The #1 Mistake Poker Players Make 

I thought the #1 mistake poker players make is being all loosey goosey.

I got inspired by Doug to become a poker pro. After 1 year of studying + 3 years of playing, im broke 😏🤣

Dude wth towards the end this transformed into some deep motivational life advice, 10/10 would watch again.

"I want to cover this briefly..." 19 minute video.

"It is possible to commit no mistakes and still lose. That is not a weakness. That is life."

'I run the worst I always run my kings into aces. Well yeah probably because I never 4bet bluffing and my 4bet range is just kings and aces' Best poker talk I've heard. Thank you.

When you have trip kings, you can’t expect the guy to have hit the nuts. Expect that he had aces, 2 pair, or was bluffing. You can’t fold winning hands in fear that someone hit the absolute nuts. I’ve lost hands/tournaments playing this way, but by playing this way I’ve won way way more than I would have if I folded every decent hand I’ve had out of fear.

Thank you Doug, you hit the nail on the head. Fear is what's holding me back. Seeing well renown players make bad decisions inspires me to stop being afraid.

14:53 starts one of the great motivational poker speeches of our generation.

Doug, I normally never comment on RU-vid videos, but I'm making an exception because I fully understand how much work and effort you have put into this channel, The Lab, and everything else. I had the pleasure of chatting with you and Ryan for a bit at TwitchCon 2016 and thanked you then in person, but I thought I'd do it again here just to remind you of how thankful some of us are out there.

I watch a lot of media, this is hands down the #1 best video I’ve ever seen. Way to utilize what I call the derivative effect of taking it down a later and then a third time. Your way of turning this so deeply allowed you to take poker and this play into a relatable life message for many people in many meaningfully different ways. Thx Doug. I hope this message finds you.

Doug, In all honesty I've been watching your videos for over a year. The most I have ever learned from you was on this video. Big thank you for this! I am a new player trying to play right. I have been lucky in a couple of tournaments and home games, but mostly I was waiting for AA or KK and folding like a cheap tent. I am going to try this approach instead (playing more ranges, bluffing more). Its hard to do, but if I want to become better I NEED to put the work in to look at poker differently. Thanks again!

I like to fold my kings pre

Short version of whole video:"When you can see everybody's cards you suddenly become an expert on what good and bad plays are, when in reality if you want to have a chance of winning more so than not in real life you have to play to the ev where on average you'll win even if you lose this time"

I made a world series final table a few years ago and my aces went down to kings. And then got top 60 in another world series even just a few days later. I can honestly say that this is the best video I've ever seen this dude make and by far the most sincere. I really appreciate watching this particular video and I can't wait to go to the world series again this year and pray that I break through bigger this time. Thanks Doug.

Thanks Doug. I needed that to get myself more motivated to become a better poker player. I think being afraid is my biggest problem. I will keep working harder!

"You have to be willing to die in order to live." Amir Vahedi

I love it when rando good stuff pops up on your RU-vid feed. One of Doug’s best videos, imho.

I've got to say Doug: I watch your video's from time to time and a lot of the time it's my way to keep up with what's happening in poker. Honestly, I'll skip a lot of discussion in them. I like to see crazy hands but don't have a lot of time to listen to every breakdown. However this one I did watch through and this has to be some of the best discussion of poker "theory" I've seen on youtube. Especially when you started talking about your own personal experience towards the very end.

12:54 my favorite TV poker moment. My buddies and I still laugh about it years later. "He called me with Jack high!" Lmfao

Doug, this video is the nuts. Thank you for everything you give back to the poker community. I used to play exactly like how you described. They always have the nuts. Breaking even with a horrible red line. A few months ago I joined the lab and watched the 4 categories video. It was the first ah-ha moment I have had in poker, and I am now finally learning and adjusting my ranges and strategy and getting better results after breaking even for years. Thanks for all the content you put out there.

Doug, i can not express to you how important this video was to me. fear. fear has been my one solo problem i’ve had in life. this video changed my direction in life & im thankful for the time you take to make these videos when you don’t even need to. thank you Doug, have a great one!

