a part of becoming a great poker player is you need to be selfish in some ways, and in your game, and practicing. And you have to put that first. But I was so embodied with poker that I-- that's all I thought about, and that's all I really cared about. And, you know, I put my relationships second. But the people who are there for you from day one and the people that really care for you and love you-- you need to really appreciate that and appreciate every moment you have with them because, you know, that's what really matters at the end of the day. If I have kids years from now, and they're watching this class, I would like them to see my growth as a person, and as a poker player, and the things I've learned, the lessons I learned in life, and how I've taken what I've learned at the poker table and applied it to my life and vise versa and become a better person and a better poker player at the same time, and that life is always about improving, just like it is in poker. You constantly need to be working on yourself at the table and working on yourself as a person. I'm 41. I'm playing poker seriously since I was 17 years old. So you're talking about 24 years of my life's work. This is something that I put my heart and my soul into. And, you know, I'm very proud and blessed to be in the situation that I'm in. And, you know, I'm thankful. I want to thank you for spending time with me in the MasterClass. I'm really grateful for having this opportunity to discuss poker and my-- my thoughts and my different strategies on poker. And I really hope that it serves you well, and you're able to take some of these strategies to the table. Now go get them. [MUSIC PLAYING]
About the Instructor
At age 38, Phil Ivey became the youngest player to win 10 World Series of Poker bracelets. Now the man known for his enigmatic table presence—and widely regarded as the world’s best all-around poker player—gives you unprecedented access to his mental game. Learn poker strategy, pick up new poker tips, and review hands with the player who’s won more than $26 million in live tournament earnings.
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