BBZ Blog: Best articles of 2022

The BBZ Blog has now wrapped up its second year of existence and throughout 2022 we published our best content yet.

Here, we take a look back at our favorite articles from the year, including some awesome strategy pieces, interviews with big names and members of our community, and more.

Have a look through it. There’s bound to be something you missed that could change the way you play and think about poker.

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JANUARY

Longevity in poker: Why we should all look up to Erik Seidel

An undisputed legend of poker, Erik Seidel has been at the top of the game for more than three decades. How does he do it?

Poker YouTube rich list: Who are the biggest earners on poker YouTube?

As Forbes recently released its annual YouTube rich list, topped by MrBeast, it made us wonder: who are the biggest earners on poker YouTube?

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FEBRUARY

How Conor O’Driscoll turned $2K into $20K (and how you could do it too)

BBZ streamer Conor O’Driscoll recently completed a $2K to $20K bankroll challenge. Here, he tells us how he did it (and how you could too).

The apestyles guide: How to play PKO tournaments

In his Bundle, BBZ coach Jonathan ‘apestyles’ Van Fleet covers how to play PKO tournaments and the methods he uses. Let’s go through them.

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MARCH

The ultimate grind station: Check out the BBZ community’s online poker set-ups

What makes an awesome grind station? The BBZPoker community showed us. Here’s a look at some of our crew’s fantastic online poker set-ups.

The Poker Mental Scorecard: How to put yourself in the best position to win

Use this poker mental scorecard to keep track of everything you’re doing throughout the week. It will give you the best chance of winning.

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APRIL

“I am” statements: How to reflect on who you are in poker and life

“I am” statements help us reflect on who we are, how we got there, and what we’d like to become. This can be very powerful for poker players.

OtB_Red who?: Online poker’s biggest enigmas

Some players have crushed online poker for years without outing their true identity. Here’s a look at some of online poker’s biggest enigmas.

How to study poker as a recreational player

How should you study poker as a recreational player in 2022? Here’s what Jordan ‘bigbluffzinc’ Drummond (a.k.a. BBZ) advises.

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MAY

Process vs Outcome: To win at poker? Or become more skilled at poker?

Focusing on outcomes–such as winning a particular tournament–isn’t the best approach to poker. Instead, focus on the process, and trust it.

4 things you can do to prepare for a big Sunday session

For some, Sundays are the biggest poker day of the week. For others, it’s the only day you get to play. Here’s how to prep for your next big Sunday.

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JUNE

François Hamel: “I meditated for 1,000 consecutive days. Here’s what I learned.”

Mental Performance Coach François Hamel tells us what he learned regarding poker and life from meditating for 1,000 consecutive days.

Make poker your side hustle: How to play seriously when you have a full-time job

When your free time is limited due to work commitments, what’s the best way to improve and turn poker into your side hustle?

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JULY

How to avoid checking out mentally during a poker session

Poker sessions can be long and when things don’t go your way, you might find yourself checking out mentally. Here’s how you can avoid that from happening.

Which areas of poker do you need to study the most?

To study poker efficiently, you need to pinpoint the weakest areas of your game. The best way to do it? A database review.

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AUGUST

The funniest poker follows on Twitter

From hilarious poker sketches to tough conversations and memorable memes, here’s a look at some of the funniest poker follows on Twitter.

The apestyles guide: Downswings and confidence

In the Apestyles Bundle, Jon “apestyles” Van Fleet discusses what he does when he’s in the middle of a downswing or he’s lacking confidence.

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SEPTEMBER

How to break the ‘deposit > play > bust’ cycle for good

Sound familiar? If so, you’re not alone. But if you want to break that cycle, there’s something you can do about it.

The truth about playing high-stakes poker

Kevin Martin’s vulnerability is not only appreciated but also shows us that there’s always work to be done, regardless of past poker success.

What to do when pessimism creeps into your poker play

Sometimes things going on in our day-to-day lives impact our mental game on the tables. Here’s how one BBZ student overcame her pessimism.

Jon “luckyfish89” Clark on winning his first WCOOP title: “I got a little bit emotional”
We talk to BBZ Poker coach Jon “luckyfish89” Clark about his first WCOOP title, the internet issues that almost cost him it, and more.

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OCTOBER

What to do on your 5-minute tournament breaks

Aside from going to the bathroom or grabbing some food or drink, how do you use your tournament breaks? Here are some suggestions.

Why you’ll regret not spending money on training content

This BBZ student just enjoyed his biggest ever score. But he has regrets. “My biggest mistake was not investing in training content sooner.”

How to move up the stakes in poker tournaments

Every tournament poker player dreams of moving up in stakes, and every tournament poker player has an excuse as to why they’re not.

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NOVEMBER

Why you should study ICM right now

When this BBZ student made four final tables simultaneously, he knew he was in a great position. Thankfully, he’d been studying ICM. A lot.

8 things you didn’t know about Jordan ‘bigbluffzinc’ Drummond

From 80-hour weeks at 7-Eleven to running one of the largest staking stables, here’s what you don’t know about the BBZ Poker founder.

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DECEMBER

Performance mode or play mode? How to keep poker fun

Should “performance mode” always be our default poker mindset, or should we sometimes experiment in “play mode” and have some fun?

Check out Performance coach Frank Hamel’s answer.

How important is momentum in poker?

Momentum can be huge in poker, if handled well. We speak to a BBZ student who did just that and beat his biggest score three times in a month.