The high-roller mentality | Ben Heath

► Get coached by Rene & Adam in The Mechanics of Poker coaching program, the most complete poker coaching program on the market!. Apply now over at https://www.mechanicsofpoker.com
► Study GTO and join monthly webinars by TheWakko over at GTO Wizard, https://gtowizard.com/mechanics/ 10% off the first month

In episode 20 of the MOPP we chat with high-stakes MTT player Ben Heath. Ben gives us an insight about the mentality one needs to have in order to play super high-rollers. Learn about the road Ben took in order to reach these super high-stakes, and the obstacles he had to overcome to become one of the best MTT players in the world.

Follow Ben on instagram   / ben___heath  

0:00 - Introduction
02:46 - Shoutout to our sponsor GTO Wizard
03:50 - Coming back from playing the PCA in the Bahamas
07:30 - Playing unlimited re-entry high roller tournaments
10:15 - Studying mathematics at university and playing poker on the side
16:20 - Bens competitive drive and where it comes from
21:11 - The lessons Ben learnt from university that helped with poker
24:59 - Is maths in poker over rated?
26:10 - Do MTTs require better maths skills than cash games?
30:58 - Weighing up poker as a career option and why poker won
35:02 - Going all-in with poker and giving it a 2 year experiment
39:30 - Meeting Charlie Carrel just after he’d won the Sunday Million
42:08 - Living with Charlie, aggressive bankroll management and progressing quickly
47:43 - When Ben almost went broke in the Bahamas early in his career
51:30 - How Bens gambling tendency and risk taking nature has helped him
53:50 - Lessons from losing half his bankroll in a few days in Barcelona
59:05 - Becoming detached from the money when playing for super high stakes
1:07:41 - Top tip: How Ben deals with big downswings
1:12:03 - The importance of leaving results in the past
1:16:20 - Announcement about The Mechanics of Poker 2.0 program
1:18:22 - How Rene learns from mistakes
1:22:22 - Where does Bens high confidence come from
1:25:50 - Why Ben wouldn’t recommend mixing MTTs and cash games
1:31:02 - Why Ben prefers playing live vs online
1:33:20 - Enjoying playing against the worlds best
1:40:02 - How to make reads on players without have much information
1:44:04 - What drove Ben to get to the high rollers
1:53:00 - Becoming more professional and paying more for convenience
1:55:48 - Getting married and having to plan more in advance
1:57:32 - Does Ben think you should grind hard in your 20’s for freedom later?
2:04:40 - Working on poker every day of the year
2:06:45 - How Ben studies poker and builds his strategy
2:10:54 - Top tip: Ben learnt from Charlie Carrel
2:14:00 - Why GTO and exploitation players have more in common than some people think
2:18:33 - Are the best players at the high stakes more naturally talented?
2:23:00 - When Ben thought it was impossible to break into the top 50 players in the world
2:25:43 - Playing tough is not the same as playing well
2:29:30 - Having a high work ethic and doing the hard work
2:32:31 - How do you study poker efficiently
2:46:20 - The 3 first lessons Ben would give to a student
2:50:06 - The most common leaks Ben see’s in players
2:56:35 - Building a strong mindset and working with Elliot Roe
3:02:24 - Why Ben doesn’t drink on poker trips
3:03:55 - Being vegan, eating healthy food and have a good warm up routine
3:06:30 - Going to a trip with the intention to perform well
3:10:10 - Why the top players are optimising their lifestyle
3:11:40 - How Ben gets himself ready to play when he’s not feeling good
3:16:40 - Ben’s final takeaways for the audience
3:19:40 - What keeps been motivated to stay at the top?
3:23:30 - Adam and Renes summary