Jason Mezrahi 
Before you dive into DFS, ask yourself how you’re going to deal with defeat. It’s really, really tough to do all of the work and then end up with nothing. There have been many times where I’ve asked myself, Why am I still doing this? I have gone a year without a big payout or qualifier ticket. I have been down thousands of dollars. That was my learning curve. When I did hit, I hit big—big enough to cover my losses, pay for all the time spent, and make it worthwhile. After that win in 2013, I didn’t have any of that size for the next two years. I had to keep on grinding and grinding every day, dealing with defeat, after defeat, after defeat.
It’s a real kick in the nuts to be risking your money just to be hit with loss after loss, day after day. Imagine going to work, having a bad day at the office, and then not getting a paycheck at the end of the week. Instead, the boss says, “Yeah, we’re not giving you a check this month. You have to pay me $5,000 to keep working here.” That’s what DFS can feel like at times. I can go a whole month without turning a profit. I’m actually paying to get beat up. You have to be mentally tough to take that kind of punishment.
I’ve been able to deal with defeat because my passion keeps me motivated. Waking up every day to do research genuinely excites me. The losses I’ve taken have taught me valuable lessons about the game and embracing a strong, positive mindset. If you can find something you’re passionate enough about to make that kind of commitment, whether it’s DFS, grinding in poker rooms, charting and forecasting stocks, or anything else, then do it. It takes persistence and a constant honing of skill to be able to assess, take another risk, and win.
