Kevin Martin Opens Up about the Pressures of Playing High stakes Poker
10 months ago
10:09
27 Jun
Trying to focus on making content, his wedding, and negotiations has left him with little time for poker apart from actually playing. Martin says it’s a massive lesson he got his ass kicked after not speaking to his coach or reviewing hands and ranges, and he’s tilted for letting it happen.
He is also right that the guys he’s trying to compete with are focussed only on poker and nothing else, for the most part. How can anybody compete against top players without giving it 100% commitment?
First, he explains how every time in the past he has been on a terrible downswing, it correlates with his life being chaotic at that time.
Second, and this is a big question and potential problem to solve: does being a content creator take too much focus away from becoming the best poker player possible? The answer is that it definitely has an adverse effect but only Martin and his fellow poker streamers know exactly how much.
Committing to streaming on a regular schedule has given many players benefits such as sponsorship and an income from subscriptions to pad out any losses. Giving this up would mean a drastic loss of earning power and it’s easy to see why any such player would be hesitant in making such a pivot.
The solution to this issue has to be tailored around each player’s ambition for the game. There’s nothing wrong with accepting that high stakes is not an attainable goal but we suspect that many players taking the content creator route to success will never want to admit that.
Many of the biggest names in Twitch Poker streaming have improved massively since they started and will still be hungry for success.
27 Jun
Twitch streamer Kevin Martin has tweeted a couple of heartfelt videos explaining how the pressures of life combined with those of playing high-stakes poker has affected him during recent months.
Under Pressure
The emotion is clear in Martin ‘s voice when he begins by talking about getting his “ass kicked” in a game he loves and tries so hard at. Exasperated, he continues by declaring that the poker dream is still alive and kicking even though he’s been a shadow of his former self this last month at the tables.Trying to focus on making content, his wedding, and negotiations has left him with little time for poker apart from actually playing. Martin says it’s a massive lesson he got his ass kicked after not speaking to his coach or reviewing hands and ranges, and he’s tilted for letting it happen.
He is also right that the guys he’s trying to compete with are focussed only on poker and nothing else, for the most part. How can anybody compete against top players without giving it 100% commitment?
Is Content Creation the Way to Go?
Kevin Martin has been brutally honest with himself and pointed out a couple of areas that most poker players will agree with.First, he explains how every time in the past he has been on a terrible downswing, it correlates with his life being chaotic at that time.
Second, and this is a big question and potential problem to solve: does being a content creator take too much focus away from becoming the best poker player possible? The answer is that it definitely has an adverse effect but only Martin and his fellow poker streamers know exactly how much.
Committing to streaming on a regular schedule has given many players benefits such as sponsorship and an income from subscriptions to pad out any losses. Giving this up would mean a drastic loss of earning power and it’s easy to see why any such player would be hesitant in making such a pivot.
The solution to this issue has to be tailored around each player’s ambition for the game. There’s nothing wrong with accepting that high stakes is not an attainable goal but we suspect that many players taking the content creator route to success will never want to admit that.
Many of the biggest names in Twitch Poker streaming have improved massively since they started and will still be hungry for success.
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