I appreciate you spending the time to do this. You are helping bring unity to an industry that most feel isolated in. In any case thank you. :-) You, Brad Owens and many others are making me realize that i am super close to making a huge impact in the poker world. I’m not ready to challenge anyone to heads up just yet. However I am extremely confident I can be successful in poker tournaments. I’ve spent a lot of time playing but more importantly watching hand videos. I am totally confident I already am the best tournament player. But, now I just got to get out there and show you and others! Keep up the great work bud! I will see you at the table before long

that 2-4 minutes of you just talking straight to me/us the viewers gave me chills man. i never comment, on any videos on anything ever. but that shit hit right home.

Great speech Doug. Reminded me of William Wallace.

I wholeheartedly agree with you, Doug! Well said. I was really impressed with how thorough you were telling us how to not be afraid. On average, that is a terrible fold. I absolutely do not give him credit for that fold. Nobody else should, either. We cannot worry about results, but rather want to make correct decisions. I have watched lots and lots of your videos. Thank you, for this one.

He called a raise with QT, honey!

Highly underrated video, so much good information. Thanks Doug!

"Im getting all this rake back" heheheh

This video has a class.I follow him bcoz of his diverse video topics.Surviving matters in tournament.

Thanks Doug for entertaining AND informative content. You make at least two very very very important points in this video. Playing good poker will leave any player looking silly at times in the short term BUT +ev long term.

Want to learn more on ranges? This is the channel to watch. Great stuff Doug, as always.

You know what, this was great. The second half of this video was as solid as I've ever seen you. Great job!

Best poker related speech ever. I really appreciate what you've done for the poker community. It means a lot. GJ Doug

Thanks for the words of wisdom! Very true and needed to hear it at this moment.

This is why I LOVE poker ~ .. I love your follow-up discussion. It's how you become tops in anything.

Probably one of the best videos you've ever made on this channel imo

I agree that fear manifests on the tables but I also know that intuition is a tool in this game of limited info. My problem is when i act out of fear and label it intuition or when I can't differentiate between the two. But I know from experience that I can cultivate that skill by being aware of what I'm feeling when I play and being honest about when I'm afraid.

"it was also a bad play but that's beyond the point..." xd

“Anyone can win...well, the Browns can’t.” 🤣

first of all , i think for most players the big problem is at the opposite direction : they cant fold enough (me included) . Other thing is that you cant just see players cards and just judge their choose. maybe the other guy is playing so tight , is floating too much , tourney is on the buble , or you have been calling too much , or so many other factors involved ( that you as a viewer of one piece of video are not aware of ) that narrows his bluff range. you are just seeing the situation from game theory pov. i still give credit to that great read and fold.

LOL I saw the whole hand, and at the end when he folded I realized doug was talkin the whole time.

Till this date this video was one of the best you've ever made Doug. Very valuable

I come back to this video every week. Thanks Doug.

Thanks Doug! You back for the bankroll challenge?

I had to watch this twice. Such a great video Doug! I'm just starting to take poker seriously again and whenever the money gets real, I suffer a lot from the passive play you discuss at the end.

As a Brit recreational player, I've watched a lot of poker Vlogs, and many of yours are over my head, but this was really useful and informative. Thanks.

I needed this Doug, thank you.

Legit top 10 speech I’ve heard on the inter webs. Good stuff Doug!

INSPIRING WORDS at the end... Coach Doug is the BEST POLKER COACH AINEC!

Great video, Doug. I actually lol’d at “....if shit went down.” Thanks for that and thanks for all the great videos.

Boom!! This was some good mindset nuggets. I finished a session and then got on to see this video. I felt much better with my bluff lines. I have been working on aggression and moving on up. Thanks to the Lab!! That was a Cat1 Video right there.

I thought the no.1 mistake was quitting poker and jumping on the crypocurrency bandwagon, right when the market crashes and everyone stops caring

That flop float is disrespectful

Cheers doug. Your Upswing content turned me from a set miner to a polker player. I was the youngster at my older brothers friends home game, i was 'kid poker' now they respect my game.

Best Polk visdeo. Thx. “Quit being afraid” is great advice

Best vid yet! No balls No glory

2:12 "OMG, he's reaching for chips!!!! Stay calm, stay calm..."

