The 5 Levels of Poker (Most Players Get Stuck on Level 3)

Every poker player is somewhere on the same journey.

There are 5 levels to progress through in your poker career, and most poker players get stuck at level 3 without ever realising it.

You know the feeling, spending all your days grinding and studying, hoping to make that breakthrough. Your game is improving, you’re making decent money, and somehow you feel more trapped than when you started.

I have helped over 1000 poker players reach higher levels in the game, and I’ve watched the same patterns play out every single time.

The players that get rich through poker, climb 5 specific levels.

By the end of this post, you will know exactly which level you are at, the one shift that moves you up, and the why level 3 traps so many players until they learn what I’m about to teach you.

Let’s go.

Level 1: The Dreamer

Becoming a poker player is choosing the alternative path. You’re trying to prove something: I can do it, I can actually make this work, I can be a poker player.

At first it’s terrifying, but it’s exciting too. It’s a journey of discovery, all hope, optimism and the dream. The drive here comes from lack (you haven’t got the resources yet), from wanting to prove yourself, and from the sheer novelty of it. Everyone starts here. The poker journey always begins with the dreamer.

Level 2: Survival

Once you’ve got just enough success to make it real, the question becomes: can I make this sustainable?

This level is pure survival. Can I support myself, ease the financial worry, and keep playing long enough to make this a viable career, or am I going to go broke and have to get a job? You’re usually grinding low to mid stakes, finances are tight, and you’re not certain you’ll make it, but you’re determined to hit the next milestone. If you feel this one, the drive is strong: you badly want to prove you can do it.

And nothing is going to stop you.

Level 3: Climbing the Ladder (Where Most Players Get Stuck)

Poker is a hierarchy of levels, and here the game becomes: how high can I go? At the same time you start thinking about security and setting yourself up for the future, a safety net for you and your family.

This is the mid-stakes journey, and for the first time you’re making real money. Not just enough to cover the bills, but enough for the future. Maybe you decide to buy a house, or build your bankroll to cover living expenses for the next few years. For the first time you feel comfortable and secure.

Yet that is exactly where most players get stuck. This is the most important part of this post, so let me take some time to explain why this phase is so challenging.

The Trap: The Drives That Got You Here Now Hold You Back

Everything up to Level 3 is powered by what I call lack drives. Not enough money. The insecurity of “am I good enough?” The need to hustle and make it work. Those drives are strong, and they carry you all the way to security (Level 3).

Then you get secure, and they quietly switch off. The money worry is solved. The “am I good enough” question is mostly answered. The urgency fades. And most players, the majority, never get past Level 3, because they can’t swap their lack drives for abundant drives. The very fuel that got them here has run out, and they’ve got nothing to replace it with.

Getting past this point is not a poker problem. You’ve already proven you can win. It’s a mindset problem: getting past safety, security, and settling for low standards. This is the work I have helped hundreds of players do in my signature Poker Athlete program.

Level 4: Freedom and Achievement

If you do make the switch, Level 4 is about freedom and achievement. How far can I go? Can I financially free myself so I never need to work again, and can I hit my personal goals in this game?

For me, that meant the finances to live freely and to play the highest stakes in my format. I was a heads-up sit-and-go player, and my goal was the 1k level on PokerStars, where all the end bosses played. I got there, established myself, and sat in the top 10 players in my format around 2015 to 2017. That was my achievement. But the real prize at this level is freedom: freedom over your time and your energy.

Freedom from the game itself, unless you want to continue.

Level 5: Mastery

The final level, which only a very small percentage reach, is mastery. Being the best, or the best version of yourself, in your format.

These players are already financially free, and they keep playing anyway. They have already achieved the big milestones, yet the drive is still their. They keep battling the best, keep training, keep growing. They’re past the money game and past the prove-yourself game. Now it’s simply: can I be the best?

All that is left at this phase is the pure love of competition and the path of mastery.

Where the Real Work Begins

Notice the pattern. At Levels 1 and 2 you’re surviving, fighting short-term obstacles, which is exactly why most players never touch their mindset. But the moment you want to climb past Level 3, mindset becomes the whole game. Limiting beliefs, your motivating drives, and how to become a genuine high performer. You’ve proven you can win. The only thing left in the way is you.

So be honest about which level you’re on, and if you’ve been stuck at the same one for a while, look at your drives. They’re probably the reason.

Ready to Climb Past Where You’re Stuck?

If you recognise yourself sitting at Level 3, comfortable but not climbing, that’s not a strategy problem. It’s a mindset one, and it’s exactly the work I do with players.

I’ve helped 100+ players build a bulletproof poker mindset and become crushers in their games through the 8-week Poker Athlete training camp. If you’re tired of being stuck at the same level and you want to work closely with me to actually start climbing, this is where we do exactly that. You can find out how to apply here.

-Adam