Fast Facts:
Pursuit: Poker player, tutor, mentor, tournament winner.
Definition of success: “Adding value to the world.”
Do you like poker? I do. I mean – I really do. Playing with friends and family, on-line – you name it, I’m into it. When I open up YouTube I’m assailed by countless suggestions for World Series of Poker videos I ought to watch. In fact, when I went to Las Vegas for the first time in my life earlier this year, I wandered every casino trying to sniff out the poker lounges just to be there – I didn’t even play. And that’s down to two factors really. First, I was with my family and we wanted to sample the bright lights and searing desert heat of one of the most awe-inspiring cities on earth, not split up while Dad spent precious hours at the tables. Secondly…the thing is, I’m not very good at poker. Yes I enjoy it, and sit me at a table with a bunch of amateurs, more often than not I’m going to leave in profit. But against any opposition with more than half a notion of pot odds, outs and a glimmer of psychological edge – well that’s going dent my bank balance. Luckily for me though, beyond staring slack-jawed at countless theory books which take me back to my school days and some perplexing maths lessons, there is a more engaging solution. In a second I’ll hand over to today’s guest for a more qualified introduction on that, but first some perspective. If, like me, you’ve dabbled a bit at on-line poker, you’ll be familiar with sites like Poker Stars, 888 and Full Tilt. You might have winnings on those sites in the tens or maybe hundreds of dollars, but most likely (and I’m just talking statistically here – don’t shoot me down) your bankroll at any one of those sites lies somewhere deep in the red. Not so my guest today – just take a look at these winnings: Full Tilt: $17,146; 888: $31,911; Poker Stars…wait for it: $314,635. In fact his total earnings from poker come in at just shy of $1m, a landmark he looks set to cross in 2015. So what if I’d like to stop playing for pennies and start making a living from this game that’s swept the world and, according to one recent study, absorbs the interests of over forty million of us internationally? On hand to guide us, fresh from a first place finish at the Latin America Poker Tour in Lima, Peru, not to mention the $30,000 haul he brought back from this Summer’s prestigious WSOP in Las Vegas: founder of Gripsed.com, Evan Jarvis.
“I produce free poker training content for anyone who is interested in improving their poker game or improving themselves,” Evan explains when I ask him where abouts in the world of poker his station lies. “I have many strategy and lifestyle articles on-line and I currently offer over four hundred free videos on YouTube. The topics range from general strategy to self-help, to live cash game sessions and student tournament reviews. I wanted to make sure that whatever someone’s learning style or problem area that I would be able to offer them something of benefit. I also do live streaming, which is my favourite part of the Gripsed Poker Training project. Every Sunday I stream my poker tournament session live so that students, fans and randoms can see what a day in the life really looks like. Every Friday we switch things up with the Team Grisped Home Games, where players can play against me, chat it up and watch it live on air. I love the people that come out for these events, it makes for a lot of fun!”
Evan’s right: poker attracts all sorts and the social face of the game is one of its appealing sides. Still, it was the potential rewards which saw Evan first bitten by the bug.
“Seeing Chris Moneymaker win the Main Event in 2003 was the first time I realized just how much money there was in poker, and after trying out the game I immediately fell in love. I was amazed at how quickly I was able to grow as a player from reading books and practicing, and it wasn’t very long into my first year at university that I was making some serious money. It got to the point that nobody in my residence would play with me anymore, so I had to move online and there was no looking back after that. I’ve always loved strategy games and card games. When I was just a kid I told my Grandma that when I grew up I wanted to play games for a living. At first I thought I’d be a video game tester or something like that, but poker came around at the perfect time…I guess you could say I just got really lucky.”
Bingo – full house! Yes, regular readers will have spotted the old ‘luck’ word again. Isn’t it refreshing to hear people who have worked their socks off to achieve their goals attribute that success to luck? A little misguided? Perhaps it’s just an expression of modesty and appreciation that some of the things that might have gone wrong along the path towards accomplishment didn’t. In any case, there are contributing factors to Evan’s success more profound than luck – get a load of this for a day-in-the-life:
“Because my position involves so many different activities – writing, streaming, YouTubing, e-mailing, keeping in contact with fans through social media, studying, playing poker – every day is a little bit different. But there is one thing I keep consistent so that I can make sure that every day is a great day: my morning routine.”
Are you ready for this?
“Hydrate and get my digestive system in order with some lemon water: to get my system ready. Spend fifteen to twenty minutes thinking about what I’m grateful for: to get my ‘why’ and motivation ready. Twenty to thirty minutes light exercise: to get my body ready. Twenty to sixty minutes in meditation, depending on how much my mind is running: to get my mind clear and ready. Make a badass super healthy breakfast: to get my engine ready. Get to work! Making videos for YouTube, streaming at Twitch TV, writing articles for gripsed.com.”
