At the beginning of 2023, VeniVidi announced the start of a new marathon, in which he planned to spin up from $66,000 to $1 million. After an unsuccessful start, he had to adjust the rules a little – he increased the starting bankroll to $100,000, and the final goal – to $1.1 million.
Dirk Gerrits was going to the $500k mark for more than a year and was able to overcome it only in the summer. And now he has more than $1 million, and the marathon can end at any moment.
Week 39 was one of the most successful of the entire challenge:
– Total on account: +$1,048,639
Cash game results including rakeback: +$56,558
MTT results: +$141,927
A like on this post is much appreciated.
What can I say? We're back with a bang again! For the first time in the challenge, we've smashed through the $1,000,000 mark. Did I believe we'd hit this milestone eventually? Absolutely. I've always had (too much) confidence in myself. But to reach it this quickly and violently? That, I didn’t expect.
Right now, I'm in the zone like never before. When we bluff, they fold. When we hold value, we get paid. And most importantly, even when we make a big mistake, the deck seems to have our back.
It’s not my first time getting close to winning a big challenge, with my opponent seemingly down and out. But the key now is to stay focused, keep working, and continue improving. I’ve got some study sessions lined up for this week, along with some fun content coming soon.
This challenge has reignited a sense of purpose in me, which I really needed. It’s been a great reminder of the importance of staying persistent, especially since we struggled so much in the early stages. Hopefully, I've been transparent about that part.
I’m thrilled to be this close already—and it’s only September! But, I can't help but hear that little voice in the back of my head asking, "What happens after we reach the goal?" The biggest cliché turned out to be true after I reached financial freedom: I lost my sense of purpose. What followed were some of the most unhappy months of my life.
For now, we celebrate this milestone and move on to the next goal. Please enjoy the graphs of this wild hot streak, and stay tuned for more updates and stories about my journey. If you liked this post, give it a thumbs-up!
–What was your number for financial freedom where you lost your sense of purpose?
– The goal shifted a couple of times (and I think it does most of the time). First it was at $1MM, then it went to $2MM and at $4MM I really felt like I secured it
– Most winnings on GGPoker? Or the CoinPoker games help you reach this this so fast?
– Mix of GGPoker tournaments and CoinPoker cash games
At week 40, Dirk was a bit stuck:
– Total on account: +$1,020,128
Cash game results including rakeback: -$8,967
MTT results: -$19,544
A like on this post is much appreciated.
The hot run continues, though most of the action this time is outside of the challenge. As you can see from the first graph—showing all my play on GGpoker high stakes—the cards are hitting, and I’m holding up in every all-in. This year has undeniably been the most successful of my poker career, and I’ll put together a detailed update on my winnings by the end of the year. Both in the challenge and beyond, things have been going incredibly well.
For most of my poker journey, I was part of a team that provided me with the key information I needed to succeed. But when I reapplied to the team, I wasn’t accepted. It stung—big time. These were the people who had been instrumental in helping me reach many of my life goals. It wasn’t just about poker; they played a huge role in my development overall. After nearly 10 years of working together, it came to an end, leaving me feeling both angry and sad.
But, as it turns out, it was exactly what I needed. That rejection sparked a new drive within me. Now, I’m the one responsible for seeking out the most relevant information. I don’t dwell on the past too much, but it’s moments like these that make me appreciate how far I’ve come over the last two years. If you scroll back through my Twitter, you’ll see that when I made my comeback, I was really struggling at the $5/$10 tables. Now, I’m running hot at the highest stakes available online.
I’m filled with gratitude—for my loving friends and family, for the fact that I wake up healthy every day, and for all the amazing feedback I’ve received on my posts. A full circle moment now that I’ll be appearing on Joeingram1’s podcast next month (stay tuned for the date announcement!). If you enjoyed this post, please like it and keep following along!
– What’s next after the challenge, seems like you’ve summitted the mountain you were on?
– It’s a question that’s on my mind every day and I don’t have the answer yet.
- (Joe Ingram) Let's talk more about this one on our pod.
After the report, VeniVidi told where exactly he gets his current poker information from:
– One of the most frequent questions I get on stream is about how I study. So here's a quick overview of the tools and resources I rely on to improve my game:
Pre-flop: I use PreflopWhiz and Monker Trainer to sharpen my decision-making.