Magnificent analysis! Thank you for having the courage to voice an opinion that defies the norm. The only other explanation is having a magic for instinct.... and that counts though is more difficult to quantify. In our field, it’s not the end result, but the rightness of execution, which over time prevails. Very difficult to convey. BRAVO to you.

This was a hell of a video. Thanks, man.

"And dying in your beds many years from now, would you be willing to trade all the days from this day to that for one chance, just one chance to come back here and tell our villains that they may take our money, but they'll never take our freedom!!!"-doug polk

[ ] Sick fold. [ ] Horrendous fold. [x] Doug Polk for biggest influencer 5TH GPI ANNUAL AMERICAN POKER AWARDS WINNER

Doug, I totally agree!! Thank you so much!!

I totally agree! I always say: It's not what you can win with that's important, it's what's on the table that can beat you. And can you bluff it?

This one really resonated with me Doug. Made a big fold in a $1600 tournament recently because “this guy never has any bluffs here.” I was right actually. He wasn’t bluffing. He was value betting with a worse hand than mine. Could’ve won a big pot and maybe made a deep run, but I didn’t and it was entirely because I was scared. Thanks for a much needed kick in the ass and keep putting out great content like this!

I felt like he was talking directly to me. I literally got chills at the end of the video because I am afraid. I play well but am afraid of being felted and losing my entire bank roll. I never buy in deep because I’m afraid a cooler will happen and I’ll get stacked with a full buy in. I’ll play $400-500 buy in tournaments but will play very passive because I don’t want to lose the buy in. But on the flip side I’ll play 50-125 buy in tournaments and have no fear because of the buy in size. Thank you Doug for this vid. It really opened my eyes to how I play. I’ll never be a long term profitable player if I don’t change my play and just go for it. U have just earned an upswing member. Salute Doug!!!

Absolutely LOVE this man. It pertains to so much more than Poker as well.

Damn. That last 5 mins hit home. Thanks for the great speech. I am the 4 bet KK and AA guy. Allin with AA pre, and sets post, and flopped nuts. Jesus you were talking right to me. Winning player, but not a lot... I have some work to Doug. Thank you!

Damn bro.... That was deeeepppp

you would love the book, "Fooled by Randomness" by Nasim Taleb, Doug.

Best Video I have ever seen from you, Doug. Good Job.

Awesomely well said Doug! You don’t result-merchant, you look at the EV of the play...

real talk getting really real

My husband, when I read this title to him, “Walking in to the casino”.

Just wanted to tell you thank you for the content. Some of your words in this video were inspiring to me as I found so many similarities in my own poker game. You may not realize how much you have helped people in poker and even in there lives. There was a true ahh-ha moment for me in this video and I instantly booked a profit the night I watched it. So Thank You for everything you do for the poker community!

Wow Doug. This video really hit me. It makes sense and illustrates my biggest flaw. I’ve been working on playing more aggressively. It’s scary but my results are better. Of course my swings are bigger too but I accept that.

This is deliciously melodramatic.

Relieved to see you back with more poker hands. Not all successful poker players base their success on poker crystal clear understanding. Look at Antonio Esfandiary for instance who is a great player but you just need to listen his commentaries on WSOP and you'll know what I mean. Some do understand but this understanding is no real conception that would be possible to express with words. Some just have other ways to win, it would be worth a long talk because how to develop a good game is really a deep question leading even to spiritual approaches about the nature of our knowledge and ignorance that has NOT been correctly set by any poker player, nor book, video, method etc. It has a lot to do with getting rid of false beliefs which is maybe why you are so helpful with your seditious/insurgent/subversive style on youtube (which is why I asked you previously to stop worrying about that : it's part of the business). But lets forget these philosophical projections for now. Apart from you Dough, the only other player/expert I know who had this perfect crystal clear understanding that is so brilliant that it could immediately be expressed through words in a synthetic, powerful and compendious way even in the middle of action is Gabre Kaplan. He's a pleasure to listen to and it's a pity that there are hours and hours of poker commentaries that are NOT made by Gabe Kaplan and thus are useless to listen while when he talks, one can always learn something, and sometimes, (even pretty often), just like he would be talking about the weather yesterday, some of the deepest understandings of the game that none but he would never explain to you as they just whether don't know or aren't able to tell you. As you have not commented much by now, I don't know if you would have this kind of skill, but no matter as you have the same "top" talent, only it applies to hands explanations. Each and every poker hand explained by you is a pure showpiece, to the point where any poker hand analyse video from other experts on youtube seems really comparatively a waste of time, showing some understanding for sure, but never the sharpest as we have here. (When it's not just all bad analyses - which really comes sometimes from some allegedly "poker teachers"). So it's a bit like all these poker live (or recorded) that are commented by SOMEONE ELSE than Gabe Kaplan and thus are useless to listen to : all poker hands that are not analysed by you will never give the best of themselves. So Doug, if you have some hearth, save all these beautiful poker hands that are really full of interest but will never show us all of their great potential to improve our understanding. Analyse more. Please just do more poker hands ;) No matter if you play less, now that you are just a BTC zillionaire, I understand if you don't want to waste your time on some X00,000.00 poker pots that you don't need anymore. But for reason's and cleverness's sake, even to give us a chance to learn how to reason and comprehend poker and much more than poler as what you teaches goes far beyond, you can be assured of this, just ANALYSE MORE. Any moment you spend doing something else, is just a great loss for us students! Oh btw, about today's video. Wow, "like" is not enough. That's a real moment in youtube's poker history ;)

