If you could write a letter to your younger self, what would it say? This week, Shaun Deeb has a word with himself...
Dear Shaun,
You’re just starting out in poker but you’re really not good enough to beat the games. You’re just lucky that the games you’re playing are really soft. But get real. You aren’t winning nearly as much as you think you are. And you’re definitely not nearly as good as you think you are. You’re an absolute fish, tbh.
Really?
Yes. You are. As poker players, we have to look back at ourselves every year and evaluate our game. You don’t do that nearly as much as you should.
I understand
Bro, there are so many things you’re doing wrong. Sure, you’re a super-aggressive A1 speed player. You just raise and bet, raise and bet, and go all-in all the time. You pretty much hope your chips will come back because players are much tighter then than they are now. Pure aggression works well, but that won’t always be the case.
Okay
But you’re f***ing awful, really.
Really?
And what a big ego you’ve got. Dude. Ego is how so many great players go broke. It’ll take you many years to get past your ego. But you’ll make progress. Your game will grow light years from where you started.
Thanks
It's crazy where you’ll get to in the game, but you really don’t know how bad you are. Thankfully, most people are just as bad. Well, maybe not as much as you are, but close.
Let’s review some of the things you can do better. It’s a long list.
Okay, shoot
Your bankroll management is awful.
You have no business staking people.
You could be a little humbler.
But you’re lucky. Unlike many players, you have the family business to fall back on if things get tough. You’re blessed, to tell you the truth. You have a place to live. You have a car and a cell phone that’s paid for. And you have a job waiting for you. You have a f***ing safety net that many players don't have.
All of that makes you able to be a very aggressive player. It pays off for you. Be thankful.
You really went on a roll there. We don’t sound like such a nice guy as we get older
I had to, Shaun. I had to get thick-skinned to survive. But poker will give you so much in this life to be grateful for. You’ll meet so many amazing people along the way. You’ll know some of your poker friends for over half your life. You’ll meet your amazing wife, Ashley, through poker.
That sounds like the luckiest thing that could possibly happen to me
Believe me, it will be, she’s incredible!
Younger Shaun playing at the Rio in Las Vegas in 2013You’ll enjoy lots of financial success from poker, make good investments, and make so many amazing friends (but you’ll also meet a bunch of scumbags).
Whoa
You’ll be so lucky and blessed. Take that in.
I am
Because you don’t always stop and breathe.
I agree, I’ll try harder
You’ll travel the world, play for millions of dollars, and love every minute. You’ll have very few downswings because of the pure volume you play. Where you end up is probably a one in 10,000,000 chance. You’ve got a great poker mind. But remember that thousands of players who are better than you don’t make it.
You might just be one of the greatest minds of your generation.
That’s your ego talking
But I can say that because I’m a survivor. I can say that because of my longevity in the game.
To be perfectly honest, it is not because of pure skill. You’ve got very little. You’re battling being a degenerate in so many ways. You’ll regret not putting more effort into cash games. The win rate and hourly can be much better and the variance is lower than in tournaments.
Okay, I get it
Let’s talk about your diet and fitness.
Do we have to?
You could do so much better. But, and this will probably friggin’ shock you, knowing what I know now, I think you should carry on doing what you’re doing.
Great! Why?
Because you’re playing so much volume, and it’s partly why your game turns out so great. It’s impossible to do that and go to the gym. You’re waking up and playing 14 to 16 hours a day. There are no breaks. You would have to wake up two hours earlier. You would run out of energy.
Sure. Maybe a little bit less fried food, a little bit less sauce here and there. But there’s no way you can do what you do and be a gym rat.
Sounds like older Shaun is lucky
You’re right. I have great friends. I can’t imagine being without my amazing group of friends that are part of Team Lucky. Thank you, guys! I appreciated the opportunity to get in shape to win a million-dollar prop bet. I loved the challenge. Thanks, Bill Perkins.
So remember, think of all the amazing things and friends poker will bring into your life (except for the scumbags, of course).
You will be very, very lucky.
It sure sounds like it!
One last thing. Try to be a little nicer to people on X.
What’s X?
