Danny Tang, a poker pro and Natural 8 ambassador with $8,400,000 in MTT earnings, gives some tips for mastering the short-deck game. He shares study/play ratio recommendations for beginners and opens up about how he builds mental strength and manages bad beats. Tune in to find out how Danny came up in the ranks and killed it in his most recent tournaments – and hear what the best players do that no one else does.

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Time Stamped Show Notes:

• 00:00 – 21:00 – Introducing Danny, his background, how he got into poker, his game preferences, study/play ratio recommendation for beginners, and a short-deck trick.
• 21:00 – 39:30 - On his travels, Coronavirus, having people that push him, and how he prepares for the mental side of the game.
• 39:00 – 51:00 - Being a Natural 8 ambassador, the best way to get to higher stakes, and how he leveled-up quickly and won big in his most recent tournaments.
• 51:00 – 01:03:00 - Talking about other great players, a little hint about a possible new stop, his micro-stakes downswing and why he starts complaining just on bad beats.
• 01:03:00 – 01:15:30 - What top pros do that others don’t, how his rankings and their importance to him have shifted, and what he did to come up in the ranks that he doesn’t do now.
• 01:15:30 – 01:33:00 - On being hooked on short-deck, his routine before tournaments, favorite place to visit, and how he handles bad beats in tournaments.
• 01:33:00 – 01:39:30 - Getting out there, giving and taking, doing things with heart and purpose, keeping community, and reminiscing on the guys that have supported him from the beginning.

3 Key Points

• Always keep learning.
• It’s not always about skill; opportunity also plays a big role in moving up to higher stakes games.
• Bad beats are normal – how you handle them is what makes the difference.

Contact/Resources

• Partner - Party Poker
• Website - Jeff Gross Poker
• Daniel’s Hendon Mob