What We Can Learn About Staying Present From One of the World’s Best Poker Players

Lewis Howes
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(Photo: Getty Images)

Winning one World Series of Poker (WSOP) bracelet is a dream for almost every poker player.

Winning six WSOP bracelets and two World Poker Tour championships is an achievement for any Hall of Fame player.

Daniel Negreanu is a living poker legend who has achieved all of this (and much more) by the age of 39. When I interviewed him on my podcast, he opened up about the mindset shift it took to overcome his limiting beliefs and the keys to his success for becoming the No. 1 player in the world.

One of the main points he made was how important staying present and being focused is to winning a poker game. While this seems kind of obvious if you know how poker works, it doesn’t make it any less challenging.

I asked Daniel how he does this, especially when the stakes are really high and the pressure is on.

Daniel explained that when he makes a mistake, it’s because he hasn’t been staying present. Once he realizes he’s slipped up, he mentally acknowledges this and then commits to himself that, going forward, he will stay present for the rest of the game. Then he gets back in the zone, making a point not to analyze his prior mistakes or beat himself up for them.

The key here is acknowledging the mistake so that you can let it go, he explains. If you don’t take a second to do that, the mistake can plague you for the rest of the game and rob you of focus, causing more mistakes.

So the next time you realize you’ve lost focus of something important, let yourself acknowledge any mistakes, then commit to yourself to stay present going forward and focus up. It’s a dance between focus and distraction, but this is a great formula for staying on the present side.

Listen to our full conversation below:

For more on Daniel, click here.

ABOUT LEWIS HOWES: Lewis is a pro-athlete turned lifestyle entrepreneur who hosts the top-ranked podcast The School of Greatness. He interviews the best and brightest minds in health, entrepreneurship, relationships and lifestyle. Follow Lewis on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.

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