#8: My Poker Mix For Jan 2025 ft. Debayan Das

#8: My Poker Mix For Jan 2025 ft. Debayan Das

Poker, like any high-performance sport, requires a multifaceted approach. Just as a diversified stock portfolio minimises risk, a well-rounded poker player spreads their focus across various aspects of the game, minimising weaknesses and maximising long-term success.

Think of a cricketer too. Their success doesn’t solely rely on batting or bowling prowess. Fielding skills, fitness, mental fortitude, agility, strategic thinking, and much more play crucial roles. Similarly, a poker player needs a holistic approach which we’ll talk about in this newsletter, along with inputs from popular poker player, Debayan Das.

Ideal poker mix for Jan 2025

1. Actual playing (40%) - Just how they say practice makes perfect, playing poker hands-on is the cornerstone of improvement. Whether you choose live tournaments, cash games, or online sessions, putting theory into practice is an important way to sharpen instincts and learn to make quick, informed decisions.

2. Studying (20%) - And the game won’t get better if you don’t study, because you’ll be making the same mistakes repeatedly. To stay ahead in the ever-evolving game of poker, you must dedicate significant time to studying. This includes analysing game concepts like equity, table positions, ranges, and optimal strategies. With availability to tools like solvers and training platforms, regular study sessions ensure that you don’t just rely on instincts but also have a solid theoretical foundation.

3. Hand Reviews (15%) - Reviewing your own (or others’) hands and analysing critical spots is like experts conducting a post-match analysis in cricket. It reveals leaks in your game, showcases patterns in your decision-making, helps you understand where you might be giving away chips on the table, and ensure you don’t repeat these errors in the next gaming session.

4. Physical Workouts (10%) - Poker could become a super sedentary activity, and that’s why physical fitness plays a crucial role in maintaining focus and stamina for long sessions. Physical workouts improve blood flow to the brain, reduce fatigue, and enhance overall mental sharpness. It’s a mind sport but remember, physical health boosts mental health and vice versa.

5. Mental Strengthening (10%) - Like we said, the mental aspect is as important as the technical one. From managing tilt after a bad session to staying disciplined when winning or losing, poker demands emotional control and resilience. Meditation, mindfulness, visualisation techniques, and more are powerful tools that can help players stay in the zone.

6. Networking and Community Engagement (5%) - Poker is also about learning from others and that can be done through engaging with the poker community, attending workshops, and discussing hands with peers to provide fresh perspective and get new strategies. Try online communities like TPG and IPPA on Facebook, or playing live series when you get the chance, or even attending the rare poker felicitation events held in India. The poker conversation overdose will surely leave you with plenty of more ideas on how to work the game.

The poker mix pie chart

What does Debayan’s Jan 2025 look like?

“Starting in 2025, my goal is to play a whole lot more of live tournament series. The practice and studying will revolve slightly less around online MTTs for now and then, we’ll start preparing for NPS (National Poker Series) in Feb-Mar 2025.”

“So the way I’d do my mix is around 30% preparation towards that series at the end of Jan 2025, and another 30% on how to work on live MTTs, especially in the Asian circuit. Playing the game will obviously be sporadic when it comes to MTTs. The idea is to put in the effort and figure out the dynamics of the live game, and get better at it; there’s been such less volume put in to live MTTs so far.”

“From the coaching perspective, I do have a study group. From a time point of view, you need to work with someone who helps you improve your game daily; it’s very easy to get stagnated. Every year, we talk about working out more but hopefully, I can work consciously on my physical fitness, which has been ignored for a long time now. My last trip in Goa (7-8 day grind) made me realise why it’s important to reach a sound physical state. I felt sick there and now, I will dedicate 16-20% of my mix towards reaching a healthy body and healthy mind.”

By allocating time and effort across these facets, you’re setting yourself up for long-term success in poker. Debayan has his mix ready for Jan 2025 but remember, these are dynamic aspects and they keep changing from time to time. In fact, based on your gameplay and what’s on the schedule, Feb 2025 can look very different from Jan 2025!

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Liked today’s newsletter? Please drop a ‘Yes’ or a ‘No’ if you didn’t. It’s your time to contribute to the conversation! Tell us what's missing from this poker routine and 2 lucky winners will get free tickets worth ₹1,100 each to ₹6 Lakh GTD Weekend Slick on 5th Jan at 8 PM on A23 Poker. Reply with your answers!

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