Performing Under Pressure with High Stakes Poker Champion Fedor Holz and Lewis Howes

Mindset

Fedor Holz emphasizes the importance of dedicating time to mindset coaching, particularly for high-stakes situations. He explains how using a mindset app can help individuals feel more in the zone, fresher, and more confident, which is crucial for performing better in specific scenarios like job interviews or poker games. Holz believes that greatness is relative and involves putting every single minute towards becoming the best at something specific 1.

If you want to be great at something, I think that's what you have to do. Put every single minute you've got into it.

--- Fedor Holz

Lewis Howes acknowledges Holz's ability to teach others how to master their minds, which is a valuable gift in overcoming anxiety, stress, and fear.

   

Visualization

Holz believes that anyone can perform at the highest level of their craft with the right mindset and training. He highlights the importance of visualization and connecting habits with desired outcomes to improve performance. By consistently writing down emotions and rationalizing them, Holz has been able to transform negative feelings into positive ones, which is essential for excelling in high-pressure environments 2.

Now, if you do this 150 times, it turns into you smiling because you realize, oh, wow, this is awesome.

--- Fedor Holz

Lewis Howes and Holz discuss how this process can help anyone achieve excellence.

   

Empowerment

Holz discusses the creation of his mindset app, Primed Mind, and the broader vision of his company, Primed Group. The goal is to build a team that shares a similar mindset and provides space for people to thrive. Holz emphasizes the importance of setting goals together and taking responsibility for one's own tasks, which fosters an environment where creativity and passion can flourish 3.

The idea is to set to build that framework for people to do whatever they think has the most impact.

--- Fedor Holz

Lewis Howes and Holz also touch on the importance of creating educational tools that genuinely benefit users.

   

Poker Tells

Holz shares his techniques for reading poker tells, such as observing pulse rates, muscle tension, and hand color. These subtle cues can provide valuable information about an opponent's hand and intentions. Holz explains that fear and excitement are similar initially, but fear lasts longer, which can be a telltale sign during high-stakes decisions 4.

The pulse is generally staying up, staying high when they're bluffing. And then it relaxes someone.

--- Fedor Holz

Lewis Howes and Holz discuss how these insights can be applied beyond poker to other high-pressure situations.

   

Decision-Making

Holz delves into his decision-making process, emphasizing the importance of dissecting decisions and their outcomes. He believes that feeling good about the decision itself, rather than the outcome, is crucial for maintaining consistency and confidence. Holz explains that every decision carries some risk, and it's essential to reflect on why a decision was made to improve future choices 5.

The only thing that should matter is, do you feel good about the decision?

--- Fedor Holz

Lewis Howes and Holz explore how this mindset can help individuals navigate high-stakes environments effectively.