Flop and Turn: For these streets, Run It Once Vision GTO Trainer is my go-to tool.
Rivers: I rely on Vision, combined with Monker Trainer, to break down river spots and refine my approach.
YouTube: There are a few great channels I recommend.
- 2CardConfidence – excellent for NLHE strategy and interpreting solver outputs.
- JNandez – solid PLO fundamentals.
- RaiseYourEdge – great content for MTTs.
- Guerrilla Poker – great theoretical and exploitative content for NLHE
Written content: I also highly recommend Mathematics of Poker for diving deeper into the theoretical side of the game.
None of this is sponsored—these are genuinely the tools I use to keep leveling up. That said, it’s not just about the tools. Having a coach or mentor has been crucial for me. Without that guidance, my poker career would have looked very different.
Dirk mixes detailed reports of his results with memories of the beginning of his career.
In the first part, he said that he started playing at the age of 14, and his parents were very wary of his new hobby:
The cash-out
“Mom and Dad, I have $16,000 in my poker account,” I announce. The room falls silent as they exchange glances, clearly stunned. After what feels like an eternity, my dad finally speaks up, “Son, you do realize you’re not playing for real money, right?”
Perplexed and slightly insulted that they would doubt my judgment, I begin to explain, but they remain unconvinced.
“We think it might be best to ask our neighbor—he’s a banker—and see what he thinks,” they suggest. Still baffled, I reluctantly shift from a celebratory mindset to an investigative one and agree to consult the neighbor if it makes them feel more at ease.
A short while later, they return with the banker, who offers what he considers a brilliant solution: “Why don’t you just cash out the money? If it works, then it’s real.” It’s such an obvious idea, but I try to be patient. Online poker is a foreign world to my parents, and I understand they’re struggling to grasp the concept of earning money this way.
Weeks go by, and there’s still no sign of the withdrawal. After several discussions with my parents, I finally reach out to customer support. “Why is my cash-out taking so long?” I ask. Their response? “The financial department is on holiday, so withdrawals are delayed.”
I head downstairs and relay the message to my parents, who burst into laughter. “You’re never going to see a dime of that money,” they tell me. At the time, I was furious at them for not taking me seriously. But in hindsight, their skepticism made sense—the delay was starting to sound ridiculous.
Not long after, my dad checks his bank account and freezes. His face goes pale before he suddenly shouts, “Dirk! Dirk! The money—it’s here!” We celebrate, I quit my paper route, and start living like a 16-year-old baller. I offer my dad a percentage of the winnings, since he played a role in making it happen, but he declines. “You earned it,” he says.
Of course, being 16, your options when it comes to balling are limited. I stopped packing my own lunch, bought extra rounds for my friends, and savored every second of it. The money didn't feel real to me—just numbers on a screen—so winning or losing didn’t bother me much. It made taking risks at the poker table easier since I didn’t feel the weight of any real responsibilities.
The next year, I tried balancing high school with playing more and more poker. At first, it went smoothly. But as I began logging 20 to 25 hours a week at the tables, my grades started slipping. It got to the point where, if I kept it up, I’d have to repeat the year. My parents warned me to stop playing and focus on school, but the appeal and passion for poker had taken hold. Whenever they came into my room, I’d quickly minimize the poker client and pull up something else on my screen—something they wouldn’t question at the start.
Then one day, my mom walked into my room and asked what I was doing. “Just playing a game,” I told her.
She wasn’t buying it. “You can play games with your opponents, but you can’t play games with your mom. I’m coming back in a few moments, and you’ll show me your poker account. If it’s not empty, you’re going to be in serious trouble.”
Panic set in. My poker account had $25,000 in it at this point, and I knew I had to make that money disappear, fast. What happened next was one of the dumbest financial decisions of my life, but it sure makes for a good story.
Drop a comment below with your guess of what I did to temporarily “erase” that money. I’ll reveal the answer in my next story.
– As my mom walks down the stairs, a flood of ideas on how to hide my money rushes through my head. With no time to waste, I quickly explore the best option to make my money disappear.
I open the sportsbook on PKR and begin searching for a bet that’s likely to win but won’t be paid out for a while. Scrolling through the options, I come across the Premier League championship—England's top football league. Chelsea to become champions with two matches left. Odds: 1.25. Based on the odds, it’s likely to happen about 3 out of 4 times. The payout would hit my account two weekends from now. Chelsea was leading by one point, with more goals than their closest rival, Manchester United.
