On Monday, Stephen Chidwick took to Reddit to answer questions in the r/poker subreddit using the u/Octopi_Poker account. In total, he answered 10 questions, much to the appreciation of the poker community.
Chidwick is second on poker’s all-time money list with $76,035,910, only behind Bryn Kenney, who eclipsed the $80 million mark with a min-cash in the WSOP Paradise Super Main Event. The Englishman is also the co-founder of Octopi Poker, a poker tournament study platform that’s enjoyed a meteoric rise in popularity over the last couple of years.
Chidwick has won a pair of WSOP bracelets, three Triton titles, and is tied with Jason Koon for the most cashes in Triton history (68). Though he has been the number one-ranked player in the world, he has yet to win the elusive GPI Player of the Year award.
How much profit has Chidwick really made?
One of the more popular questions that Stephen Chidwick answered was from u/Apprehensive_Rub635, who asked: “Hey Stephen! With 76m in winnings, how much is profit?”
Chidwick responded that he’s earned somewhere in the range of $5,000,000 to $10,000,000 in profit. Tournament players have a myriad of expenses, ranging from travel, accommodations, buy-ins, selling and swapping action, and more. Fortunately for Chidwick, British players do not pay taxes on poker and gambling winnings, meaning he keeps far more money than his counterparts.
That’s roughly between 6.5 and 13% profit, which highlights just how thin margins are for elite players. This, of course, doesn’t account for money won from sponsorships, personal business dealings, and cash games.
Is the talent gap closing?
Another Reddit user, u/ekimtk, asked: “Do you think the gap is closing between regs and recs in the highest tier events? (250k+). It feels like watching these super high rollers; there are very few true spots that can be really exploited. They make mistakes, but nothing so egregious that they are straight donating.”
Chidwick stated that the talent gap is closing, but only slightly, noting that while recreational players are improving, professionals are improving at a much faster rate. He also said that while exploits are becoming increasingly subtle and harder for viewers to detect over time, the exploits still exist.
Stephen Chidwick’s pregame ritual
Chidwick is just like all of us poker players, who have a routine before sitting down for a day’s play. While many go to the gym, study specific spots using solver tools, and eat well, Chidwick has a more holistic approach.
“I try to prioritize sleep. If I can get sunlight and exercise before I play, that’s ideal, but not always possible. If I know my table draw (day 2+), I’ll usually go through any notes I have on my opponents and formulate a general plan for how I’m going to approach common situations. I’ll virtually always do some kind of meditation or breathing exercise just prior to playing. Sometimes music, sometimes philosophical or inspirational content, depending on what I feel like I need in the moment.”
The most underrated poker skill?
Chidwick was asked by u/Captain_Buffhole: “As someone who’s played before and after widespread solver adoption, what important skill has become undervalued in modern MTTs—and how should serious players train it today?”
Chidwick explained that too many players are just looking up difficult spots they played in the sim and seeing whether they’re right or wrong. Instead, he believes players need to study “the skill of putting people on ranges and thinking through the hand from first principles/incorporating intuition into your strategy.”
If Chidwick had to start all over again?
Chidwick was asked if, hypothetically, he had to start over with $10,000 to his name, what type of game format would he target. While many believe that Sit & Gos and low-stakes no-limit hold’em cash is the way to go, Chidwick highly recommends finding a soft low-stakes pot-limit Omaha (PLO) cash game and grinding your bankroll up from there.
