A money sport participant to begin, Kasey Lyn Mills has since caught the match bug. The Oklahoma poker professional got here out of the pandemic with a renewed deal with multi-table tournaments, and the transfer has paid off.
Mills began to see ends in October of 2022, taking second within the WPT Steps thriller bounty occasion for $42,968 at Texas Card House. A pair months later, she narrowly missed out on her first WSOP Circuit ring, ending runner-up at Choctaw Casino in Durant, Oklahoma.
Several ultimate tables later, Mills took fifth within the WSOP Circuit most important occasion at Tulsa for $35,539, earlier than ending her summer time in Vegas with a deep run within the WSOP most important occasion. The poker commentator got here shut once more at Choctaw in July of 2023 with back-to-back ultimate tables, and one-upped herself in a giant method in January when the tour returned.
First, Mills took down the $1,000 Monster Stack occasion, banking $66,009 and her first piece of WSOP gold. The subsequent occasion she entered was the $400 no-limit occasion, the place she as soon as once more discovered the winner’s circle and one other $22,433.
Then in April, she launched into the inaugural World Poker Tour Voyage Championship, finally taking seventh place for $42,000.
Card Player just lately caught up with the Poker Now ambassador to speak about her current success and the way she was capable of finding a balanced approached to match play.
Craig Tapscott: When did poker first come into your life?
Kasey Lyn Mills: My grandmother launched me to the sport as somewhat lady. She was a fierce competitor in something and every little thing she ever did. She had such an incredible spirit.
I grew up in Oklahoma, the place you possibly can play at 18. This was across the Moneymaker growth. I’d see some prime execs enjoying at Choctaw [Casino], reminiscent of Clonie Gowen, Todd Brunson, Scotty Nguyen, Mike Matusow, and TJ Cloutier. They can be there for a few of the larger tournaments.
I performed Clonie as soon as throughout a heads-up promo occasion, and I gained. It was a magical second for me. I caught the poker bug round that point. I satisfied myself I used to be so good, however I used to be really fairly horrible. (laughs)
CT: What did you do to enhance your sport?
KLM: I learn all of the books; I’m a reader. I used to be simply watching all of the content material, reminiscent of High Stakes Poker, and I beloved it. I had varied jobs on the time to make a residing. But about 12 years in the past, I began to take it far more critically. I had some distinctive abilities that gave me an edge early relating to stay reads. Then I started to review ranges, and so forth. Back then it was extra for money video games. I averted tournaments just like the plague.
I’d go to on-line coaching websites and examine the boards. I began to enhance and play an increasing number of excessive stakes, and finally, I put collectively a superb bankroll and turned professional. Then I moved out to California.
CT: Clearly, you have been very critical about making it as knowledgeable.
KLM: I used to be. The video games have been nice on the market, and I began enjoying on a stay stream referred to as Stones Live. Eventually I did some commentary as effectively. That was enjoyable.
CT: When did you begin enjoying tournaments, and what was your strategy there?
KLM: I had at all times thought that the MTT execs have been loopy masochists who simply love ache. I’d simply play a number of, you recognize as a result of I really like money. It’s a lot extra steady and never as excessive variance as MTTs. Players could make an actual residing at money video games as in comparison with tournaments.
That’s what I principally thought on the time. But after going by Raise Your Edge programs and enjoying on-line extra, the pandemic shut every little thing down. So, I centered on tournaments.
Obviously, I needed to win, so I put in a ton of quantity on-line. I used to be utilizing Poker Tracker to see the place I used to be making errors and the place my leaks have been, continually working by these arms. I put in huge quantity. And then [the poker world] opened again up.
I used to be capable of mix every little thing I had realized from on-line MTTs with what my strongest edge had at all times been and what I name my superpower, which is having the ability to learn individuals. I studied and watched for micro-expressions, physique language, and so forth. I used to be capable of mix that with participant sorts and newfound expertise. I had a lot stronger fundamentals and was higher at hand studying evaluation, hand ranges, and studying board textures. By combining all my expertise, it simply occurred, and I began to simply crush.
Poker grew to become extra enjoyable. I really began to really feel like tournaments may even match my ability set even higher than money.
CT: What have been your largest errors transitioning from money video games to MTTs?
KLM: Coming from money video games, I used to be very aggressive. I used to be already nice at build up a stack, however wasn’t nice at stack preservation late within the ICM levels. I wanted to acknowledge how my vary required to tighten up and learn how to play appropriately late in an MTT. It’s only a completely different type and [mindset] shift that I realized to transition to. I used to be starting to belief and consider in myself.
CT: You got here near some larger wins in 2023. Then, you appeared to hit your stride firstly of this yr.
