mental game table selection tilt variance winrate Pete Clarke shares eight critical revelations from years of coaching poker players. He explains why performance trumps knowledge, how to improve your worst game, the importance of proper theory education, and why professionalism matters in today's competitive environment. Performance beats knowledge. Fix your F-game first. Study theory seriously. Avoid validation seeking. Don't let variance fool you. Essential Coaching Lessons: Performance outweighs knowledge - A 9/10 performer with 3/10 knowledge beats a 3/10 performer with 9/10 knowledge every time Intent matters before you play - Sit down to make good decisions and learn, not to win money or move up stakes Your F-game costs you the most - Fight, flight, and freeze responses during threatened mental states destroy your win rate faster than any technical leak Theory isn't optional anymore - Playing without proper education is like running a marathon with a ball and chain on your ankle Variance deludes breakeven players - Winning weeks make you think you've broken through, but you're just riding temporary upswings Love poker for itself, not results - Treating poker purely as a means to an end creates an endless cycle of frustration Professionalism is surprisingly low - Modern poker demands elite-level dedication, yet most aspiring players treat it casually
