The Four Currencies of Poker Life

When it comes to finding that perfect balance between work, poker and everything else which life has to offer, you could do worse than listen to Alec Torelli’s latest YouTube vlog in which he discusses ‘The 4 Currencies of Poker Life’ which he lives by.

“How do I decide what events I go to in poker… and how do I decide what projects to work on outside of poker?” he asks from a Hawaiian beach, the question posed by one of the 29-year old Cailfornian pro’s Twitter followers. And what follows is a very logical approach to deciding just that… and more besides.

Money

"If money is used correctly, it can be a very important tool!” says Torelli, adding, “But I feel that money is often the most misunderstood currency.”

The pursuit of money becomes a goal in itself he believes, and blinds many of us to the fact that it should only be “one slice of a pie of a bigger picture.” That bigger picture is what having money can allow us to do, bringing us onto number 2 in Torelli’s list…

Time

"If I pursue a start-up, or a poker venture, or a collaboration I always think… How is this going to impact my time?”

The oft-quoted phrase time=money just isn’t true, says Torelli, explaining that money is pretty much infinite theoretically (just ask Bill Gates) while time, as we all know, simply isn’t!

"Money should be used to control and buy back time! So, if you ever find yourself saying ‘I don’t have enough time’ that’s bullshit! You, me, Michelangelo, Albert Einstein, Barack Obama… we all have the same amount of time.”

Freedom

Torelli was shocked when he asked "Would you rather have $1million working in a corporate job, or $100,000 but working from anywhere in the world on your computer” -and so many people replied "$1million!”

Torelli is passionate about protecting his ‘freedom’ stating that an offer would have to be “amazing” for him to give up his mobility. He cites the question as to why he doesn’t stream on Twitch every day, as so many others at a similar level to him at poker do.

He states bluntly:

"There’s simply not a price to me that’s worth it.”

What is important to him is number four on his ‘currency’ chart…

Influence

The $million winning pro – both live and online, cash and tournament, relates calling eight of his fans while driving to Oklahoma from Dallas for the Poker Night in America show, “because I like doing it and I have the ability to impact and influence people in a positive way.”

"The feeling that the work I’m doing is bigger and beyond myself and it’s helping other people in a positive way.”

As his website states early on:

"True wealth is freedom! Freedom to travel and be your own boss, to follow your passions and pursue your dreams while constantly feeling inspired. This kind of freedom is what the money is for. And it’s the only asset that can really fulfill your life.”