There’s more…
“I also try to make sure I get at least one hour of yoga or body work in later in the day to keep me grounded and to respect my entire being – it’s really easy to get stuck in my head and forget that the rest of me exists. In the evening I like to spend one to two hours reading or listening to informative videos/podcasts from my mentors to keep me sharp and up to speed with what’s happening in our constantly evolving world. You can never get too smart!”
If that’s luck then it simply proves the old adage that we make our own, am I right? You might think with all those winnings, earning a living from a game that most people play for enjoyment offers all the satisfaction a person could want for. Not so – Evan’s self-gratification comes from a more salubrious quarter:
“Hearing about my student’s successes, and it’s not even close,” he says of his proudest achievement. “I get very happy when I have a nice score, and bringing home hardware is nice…but there’s no better feeling than knowing you’ve changed someone’s life for the better and helped them find the path towards happiness. I love that I can share so much more than just poker strategy with my community, and know that they will put it to use and receive the same benefits that I’ve been fortunate enough to receive. One love Team Gripsed!”
As you might have guessed, Evan puts some serious hours into his work, but it’s those students whom he loves to inspire that make it a labour of love.
“I honestly think I spend at least sixty hours a week on developing Team Gripsed I’m a pretty serious workaholic who has a hard time taking days off, and I spend about ten hours of every ‘work day’ on Gripsed related activities. I absolutely love what I do though, there’s so much variety, and the feedback is just so incredible that it doesn’t really feel like work at all. That’s what makes it easy to put in those hours, and that’s how I know I’ve found the right vocation for me.”
Okay it’s a stupid question, inept even, given Evan’s manifest enthusiasm. But I have to ask it – I ask everyone. Call it equality. Anyway, how much envy does Evan harbour for those in pursuit of a routine vocation?
“Zero envy,” he replies.
Obviously.
Ah but perhaps I am not so inept after all…
”The one thing I miss out on is having a work environment where I get to see my colleagues on a regular basis.”
…yes, starting to feel a little smug now.
“But skype is a wonderful tool, and it just makes every meeting that much more special when I do get to see them.”
Oh forget it then…I tried. A more valuable question I think: what is Evan’s advice for those of us set to embark on the pursuit of our own ambitions?
“Make sure that your dream involves making other people’s lives easier, or making their lives more enjoyable. So long as this is a component of your dream, you are truly ‘fighting the good fight’ and should have little trouble finding support. Even if that component is simply giving back when you reach certain milestones that’s fine, the intention is the key. Take your time and really plan things out, you’re not in a rush to make your dreams come true, and the longer you stick with it the more time you have to enjoy every moment of the process. Think big picture – like one year, three years, five years and ten years. Set goals that you want to achieve and then work backwards from there. Regularly reassess and set new short term goals – it’s easy to fall off the path.
“Be open: to ideas, feedback and criticism. If you’re unwilling to listen to others you’ll have a hard time making it far. Reach out to other people who share similar interests and be amazed at the power that synergy creates. But most importantly: Believe in yourself. If you don’t believe in yourself or your dreams it’s going to be pretty hard to convince someone else to. So stay true to your path, give yourself constant reassurance and confidence, and let your actions do the talking. Most everyone can talk a good game, but few have the self-belief to follow through on those actions. Eric Thomas, my inspiration and motivator, says: ‘Innovation is rewarded, but Execution is worshipped’.”
And just in case you’re looking for a metaphor that’s a little more poker-orientated:
“Quit slackin’ and get stackin’!”
Now that my friends is a mantra. And just to check you’re on the right path – what’s Evan’s definition of success?
“Adding value to the world, even in the smallest of ways, is success in my eyes. If you feel good about what you do, then I think you are successful. Waking up every day happy to be alive, and being grateful for the tasks that you get to engage in regularly is a sign that you are on the path to success.”
My thanks to Evan for taking the time out of his schedule to drop in to The Secrets of their Success. Given his daily routine, I am at a loss to work out how he managed to fit this interview in, but he did and that’s what counts.
If like me your poker skills could do with some polishing, you can head over to the Gripsed website for some free poker training
You can watch poker strategy videos by the hundred at Evan’s YouTube channel: www.youtube.com/gripsed – and yes, I am a subscriber!
Also check out the live streaming at www.twitch.tv/gripsed
Finally if you were as inspired by Evan’s morning routine as I was, those light exercises he mentioned can be found here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zD-3j2g9w9U
Images courtesy of www.gripsed.com and copyright Carlos Monti