The Mental Game of Poker: Proven Strategies for Improving Tilt Control, Confidence, Motivation, Coping with Variance, and More.
The Mental Game of Poker (TMGP) basically gives you a roadmap to work on your mental game. They even recommend keeping mental hand histories so you can review your emotional states like you do how you actually played a hand. It s a more practical and scientific approach than simply trying to deny your emotions. TMGP gives you the tools to understand your tilt rather than simply avoiding it. By understanding why you tilt you can work on the underlying cause rather than treating the symptom. Getting to the heart of why you go on tilt is probably more important than learning to breath deep and tell yourself some positive affirmations. You might tilt because you feel you re entitled to win over weaker opponents. Someone else might tilt because they ve been cold decked for over a month. While the differences might seem subtle the way you address each can be very different because you re dealing with completely different emotions. TMGP also deals with issues like Fear and Motivation that are also integral to becoming a successful poker player. If you re playing scared money or you choke in big pots it s going to be hard to excel in poker. Likewise if you you can t work up the motivation to bring yourself to the tables it s going to be pretty damn hard to make money. It's funny because reading through the book I kept finding myself being able to personally connect with what was being described. Not just in the poker world but in other parts of life as well. For instance, the Adult Learning Model (ALM) section was exactly how I progressed in learning about scuba diving. And the biggest compliment I can give it is that not only did I see myself in many of the examples but I learned useful ways of approaching issues on the poker table and off that have made a positive impact on my life. I'll give TMGP a big thumbs up. I think it s one of the few books that breaks new ground in the poker genre. --Billrini.comThe Gospel of Matthew [Perry], 1:40-43 40 A man with severe tilting problems came to Him and begged Him on his knees, If you are willing, you can make me Ivey. 41 Jared was filled with compassion. He reached out His hand and touched the man. I am willing, He said. Be Zen! Immediately the tilt left him and he was cleansed. 42 Jared sent him away at once with a strong warning: See that you don t tell this to anyone. Go, instead, to the tables and make the plays that Taylor Caby has taught thee. 43 Instead he went out and began to talk freely, spreading the news. As a result, Jared could no longer enter a poker site openly and yet the people still came to Him from everywhere. So he wrote a book. Now, I m not saying that Jared Tendler is Jesus Christ. I m just making an argument that the two are analogous; plus, if you jumble up the letters and add an s in there and swap in a u ... Anyway, if you re the kind of player who dissects ranges with a fine toothcomb, studies 3-betting fundamentals, analyses tricky turn spots to death and yet still can t seem to make progress without giving back all your hard-earned chips in a fit of madness, Jared could well be your savior. With a price tag of $50 (£35 approx) this is expensive relative to most things on the shelf at Waterstones but I honestly believe if you are going to buy a poker book then make it this one. This book contains advice that simply isn't out there on forums or training sites (except at jaredtendlerpoker.com) and could well be the most important book you ever read. --Bluff Europe