Seeking Balance

Jared Alderman

Welcome to Seeking Balance, a podcast that delves into the art and science of performance in poker—and life. Hosted by Jared Alderman, a seasoned performance coach with a unique blend of experiences, this show explores what it truly means to succeed. Drawing from years as a Navy EOD tech, professional poker player, and now a mindset and lifestyle coach, Jared brings a depth of understanding to high-pressure situations and the mental game behind peak performance. With an extensive background in meditation, Jared takes listeners beyond typical strategies to explore how inner well-being and mindset fuel real achievement. Each episode offers insights into the soft skills that separate good players from great ones, uncovering the hidden edges found in emotional regulation, healthy habits, and peak performance strategies. With a focus on balancing achievement and personal well-being, we’ll challenge conventional definitions of success and look at how to thrive both at the table and beyond it. Join us for candid conversations with poker pros, industry leaders, and performance experts as we explore how to cultivate the habits, mindsets, and skills that lead to real, lasting success. Whether you're chasing poker greatness or looking to level up in your life, Seeking Balance is your guide to mastering the game within the game.

  1. 5D AGO

    Beating Isildur1, Winning 6 Bracelets, and Finding Fulfilment Outside of Poker — Brian Hastings

    Today on Seeking Balance, Jared sits down with Brian Hastings! Brian is a 6 time bracelet winner, former high stakes online cash game specialist, and one of the most respected mixed game players in the world. In this episode he sits down with Jared to talk about beating Isildur1 for $4M at the height of online poker, the best frameworks for making tough decisions, and why he believes a rich life outside of poker makes you a better player at the table. Check Out The Poker Performance Field Kit! https://jaredalderman.notion.site/poker-performance-field-kit Learn More About The Coaching Group: https://www.jaredalderman.com Join Our Discord Server! https://discord.gg/mDZuCxcgzv Coaching With Brian: https://forum.octopipoker.ai/author/Brian-Hastings-1-58/products Timestamps: 00:00 – Intro 00:59 – When does RNGing actually make sense? 02:42 – Breaking decisions that feel 50/50 06:16 – Balance vs. exploits 10:37 – Why aggressive players still get folds from great players 11:34 – Beating Isildur1 for $4M at 500/1000 PLO 13:58 – The Black Friday era 14:39 – Brian's dedication to mixed games and tournaments 19:56 – Brian's framework for tough decisions 24:29 – Check Out The Poker Performance Field Kit! 25:13 – RNGing as a hedge on your own confidence 28:52 – Are poker players obsessing over frequencies that don't matter? 40:16 – How personal growth made Brian a better coach 50:44 – Brian's remaining goals in poker 58:57 – Balancing poker and family life 59:45 – Learn More About The Coaching Group! 1:00:10 – Why a rich life outside poker makes you better at it 1:10:16 – The right mindset after a bad session 1:14:41 – How much do you actually need to study? 1:18:35 – Studying smarter not harder 1:19:22 – Multiway spots and unintuitive bluffing Find Brian: 📸Instagram: @brianchastings 🐦X: @brianchastings Host: Jared Alderman Performance Coach 🌐Website: https://www.jaredalderman.com/ 📸Instagram: @jared.alderman 🐦X: @jaredalderman

    1h 23m
  2. APR 10

    Are You Ready for Poker's Next Frontier?

    This week on Seeking Balance, Jared sits down with Charlie Carrel — poker pro, live tell specialist, and one of the game's most unconventional thinkers — to discuss the hidden edges most players never explore. From a $15 first deposit and binking the Sunday Million to thousands of hours playing and coaching, Charlie opens up about what really separated him from the field. A fascinating conversation about live tells, intuition, meditation, and why mastering your mind might be the next frontier in modern poker. Learn More About The Coaching Group: https://www.jaredalderman.com/poker Join Our Discord Server! https://discord.gg/mDZuCxcgzv Charlie's 50K Promo! https://www.charlescarrel.com/ 👉 If you found this episode valuable, don't forget to like, comment, share, and subscribe to the newsletter at https://www.jaredalderman.com/ for more deep dives into poker, performance, and personal growth! 🔔 Turn on notifications so you never miss a new episode. 00:00:00 – Intro00:01:00 – Charlie's Origin Story & First Deposit on PokerStars00:03:55 – Binking the Sunday Million & The Start of a Career00:05:05 – What Made Charlie Click With Poker From the Start00:07:10 – Live Tells: The Perverse Incentive to Keep Them Secret00:09:15 – The Two Categories of Live Tells & What's Actually Teachable00:11:20 – Parallel Problem Solving & The Art of Reading a Table00:13:55 – Intuition vs. Intellect: The Creative Process of Poker00:17:50 – What Got You Here Won't Get You There00:19:35 – Why Poker Culture Resists the Intuitive Side of the Game00:26:30 – Spirituality & Navigating Your Own Path00:33:30 – Meditation Before a Session: More EV Than Solver Study?00:36:00 – Strong Energy at the Table & The Taekwondo Story00:39:00 – Empowering Students: What Most Poker Coaches Get Wrong00:44:08 – Join The Coaching Group!00:44:33 – Childhood and the Lasting Impacts of Early Relationships00:46:10 – The Truth Series & Reviewing Today's Poker Creators00:48:56 – Charlie Announces He's Coming Out of Retirement00:54:25 – Jungleman Stories & Charlie's Flute Battle on Coin Poker00:58:30 – Where to Find Charlie & The $5K Staking Promotion Find Charlie: 🌐Website: https://www.charlescarrel.com/ 📸Instagram: @charliecarrel 🐦X: @Charlie_Carrel ▶️YouTube: @CharlieCarrel Host: Jared Alderman Performance Coach 🌐Website: https://www.jaredalderman.com/ 📸Instagram: @jared.alderman 🐦X: @jaredalderman

    1h 1m

About

Welcome to Seeking Balance, a podcast that delves into the art and science of performance in poker—and life. Hosted by Jared Alderman, a seasoned performance coach with a unique blend of experiences, this show explores what it truly means to succeed. Drawing from years as a Navy EOD tech, professional poker player, and now a mindset and lifestyle coach, Jared brings a depth of understanding to high-pressure situations and the mental game behind peak performance. With an extensive background in meditation, Jared takes listeners beyond typical strategies to explore how inner well-being and mindset fuel real achievement. Each episode offers insights into the soft skills that separate good players from great ones, uncovering the hidden edges found in emotional regulation, healthy habits, and peak performance strategies. With a focus on balancing achievement and personal well-being, we’ll challenge conventional definitions of success and look at how to thrive both at the table and beyond it. Join us for candid conversations with poker pros, industry leaders, and performance experts as we explore how to cultivate the habits, mindsets, and skills that lead to real, lasting success. Whether you're chasing poker greatness or looking to level up in your life, Seeking Balance is your guide to mastering the game within the game.

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