How to Become a High-Performing Poker Player in 2026

If you want to become a high performer in poker, there’s one thing you need to accept upfront:

There is no finish line.

You don’t “arrive.”
You don’t clock out.
You don’t reach a point where you can finally take it easy.

High performance is about learning how to improve consistently over time.

Sometimes that’s through big breakthroughs. Though more often it’s through small, almost invisible 1% gains stacked over months and years.

And yet, this is exactly where most driven poker players get stuck.

Why So Many Poker Players Feel Stuck

After working with poker players for nearly a decade, I see the same two frustrations again and again:

1. “I’m not progressing the way I should be.”
   You feel stagnant. You know you have more potential, but you’re not accessing it consistently.

2. “I’m progressing, but it’s too slow.”
   You have big goals — higher stakes, financial freedom, more control over your life — and it feels like you should be further ahead by now.

On the surface, these look like different problems.

But underneath, they share the same root cause:

You’re not showing up as the version of yourself you know you’re capable of being.

So the real question becomes:

High Performance Is an Identity Before It’s a Strategy

High performance isn’t about motivation. It isn’t about grinding harder. And it isn’t about always doing more.

It’s about stepping into the identity of a high performer and then repeatedly showing up as that version of yourself.

When you’re truly aligned with a high-performing identity:

• You do the work without constant internal resistance

• You trust yourself more

• Daily execution becomes normal

But none of that happens by accident.

There’s a process you need to go through which I will walk you through now.

Solidify Your High-Performer Identity

Before habits, before goals, before routines — you need clarity on who you’re becoming.

Ask yourself:

• At my best, how do I show up?

• What time do I wake up?

• How do I start my day?

• How do I handle discomfort, boredom, frustration, and variance?

• What character traits are strong in me when I’m performing well?

Every one of us has multiple versions:

• A low-performing version

• An average, default version

• A high-performing version

Your job isn’t to eliminate the others, it’s to make the high-performing version your default.

If you don’t clearly define this identity, you have no north star.

You’ll rely on discipline for a few weeks… then fall back into old patterns because the old identity is still stronger.

Goals Are Direction, Not Pressure

Once your identity is clear, goals come after — not before.

I used to treat goals as rigid outcomes I had to hit. Now I see them more like a GPS:

You enter a destination, and it gives you direction.

Goals allow you to optimise your behaviour.

Without them, you’re just reacting.

For most poker players, the key areas are:

• Poker performance

• Finances

• Health

• Relationships

• Freedom

The mistake many players make is chasing money or achievements while unconsciously sacrificing what they actually value — until everything feels hollow or unsustainable.

Your goals should align with:

• Your identity

• Your values

• The life you actually want to live

High Performers Don’t Improve at Everything

This is a big one.

High performers are always improving, but not across everything.

They choose a small number of skills that matter most and work on them relentlessly.

Trying to fix everything at once leads to overwhelm, guilt, and inconsistency.
Simplicity leads to momentum.

Which brings us to the real work.

Where Most Poker Players Break Down

You can have:

• A clear identity

• Aligned goals

• Strong intentions

But if your daily behaviours don’t match, it creates friction — and eventually, self-distrust.

This is where many poker players struggle:

• Inconsistent sleep

• No real structure

• Poor transitions between poker and rest

• Mornings dominated by phones and stimulation

• Reactive days instead of intentional ones

And over time, this disconnect creates a quiet belief:

High performance is built by aligning daily systems with who you want to become.

That means:

• Going to bed when you said you would

• Waking up when you said you would

• Protecting the first 30–60 minutes of your day

• Building your day layer by layer, not all at once

Simple things. Done often. In alignment.

The 8 Skills That Actually Matter in Poker Performance

Poker is unique.

The variance. The emotional swings. The isolation. The pressure to perform and make money.

After working exclusively with poker players for close to a decade, I’ve identified 8 core performance skills that matter more than anything else.

They’re the skills that allow you to:

• Handle downswings without spiralling

• Stay focused deep into long sessions

• Regulate emotions instead of suppressing them

• Maintain energy and clarity day after day

• Show up as your best self consistently

These skills don’t just help your poker, they support your entire career and life.

A Simple Path Forward for 2026

If you’re feeling stuck…

If you know you have more in you…

If you want 2026 to feel intentional instead of reactive…

Then the work isn’t about doing more.

It’s about:

• Clarifying who you’re becoming

• Simplifying what actually matters

• Building systems that make high performance inevitable over time

That’s exactly why I created The Poker Athlete Program.

Starting in January, I’ll be working with a small group of players and teaching:

• One high-performance skill per week

• Live coaching sessions with me

• A clear, non-overwhelming framework you can rely on all year

• A system that will allow you to show up as a consistent high performer

No endless content rabbit hole.

No more overwhelm.

No feeling like you are stuck and not reaching your potential..

Just the skills that matter, taught in a way you can actually integrate.

If that resonates, you can apply for one of the spots here:

Now here is one thing I want you to remember:

High performance isn’t about intensity.

It’s about alignment, repeated daily.

And that’s a skill you can train.

Adam