Lori and I went deep in three of the tournaments during this last trip, which is amazing considering how little we actually play. Each day we were playing 10+ hours and ever so close to cashing in all of these events. I would have to say that a lot of the reason why is because we have a good mental approach to the game.
Your Worst Poker Enemy: Master the Mental Game (Amazon) by Dr. Alan Schoonmaker is a great book for helping you “quiet” your mental game. Poker is not a difficult game to learn, but it’s getting past the basics that separate good players from great ones.
One of the things that I love about this book is that it assumes that you are already an intermediate to advance player. That you understand the nuances of the game, but maybe not recognize the calling signs that bring them on is also key to appreciating and understanding this book. It’s incredibly well documented, which is nice since so many poker books are just first hand accounts of how some poker pro plays, but not necessarily how the average person may think or play in certain situations.
The book is easy to read and is an excellent get for anyone looking to discover something about their own play that they might not even realize.
June 15th, 2008 at 9:56 pm
Is there a chapter on what to do when two poker champs sit down at your table? The chapter title should be “You’re Screwed: Try not to take a crap”
Seriously though you should have stole Umberto’s shark and threw it up on eBay.
June 15th, 2008 at 10:49 pm
Well that’s what is great about Poker, anyone can sit down next to a pro and take them out. Umberto was a pretty cool guy, who chews a ton of sugar free gum! I mean the guy was chewing like 5 pieces at once. Insanity.