Jonathan Little is a poker player, coach, author, and owner of pokercoaching.com. In this discussion, we get caught up on everything Jonathan has going on, what he enjoys the most, and how in the heck he can multi-table 14 games at the same time. We wonder if he gets bored playing live after spending so much time with the action of multi-tabling online.

Today my guest on the Chasing Poker Greatness podcast coming back for an overdue Round 2 conversation is the founder of PokerCoaching.com Jonathan Little.

I don’t know if you’ve heard but Mr. Little has been featured fairly prominently in a couple of controversies over the past week that of course we’re about to dive into. The first is Phil Nagy smashing him with the ban hammer at ACR and the 2nd stemmed from accusations of rigging Twitter polls in my recent #PokerGOAT competition on Twitter.

Before we go any further I want you to know that I’m biased in many, many ways in life but one of my core values is striving to be as fair as I can to the folks I interact with. On a personal level I’ve never personally had a single negative interaction with Jonathan or any of his PokerCoaching.com coaches and he’s been nothing but generous with his time and energy specifically with me.

With that said I do wish to make it clear to you that it’s ok if you don’t like Jonathan Little. It’s also OK if you hate me as well. I don’t know exactly why you’d be listening to this podcast if that were the case but that’s a different matter entirely.

Sometimes I feel like we live in a world where we don’t feel safe to have our own opinions, especially if they’re unpopular. I really, really hope that changes.

In today’s episode, you’re going to learn:

- Why Jonathan thinks Excelling at Tough No-Limit Hold’em Games should be the next book in your poker library.
- Why the #PokerGOAT controversy affected Jonathan more than getting banned from ACR.
- How you should go about risk-taking in today’s poker environment.
- And much, MUCH more.

So without any further ado, I bring to you the founder of one of the largest and most successful poker training platforms in the entire universe, Jonathan Little.

Jonathan Little (@JonathanLittle) got his start by making millions at the poker table, and then found a way to turn his favorite card game into an online coaching empire that brings in millions of dollars per year. His "secret" is a combination of consistency and love: Jonathan has authored countless books, YouTube videos, quizzes, webinars, podcast episodes, and more, and part of why he's able to work so hard is because he genuinely loves poker. In this episode, Jonathan and I talk about intentionally develop skills with a specific future in mind, how to find purpose in your career, and ways to parlay success from one career into another.

Play Run It Once Poker Today: runitonce.eu
Train With The Best on Run It Once Training: runitonce.com

On this episode of A Hero's Journey, guest Jonathan Little chats with our host Lee Davy about:

0:01:06
How he’s handling life during the COVID-19 lockdown.

0:01:53
Growing up in Pensacola, Florida, in a household where gambling was looked down upon.  His childhood fondness for games. 

0:02:49
Finding poker at age 17, and using Magic The Gathering cards as currency in his first game.

0:03:48
What motivated him to pursue poker.

0:05:01
What his relationship with money was like growing up.

0:06:00
Being a nerd in school.  Social circles based around games like chess and Magic The Gathering.

0:06:56
Thoughts on his childhood and teenage relationship with self esteem, success, and failure.

0:09:58
What motivated him to succeed in different pursuits in childhood, and the differences between fun-based motivation and profit-based motivation.

0:12:04
Thoughts on the inevitability of failure and learning to accept things you cannot control.

0:14:06
What he was like academically.  High school success vs college difficulty.

0:15:01
His lack of academic motivation, especially in the face of his growing interest in poker.

0:15:56
His lack of specific career motivation, and how he thinks it relates to other poker players.

0:16:47
The books he read and studied early in his poker career.

0:18:27
The origins of his prolific career as a poker writer.  Where that career stands today.

0:22:49
How the process of writing a book on poker can positively impact your game.

0:24:59
How the process of editing a book can relate to your poker game in terms of concepts like maintaining consistency and knowing when to deviate.

0:26:44
What was the inciting incident in his Hero’s Journey of poker?

0:30:02
His thoughts on the difference between natural talent and “grit” (study, practice, and hard work).  His dedication to the latter.

0:32:44
His preference and appreciation for other people who also have “grit”, and how it relates to the early landscape of professional poker vs the current landscape.

0:34:30
An interesting story of how his parents found out about the financial potential of his poker pursuits.

0:37:06
How his financially responsible approach to poker helped build trust, acceptance, and support from his parents.

0:40:41
HIs early dedication to the grind, and how it affected his social life.

0:44:56
Thoughts on why he’s not a perfectionist.

0:46:42
Thoughts on the dedication required to be a top poker player, and why he no longer devotes the majority of his life to poker.

0:48:36
How specializing in sit & go poker prepared him for playing MTT final tables.

0:50:24
Was there a moment when he refused the call to enter the world of professional poker?

0:52:38
Who have been the major “villains” in his poker career?  The importance of being realistic about what stakes you should be playing.

0:56:06
His reluctance toward shot-taking, a particular instance of regretting that reluctance when Guy Laliberté started playing high stakes cash, and thoughts on determining whether or not you should take a shot.

0:59:39
How his first 7-figure wins affected his life, and the benefits of having a big bankroll.

