The Control Trap: Why Doing Everything Yourself Limits You | Heads Up With Phil Galfond

In Episode 8 of Heads Up With Phil Galfond, Phil coaches Chris Vitch, a three-time WSOP bracelet winner, 20-year poker pro, longtime mixed-game coach, and BTG member, through a problem Chris believes has capped his ceiling for years: wanting to do everything himself.

Have you found success at mid or high stakes, but feel you haven't reached your full potential? Phil's group coaching program, Beyond the Game, may be for you.

Learn more about BTG, and apply to join, here: https://www.joinbtg.com/

What begins as a conversation about hating group projects and struggling to delegate quickly becomes a deeper discussion about control, stubbornness, and the need to be right. Chris opens up about why he has trouble trusting other people with work he could do himself, why losing someone else's money can feel worse than losing his own, and how self-criticism can turn healthy accountability into an attempt to control outcomes that were never fully controllable.

Together, Phil and Chris explore what it actually takes to let go: accepting that someone else may do a job differently, deciding when 80% is enough, and separating the work only you can do from the work that simply consumes your time. They also dig into the hidden tradeoff between freedom and growth — especially when money is no longer the only thing driving your decisions — and why finding the right collaborator may matter more than simply hiring help.

Find Chris at the following links: Chris's YouTube channel: http://youtube.com/@deathdonkey Get coached by Chris and use solver app: http://lab.deathdonkey.com Chris's coaching seminars with Alex Livingston: http://mixedmindspoker.com

Whether it's this call or another, Phil and his guests explore topics including: navigating poker and life professionally, overcoming mindset blocks, improving decision-making under pressure, building healthier relationships with control and uncertainty, and creating the habits needed for long-term success.

Timestamps: 02:10 — Doing Everything Yourself 07:56 — “Confidently Wrong” 12:41 — When Self-Criticism Goes Too Far 17:16 — Why Letting Go Is So Hard 22:01 — Delegating Without Expecting Perfection 31:09 — When a Fun Project Becomes a Job 38:05 — What Control Is Costing You 47:08 — Starting Fresh With a Collaborator 55:12 — What Matters When Money Isn’t the Goal? 1:00:41 — Big Fish in a Small Pond? 1:09:02 — Manager vs. Partner: What Chris Actually Wants 1:19:02 — AI Projects, Too Many Ideas & Finishing What You Start

Find Phil on: X / Twitter: https://twitter.com/philgalfond Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/phil.galfond/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@phil.galfond

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Producer: Thomas Deming-Henes Brand Design: Dan Deming-Henes Creative Specialist: Quentin Cardinal-Juneau