Great points, Doug. Solid advice...keep it coming!

At the end there actually inspired me and my poker game in ways no one else ever has. Thank you Doug.

This is a great example why poker can't afford to lose you - because pokergodliness is rare, like a Ty Cobb baseball card(so please don't disappear). I need this type of vlog/info to cleanse my thirst to learn poker. Say hi to Joey.

he's basically telling most of you that you're bad

Doug is right, I have been trying to get back into poker, but have been having a hard time getting study done to catch up to the game. I think the second reason for failure is game selection. Since online poker is gone my only option is live poker room games. I have no casinos even a few hours away that have poker anymore. Thanks for the advice.

True words, Doug. Never be afraid at the poker table. Also, thank you for stating the obvious, when you mentioned that Kings pre is not a bad hand.

What everyone fails to realize is that Joe never bluffs in this spot! I've been following him for a while now! So if Ian knows this then the fold is a smart move.

Great video Doug Brilliant

Lmao Doug you're so invested sometimes XD these videos are hilarious though , it would be nice too see how you go about gathering info in online tourneys!

This is one of those rare occations where one player get extremely lucky on the River and the other crash into it. Really getting respect by being able to Fold in that situation.

Damn, he described me to the "T". I play scared and I always lose. I chalk it up to bad luck, but deep down, I know that skills have a lot to do with this game but I am not willing to put in the work to become great at it. I've been in business for over 20 years and understand risking my life savings and going into deep debt for a dream. I'm just not willing to do the same for poker. What do you think I should do, just quit playing? It sure does sound like a waste of time and money to play poker if you aren't going to take it seriously and put in the work. All I know is losing sucks.

I disagree with your rant. Being able to read your opponent's style and behavior (not even talking about "live-reads") is a fundamental skill to have in poker. Based on the information of a single hand you may say that the play was "bad on average", but Ian possibly had much more information than that. These guys had been playing for hours.

Hi Doug...Great analysis, provocative as ever. For the record, I only subscribe to one channel on you tube, not one poker channel, ONE CHANNEL... and its yours. Since I have been watching and practicing some of what you I have gone 3rd 2nd 1st 1st in my last 4 games. Still get a bit afraid to be wrong, which this post excellently focuses on. Thanks Doug

Doug bro, you got a real good view on this hand and alot of the hands you talk about, but your view about winners and losers no one really thinks about that shit. Great content man, keep up the good videos!

Dude this speech at the end was epic! Very inspiring and honest

Horrendous call on the flop; but congrats on a runner-runner straight, while the opponent makes a set. Besides; I agree - it's a bad lay down on the river as well.

very insightful for someone getting more and more into the theory of poker! subbed

Hands down best speech about poker I’ve ever heard. Wish I could give you a million thumbs up Doug.

#1 mistake. You can't be all loosey goosey.

RIP the browns 9:49

Great insight Doug! Thanks

Great speech... funny how i found this on kind of a rip day lol. So on tilt at some of the plays i made. now in the mood again to start the grind