KLM: I saved getting nearer and nearer to a big money. I saved laddering and placing myself in a superb place to win in the course of the late levels of occasions.
It was all a psychological shift. Back in 2023, I used to be scared to win. I had some self-confidence points and didn’t consider in myself. I felt like I ought to have gained a few instances, and I obtained second. At least one time, I self-sabotaged with false beliefs about myself, wealth, and cash.
CT: How did you overcome that psychological hurdle?
KLM: I began to place in a whole lot of work with mindset practices. I did affirmations each single day. I centered on my confidence and my ideas about abundance and wealth in my life. It began to rewire the unfavourable tapes in my head. I did different conscious practices, reminiscent of meditation, and I additionally began doing chilly plunges. (A follow that has turn out to be well-liked with some within the excessive curler neighborhood.)
CT: That sounds intense.
KLM: I used to be decided to beat these unfavourable beliefs inside me. I began making selections that affirmed that I used to be a winner. And it was then that issues started to vary. Those shifts in psychological focus modified every little thing for me.
I began to see gamers I knew hadn’t studied the entire solver work as I had, but they have been crushing. They weren’t simply solver bots. I watched completely different kinds of gamers and the way they navigated the MTTs, and so they have been profitable. Then, all of the items appeared to return collectively for me.
I started to know that I didn’t need to know every little thing proper now to be ok to win. I began following my guts, instincts, and perception studying skills – the entire information I’ve attained over these years. I’m ok now. I believe after I lastly began to consider that, issues modified. It was a giant shift for me.
CT: Tell me extra concerning the huge week the place you gained two WSOP Circuit rings inside a number of days at Choctaw.
KLM: At the core of all of it, I’m a grinder. I felt these occasions have been gentle and had a whole lot of worth. I resisted the prelims and went residence to reset first. I did all my mindset work, meditations, affirmations, chilly plunges, and stuff, after which I got here again the next week.
I blocked every little thing out. I went solo. I didn’t go together with any mates. I stayed on my own. I had performed with these gamers at Choctaw for the final yr or two. I felt like I had a very good learn on the sphere.
Lots of these gamers are tremendous leisure, and I felt like I used to be capable of shift into exploitative methods on the tables. I used to be utilizing a whole lot of exploitative play, typically virtually having to overlook GTO with a purpose to mass exploit the sphere. I stayed centered and locked in and got here in ready to win.
CT: You gained your first occasion after which a day or so later gained a second.
KLM: Well, after I gained the primary ring, I felt so aligned, balanced, and assured. I put that first win behind me. I went into that subsequent occasion saying I had not proved something to myself but about my sport, anybody else, or the world.
So, we’re beginning over from at the moment. I’ve performed nothing. And I’ve to play this subsequent occasion one hand at a time, one road at a time. I used to be capable of reset and went for it.
I made a large mistake within the ultimate levels and needed to reset. On every break, I used to be doing my mindset and meditation work.
CT: Do you’ve a difficulty focusing at instances, like most of us?
KLM: I’m ADHD or ADD, I’d say. I don’t have hyperactivity, nevertheless it’s been a giant battle in my life. But in poker, it’s been like my superpower as a result of it permits me to deal with 100 various things directly. That occurred as I struggled and overcame my errors and obtained it performed.
CT: It’s nice seeing extra ladies succeed on the circuit. What do you suppose must be performed to encourage extra ladies to play?
KLM: That’s a difficult query to reply. Women are so completely different, and are all in search of completely different takeaways from the sport.
I don’t love enjoying women occasions, however I’m joyful we’ve them. They launched so many ladies to the sport, and it’s a spot the place they really feel comfy, particularly in these decrease buy-in women occasions. Then ladies can go and snigger, have some camaraderie, drink champagne collectively, and be taught the sport.
CT: Why don’t you like the women occasions a lot for your self?
KLM: I’m a fierce competitor and have at all times needed to be the very best, and never simply the very best ‘woman’ in poker.
Poker is a thoughts sport. Our brains are completely different than males’s. We are designed in a different way. Women have so many particular expertise which are so wonderful for poker. If you mix that with some examine, I believe ladies will excel in poker. I hope to see much more ladies get into the sport.
I have to inform you, so many males play terribly towards me. It’s simply the reality. They get fearful of me in a method that they’re not frightened of one another. I don’t know exactly what that’s, however I adore it. I really like terrifying males on the tables. (laughs) It’s in all probability one in all my favourite issues when a superb male participant tells me how scary they discover me to play towards. ♠
Find Kasey Lyn Mills on Twitter/X and Instagram @PokerMommaa
*Photos courtesy of WSOP, World Poker Tour, and Kasey Lyn Mills
