Episode 77

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Published on:

5th Dec 2022

Think Like a Top 20 Poker Player | E77 Chris Sparks

Today’s episode is an exciting conversation with Chris Sparks, a retired professional poker player although I think he uses the term retired fairly loosely. I’ll settle somewhere in the middle and call him a well-paid hobbyist.

 

Chris has played over 2 million hands of poker across thousands of tournaments including main events tournaments like World Series of Poker, World Poker Tour, and the European, Asian-Pacific, and Latin American Poker Tour.

 

During his hay days, he had a fast and furious climb that eventually led him to being ranked in the top 20 online cash game players in the world.

 

In our conversation, Chris shares stories about his growth as a poker player. He’ll also teach us the meta-skills of high stakes poker that can be extrapolated and applied to our own life.

 

By listening to this episode, you’ll learn how to recognize a good bet, how to take action with incomplete information, and the benefits of focusing on the process versus being results-oriented.

 

If you’re a listener of the show and haven’t left us a rating and review, we’d really appreciate it if you did. And if you’re new, welcome, sit back, relax, and let’s learn something new.

 

I hope you enjoy my conversation with the man who started playing poker in college for fun but eventually used it to pay for his tuition…Chris Sparks.

 

Key Takeaways:

  • Why Chris tried standup comedy
  • How Chris uses retirement in order to reprioritize what he currently wants his life to look like
  • How you can turn bad luck into good fortune 
  • The “Poker House”
  • How to use a forcing function to accomplish your goal
  • How to take action without complete information
  • Emotions have to be a part of the decision-making process
  • Skill acquisition is a long game so be kind to yourself, have fun, and stay curious

 

Mentions:

Expected Value Calculator: www.forcingfunction.com/evc

Play to Win Article: https://www.forcingfunction.com/articles/play-to-win

Experiment Without Limits Workbook: https://www.forcingfunction.com/workbook

Performance Assessment: https://www.forcingfunction.com/assessment

Team Performance Training: https://www.forcingfunction.com/team-training

 

More of Chris:

www.forcingfunction.com

 

More of TSIR:

Find show notes and more at https://www.tsirpodcast.com/

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FI Minded: Achieve Financial Independence & Have Fun Doing It
Achieve Financial Independence & Have Fun Doing It
Want to achieve Financial Independence (FI) without missing out on life?

FI Minded is the podcast for anyone seeking financial freedom, time freedom, and a work-optional lifestyle — all while enjoying the journey along the way.

Whether you’re at the beginning of your FI journey or already deep into Coast FI or Slow FI, this show gives you practical strategies and insights to reach early retirement and design a life that aligns with your values, purpose, and fulfillment.

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- Time Freedom & Coast FI: Making the most of your time while still planning for the future, including mini-retirements, travel, and other ways to enjoy your life now.
- Post-FI Identity & Purpose: What to do once you’ve achieved FI, and how to create meaning beyond money.
- Burnout & Balance: Avoid the pitfalls of over-optimization and learn to balance saving for the future with mental health and happiness.

If you want to reach financial independence, design a life that’s purposeful and fun, and avoid burnout along the way, FI Minded is your guide to building a sustainable, fulfilling, and free life.

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