When my mom returns to my room, I show her my poker balance, which reads $0. There’s a flicker of disbelief in her eyes, but she can’t argue with an empty account. The next day at school, I tell a few close friends about what happened. We all become die-hard Chelsea fans for the next two weeks. They win their first match, and the excitement builds.
The second weekend, I’m on holiday with my parents in Paris. But all I can think about is Chelsea’s last match. I’m constantly refreshing the live scores, likely setting a personal record for the most refreshes during a single game. They go up 1-0, 2-0, and by the time they reach 4-0, I stop checking and quietly celebrate.
“I want to take you guys out for dinner tonight,” I tell my parents, sister and brother. Curious, they ask what we’re celebrating. “My new poker bankroll of $31,250,” is what I want to say, but instead, I simply tell them, “I just want to thank you for always taking such good care of me.” Slightly confused but happy, they accept my offer, and without realizing it, we celebrate the continuation of my poker career together.
At 16, I have to repeat my 5th year of high school, mostly due to poker and being completely disorganized. While the people around me aren’t impressed, I’m actually excited. Repeating the year will give me an easier time at school, allowing me to focus more on poker. My bankroll grows to just over $100,000, but I keep this mostly to myself.
Reaching that milestone showed I had raw talent, but I was overlooking how fortunate I had been in critical moments. It’s easy to attribute success solely to skill, but in both poker and life, luck often plays a much larger role than we’re willing to admit, especially when it matters most.
I decide to finish high school for my parents, but I’m set on pursuing poker full-time afterward. Why go to university when I’m already earning several times more than I would with a degree, doing something I love? Of course, no one around me shares this logic. I’ve lost count of how many times people have told me to stick to the “safe route.”
The only person who supported my dream was my dad. He told me, “If you believe in this, you should chase it.” But the months that followed would prove all the naysayers right. It was one of the most turbulent periods of my life, and I’ll share more about it next time.
– I didn’t realize it at the time, but for the first time in my life, I was on "winner's tilt"—a tilt far more dangerous for me than the one that comes when things aren't going well. After a long stretch of lucky breaks, I began overestimating my skill and found myself battling some of the best players at the highest stakes on PKR. Naturally, the inevitable happened, and I lost most of my roll. But it was just numbers on a screen, and I shrugged it off.
What weighed on me more was the situation at home. My dad was under immense stress from work, which led to a lot of verbal fights between us. I started spending more time at my friend Tim’s place, where his family was so welcoming that I pretty much unofficially moved in with them.
At school, I did the bare minimum to keep my grades up and secure my diploma, the last obstacle before becoming a professional poker player. During one class meant to prepare us for university, I asked the teacher, "What should we do if we don’t want to go to university?" His shocked silence said it all—there was no room for people who wanted to take a different path.
In an effort to help me prepare for my exams, my parents transferred money for a 3-day course to help me with my math exam. But in my usual disorganized fashion, I missed the registration deadline and was too scared to tell them. When my dad dropped me off, I pretended I had a spot, and after he left, I spent the next three days in the hangout area, studying for another subject. A couple of friends who were taking the course would visit me during their breaks.
I cut back on poker to focus on school, trying to make up for the time I’d lost. Exam season arrived, and overall, I did okay—though math was one of my worst subjects. The day came when we were waiting for the phone call with the results. I picked up, and the news was mostly good: "You'll need to retake the math exam to officially graduate with Latin," they said. But I stopped listening halfway through. My dad grabbed the phone, needing confirmation that I had passed. He could hardly believe it.
In the months that followed, I built my bankroll up to $60,000 and told my parents that I’d probably need to move to another country to avoid issues with the IRS. Naively excited, I googled, “Low poker tax countries in Europe” and quickly scanned through a list. Cold, rainy options dominated, but one place caught my eye: Malta.
My dad, always quietly supportive, decided to come with me to help find an apartment. At 18, I had no idea what I was doing, which I’d prove in the months that followed as I tried (and failed) to take care of myself.
What’s the most messed up thing I did when no one was watching? You’ll find out in the next chapter.
Who was that person in your life that always silently supported you? Let me know in the comments.