1:02:10
Thoughts on passion, and what motivates him to write books.

1:04:04
Thoughts on his WPT wins, and being realistic about variance.

1:08:08
How tournament structures have changed over the years, and how that interacts with luck, skill, and variance.

1:10:00
The role of luck and variance in all of life’s pursuits and successes, not just in poker.

1:11:34
Who have the major mentors been his poker career and his life outside of poker?

1:12:54
The exchange of value in relationships, and how poker can be considered a “team sport” in certain ways.

1:15:17
How “villains” can also be allies.  How delusional confidence can help in certain ways.  Thoughts on being your own worst enemy.

1:17:33
What are the “treasures” in his life right now, and what is he doing to obtain them?

1:19:13
What metrics does he use to gauge his progress toward his current goals?

1:20:32
How he structures his time to optimize his goals.

1:24:33
How did it feel to win Poker Personality Of The Year at this year’s Global Poker Awards?

This week’s episode focuses on the 2nd Annual Global Poker Awards, held in Las Vegas. The boys run through the winners in the major categories, and speak to Jonathan Little, who was named People’s Choice for Poker Personality of the Year. Plus, Joe tells more stories from the set of ‘The Card Counter’ and James rants about having to watch ‘Battlefield Earth’ for the Superfan quiz. But Joe has a surprise in store, as he invites J.D. Shapiro, one of the movie’s writers, to make a special guest appearance on the show! Finally, the aforementioned Superfan, Darrin Curtis, tries to win #PokerInTheEars merch by answering questions about one of the worst films ever made. Please don’t forget to comment, like and subscribe to the podcast.

In this episode, Jonathan Little, the owner of PokerCoaching.com, 2-time WPT Champion with $7,000,000 in tournament cashes, and 15-time author, shares how to make sure your life never feels like a grind. He explains the inspiration for his books, why he always seeks to learn and study from people who are better, and why it’s important to know the fundamentals before you move away from them. Tune in to hear the keystone habits that Jonathan implements in his life, the strategies he’d teach his younger self, and how he keeps his cool regardless of who’s at the table.

Visit Jeff Gross - The Flow Show or find us on iTunes to subscribe, visit previous episodes, and learn more about your host, Jeff Gross.

Time Stamped Show Notes:

• 00:00 – 20:00 – Introducing Jonathan, his journey, his coaching site, and his projects.
• 20:00 – 43:00 – His book, adjusting away from fundamentals, and his past wins.
• 43:00 – 59:00 – On meeting his wife, breaking rules, and learning from others.
• 00:59:00 – 01:19:30 – Keystone habits, studying, and the three kinds of people who play.
• 01:19:30 – 01:37:30 – His work schedule, how he fits in poker, and some stories.
• 01:37:30 – 02:00:30 – Dealing with downswings, creating content, and his favorite hands.
• 02:00:30 – 02:20:00 – A PLO strategy, why he prefers soft games, and how the scene has changed.

3 Key Points

• Hire a coach to save time and money.
• Do what you love!
• Stay level-headed regardless of who’s at the table. 

Contact/Resources

• Partner - Party Poker
• Website - Jeff Gross Poker
• Poker Coaching Website

Today I’m speaking with the 2007 WPT player of the year Jonathan Little.

Jonathan is a 2 time WPT tournament champion with more than $6.8 million in tournament wins. He’s also published 14 of the most high impact poker strategy books on the market … with number 15 and 16 hitting shelves in the near future.

And not only is Jonathan a tournament crusher extraordinaire, as the founder of pokercoaching.com he’s also a world-class coach who creates all kinds of amazing strategic content across all major platforms.

He also writes regularly for the largest poker website on the Internet, Pokernews.com.

I’m pretty sure we didn’t get into this much but I’m not quite sure when the man finds time to sleep.

But although he’s had great success, Jonathan is quick to point out that it wasn’t an easy path to get to where he is now. He’s also pretty clear about the fact that, counterintuitively, he doesn’t believe that he possesses many of the qualities that most people associate with successful professional poker players. But that most certainly hasn’t stopped him.

Jonathan is a perfect example of what you can achieve through hard work and dedication to your passion. During our conversation, you’ll hear how he got his start in poker, how he’s managed to keep improving and stay on top over the last 15 years, and what he’s thinking for the future. I’m sure you’ll also love his great insights into the game, what it takes to learn and improve, and the benefits of both teaching others and working with coaches.

There are few people in the game who work so tirelessly in trying to help others learn how to play cards, no matter what level they play at or wish to reach.

Jon was a joy to speak to and an absolute gold mine for dispensing poker wisdom.

So without any further ado ... I present to you, world champion poker player, prolific poker author, and world-class poker coach, Mister Jonathan Little.

Professional Poker Player, Jonathan Little, joins the show to talk about his experiences getting into, and then playing in, the World Poker Tour. He talks success and failure, psychology and math, as his drive and work ethic have won him over $7 million over the past 12 years or so. INTERESTING interview!

Jonathan Little is a player, coach, author, and entrepreneur who takes some time out to talk with Steve and the crew about playing against limpers in low buy-in tournaments. If you want to participate in these interviews, become a member through rec.poker