“You Feel Like a Madman” Chris Da Silva on the Life of a Tournament Grinder

Chris Da Silva knows what it takes to battle through massive poker fields. The British pro has been grinding for years, racking up nearly $1.3 million in live tournament earnings. He’s made deep runs in the WSOP Main Event twice—finishing 99th in 2018 and 98th in 2022—and last October, he took down the 888poker LIVE Main Event in Coventry for £125,000.

And recently, he’s been back at it again, this time at the Kings of Tallinn Main Event, sponsored by OlyBet. Sitting at another final table, Da Silva was looking for another big score. He ultimately finished ninth for €16,800, while Kaspars Butans went on to claim the title and €182,000. Before play resumed, he sat down to chat about the ups and downs of tournament poker and why, sometimes, it feels like absolute madness.

The Reality of the Grind

If there’s one thing Da Silva is used to, it’s the long days and late nights of tournament poker. But even he admits he’s not sure how he keeps doing it.

“Over the long term, the cream rises to the top.”

“I don’t know,” he said, shaking his head. “I ask myself the same question half the time.

“Recently, I’ve been more selective about which events I play, prioritizing main events and higher buy-ins rather than trying to fire everything. That way, I can conserve energy and really focus when it matters.”

He’s got a knack for navigating these massive fields, consistently finding himself deep in the mix. “I guess I’m relatively decent at it,” he said. “I just try to stay present, play my best poker, and let the cards do the rest.”

“You Feel Like a Madman”

To the outside world, tournament poker can seem like an easy way to make a living. Bag a few big scores and you’re set. But Da Silva was quick to shut that idea down.

“If you tie your emotions to short-term variance, you’ll end up like a crypto chart.”

“It’s a lot of repetitiveness. Sometimes you feel like a madman doing the same thing over and over, hoping for a different outcome,” he explained.

“And most of the time, the outcome is bust, bust, bust, bust… then, once in a while, it’s like striking a match and catching fire.”

The secret? Resilience. “It’s not an easy way to make a living. But if your formula is right and you’re doing the right things, then over the long term, the cream rises to the top.”

Does the Love for the Game Last?

After years in the game, does he still love it?

“The love for poker goes up and down,” he admitted. “It’s like watching a volatile crypto stock spike up and down. When I play constantly without a break, the passion dies down, and it starts feeling like a grind. So now, I try to focus on quality over quantity.”

He’s also learned that letting results dictate his emotions is a dangerous game. “A lot of pros let their happiness be dictated by results. When they’re winning, they love the game; when they’re losing, they hate it. But poker is a long game. If you tie your emotions to short-term variance, you’ll end up like a crypto chart with wild swings up and down.”

Instead, he’s learned to detach from the results and focus on the process. “It’s easier said than done, but that’s the key to longevity in this game.”

Calum has been a part of the PokerNews team since September 2021 after working in the UK energy sector. He played his first hand of poker in 2017 and immediately fell in love with the game. Calum has written for various poker outlets but found his home at PokerNews, where he has contributed to various articles and live updates, providing insights and reporting on major poker events, including the World Series of Poker (WSOP).

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