The Mindset Advantage Poker Podcast

In this episode Dr. Bryce Appelbaum examines neuro-optometry as a performance discipline, reframing vision as a brain-based, trainable system rather than simply eyesight. Bryce shares how functional vision influences attention, pattern recognition, emotional regulation, fatigue, and decision-making under pressure, drawing from his own childhood transformation and his work with elite athletes, medical patients, and professional poker players. The discussion highlights the distinction between eyesight (clarity) and vision (how the brain processes visual information), explaining how stress, screen use, and fatigue narrow perception and degrade performance. The central takeaway is that optimizing the eye-brain connection is a largely untapped lever for sustained high performance, particularly in mentally demanding, screen-heavy environments like poker. Click here to get the full show notes and resources from this week's episode

In this episode, JWIN shares his journey from corporate success to life as a high-stakes professional poker player. He explains why leaving a secure career wasn't as reckless as it seemed and how mindset, not luck, determines long-term success in poker. Jay reflects on overcoming major downswings, building mental resilience, and the importance of structured study routines. He also highlights the challenges of balancing poker with family life and offers honest advice to those considering going pro, urging them to pursue it for love of the game, not the illusion of freedom. Click here to get the full show notes and resources from this week's episode

Meet Sam, a 27-year-old poker player, shared his journey from gaming to poker, highlighting his meteoric rise from casual play to high-stakes tournaments. He emphasized the importance of networking and mentorship, noting a pivotal realization that collaboration accelerated his growth. Sam discussed overcoming a significant downswing by maintaining good bankroll management and leveraging small victories. He credited his mental strength, developed through meditation, gratitude practices, and mental coaching, as crucial to his success. Sam also underscored the value of a positive mindset and enjoying the journey, rather than focusing solely on results.

Meet Andrijana Gligoric, known as "Lija," a professional poker player from Serbia, now living in Malta. Her poker passion started in university while studying electrical engineering, playing in cash games with friends. After college, she moved to Malta, began streaming her gameplay on Twitch, and quickly built a large following. As a key member of Team Global and nicknamed "Cash Game Queen," Andrijana streams almost daily and is preparing to compete in the World Series of Poker. Click here to get the full show notes and resources from this week's episode

Since 2007, Michael Loncar has excelled in poker, becoming the top online 6-Max Sit & Go player by 2010. Post-Black Friday, he shifted to live games, winning significant tournaments like the Ante Up NorCal Classic Main Event twice. Loncar joined ACR's Team Pro in 2020 after a major win in 2018. Aside from competing, he coaches and streams poker on Twitch, and enjoys family time in Folsom, California. Click here to get the full show notes and resources from this week's episode

Today's podcast features Andy 'Greekfish' Andrew and Misha van der Kar from Universal Poker. They share insights on how their unique affiliate service reduces stress and variance for all poker players, whether professional or recreational. Highly recommend checking out Universal Poker for anyone interested in poker.

Meet Alec Torelli, aka Traheho, a renowned professional poker player hailing from Orange County, California. With over $2,200,000 in tournament winnings, Alec stands as one of the most respected figures in high-stakes poker. His strategic brilliance became evident when he secured second place in the $10,000 Heads Up event at the World Series of Poker, showcasing his exceptional skills on the global stage. Beyond his poker prowess, Alec is a mentor, entrepreneur, and keynote speaker. He founded Conscious Poker, a platform dedicated to sharing his expertise and insights with aspiring players. Alec's ability to translate poker lessons into life and business strategies has made him a sought-after speaker, captivating audiences worldwide. With his impactful coaching and empowering talks, Alec continues to shape the future of poker and inspire countless individuals on their own journeys to success.

Alexander Beldarion is a highly successful poker coach who founded Team BAS alongside RYE coach Asaban. Alexander has been coaching and mentoring poker players to help improve their overall expected value, as well as gaining a better understanding of the game. Not only has he been playing professionally since 2007 and finding great success in MTT's, but has also switched to a more balanced approach playing Spin and Go since his first child was born. Alongside his love for playing the game, he started coaching as a head coach of Team Bas poker.

Yves Dubois is a former high stakes cash game player who transferred to being an online nutrition and fitness coach for high-performers such as entrepreneurs, high-stakes poker players, and other professionals in high demanding work environments. Knowing the ins and outs of the fitness industry by heart, Yves is dedicated to helping people feel their best, both physically and mentally, and does that by providing individualized guidance to his clients. In this episode, we're talking about his journey in poker, why he got started in fitness, and the strategies he applies to coaching his clients and helping them live their healthiest lives.

Anton Wigg is a professional poker player from Sweden, who has racked up over $11 million in combined live and online MTT cash events. Apart from the headline figures, his longevity in the game is truly remarkable. Beyond his achievements in poker, Anton has created a group of elite tournament poker players who collaborate to improve on every aspect of their performance. They do not solely focus on technical aspects in their game, but also mindset and broader aspects of physical and mental performance. Anton has also created a startup company, and we'll talk about what lessons he transferred from playing poker on such a high level to the business world.

This week's guest is Ana Márquez, a professional poker player from Spain. She began playing poker during her time in college, initially playing cash games in Atlantic City. Before she joined Americas Cardroom in 2022, she was a member of Team PokerStars as well as Team 888poker. Ana has been ranked as #1 poker player in Spain and won $2 million in live tournaments. Having been successful in many tournaments, her highest cash prize to date is $445,000 by finishing third in the Partypoker Live Millions Vegas Main Event at the Aria Resort & Casino on the Las Vegas Strip. As a true professional, Ana does not only work on her technical game, but is also focused on her mindset routines to execute on the highest possible level.

This week's guest is Patrick Howard, lead strategy developer at Poker Detox, an elite coaching and staking company for poker players, joins the show to discuss a data-driven approach to playing poker. We'll discuss how he got started with poker and how his background in physics helped him to develop a data-driven methodology. He will explain common patterns that he has witnessed in low- as well as high-performing poker players and how mindset comes into the picture. Click here to get the full show notes and resources from this week's episode.