The Latest Contender for the Poker Crown... | Armin "AbsoluteTopUp" Amini

► Stuck at Mid-Stakes? We Help You Move Up https://www.mechanicsofpoker.com Partners: ► Study GTO and join monthly webinars by TheWakko over at GTO Wizard, https://gtowizard.com/mechanics/ 10% off the first month In episode 51 of the MOPP we chat with american high-stakes cash-game player Armin "AbsoluteTopUp" Amini. We dive deep into his journey, mindset, and experiences at the World Cash Game Championships. We discuss the highs and lows of battling the best, dealing with massive swings, and the lessons he’s learned along the way. Armin shares how he transitioned from gaming to poker, refined his study process, and developed the mental resilience needed to compete at the top. We also explore key poker concepts, from understanding blockers to balancing exploitative and solver-based strategies. Plus, he reveals the biggest mindset leaks holding players back and the traits required to reach high stakes. If you're serious about improving your game and mastering the mental side of poker, this episode is a must-watch. 0:00 - Introduction 2:21 - Why he signed up for the World Cash Game Championships 4:21 - Expectations going into the challenge and taking the lead 6:52 - Dealing with a $110,000 losing session and big swings 11:41 - Do the results of the challenge show who’s really the best? 14:01 - Why playing Linus is so exhausting 17:36 - Reigniting the passion for poker 21:51 - What Armin learnt from his recent bad run 27:00 - Transitioning from Call of Duty to poker 29:43 - Learning poker through brain solving 31:58 - “500NL is where boys turn into men” 34:52 - The learning curve of solvers and destroying his win rate 39:57 - The importance of understanding blockers and unblockers 42:12 - “Exploit is hand vs range, solver is range vs range” 43:42 - When results were so good he was forced to quit college 45:02 - Shoutout to our sponsors Coinpoker and GTO Wizard 48:22 - Losing half of his bankroll and the lessons it taught him 50:22 - How Armin overcame self-doubt when poker wasn’t working out 52:42 - Lessons learnt about his mental game 55:12 - What Armins B game looks like compared to his A game 57:22 - The biggest mindset leak he still has 59:36 - The importance of having that next stepping stone to work towards 1:01:33 - What drives Armin to push himself to be the best 1:04:53 - The mindset of a reg battler - why it’s different 1:08:59 - The importance of having a good support group during tough times 1:11:12 - How to keep focus high during long sessions 1:14:27 - Armins mindset for dealing with big financial swings 1:18:05 - How he wrestles with making mistakes and ultimately learns from them 1:19:32 - Studying alone, self-reflection and stress testing his thoughts 1:22:59 - The importance of understanding the why behind strategies 1:24:41 - Armins approach to taking risks and bankroll management 1:26:56 - Losing a $100k pot and how he handles high-pressure situations 1:30:31 - Why Armin looks like he’s tilting but is actually in full control 1:32:51 - Stress testing ideas in a solver and node locking 1:36:01 - The benefit of getting inputs from good poker players 1:37:21 - Understanding the why and how in strategy building 1:42:50 - How to simplify strategies and make them practical 1:49:33 - A day in the life of an elite poker player 1:50:21 - How Armin refined his approach to studying 1:54:51 - The most common leak that Armin sees in his students 1:57:51 - What’s had the greatest impact on his poker success 2:04:41 - The most important lesson poker has taught him 2:06:06 - Advice for players who aren’t getting results despite putting in the work 2:08:13 - Can anyone make it to high stakes? 2:11:53 - The three traits you need to develop to get to high stakes 2:13:25 - Surround yourself with like-minded people to increase consistency 2:15:54 - The importance of networking and finding your tribe 2:21:43 - What Armin needs to improve on to become the best 2:25:01 - The future of poker and Armin’s aspirations 2:26:46 - The main takeaway Armin wants for the audience 2:28:01 - Adam and Rene’s summary ► Stop Surviving & Start Thriving https://www.mechanicsofpoker.com #Mechanics #Poker #cashgame #OnlinePoker #podcast