Sit n Go Holdem Poker.com

The Psychologic Effect of Playing Poker

Hi Everyone!  Here is a post provided by my friends at PokerListings.com.  In case you don't know, PokerListings is a mammoth poker site.  They have provided a few text links you may click for more information on the subjects of poker psychology, hold'em and poker skills.

"Handling emotions when playing poker is extremely important. Texas Hold'em can be a very frustrating game and if you’re not able to handle bad beats, suck-outs and missed draws you run the risk of going on tilt.

Tilt is when you let your emotions take over your game. You don’t trust your poker skills anymore, and start making irrational and bad plays. You might be angry at an opponent and overplay a hand, or scared because your hands 'never hold up', and fold when you shouldn’t.

Tilting is dangerous, and can be very expensive as well. Players have been known to wipe out their entire bankroll during one single frustrating session. When it’s all over they’re just staring at their empty account, wondering what really happened."

When you visit the PokerListings site, you will find a Newsletter subscription box.  Be sure to Sign Up, it is one of the best.

R. Steve McCollum  (rstevemccollum)  www.sitngoholdempoker.com

"Good judgement comes from experience, and a lotta that comes from bad judgement."  ~Cowboy Proverb

Copyright 2007-2008  SitnGoHoldemPoker.com.  All rights reserved.

Poker Book Review: Online Ace by Scott Fischman

Scott Fischman is a young WSOP bracelet winner, and a very successful multi-tabling online poker player.  He claims to have never read a poker book.  He learned poker at the table.  Well, mostly at the computer.  Now, he has written a book, ONLINE ACE: A WORLD SERIES OF POKER CHAMPION'S GUIDE TO MASTERING INTERNET POKER.  Forget the irony, because this book is packed with poker wisdom and Internet poker tips.

Here is a sampling:

1)  "Nearly every great poker player has an arsenal of mental tricks he uses to stay on top of his game, maintain a positive outlook, and assist with critical decisions."  Page 1. 

2) "Winning is not the goal, but the by-product of making good decisions at the poker table."  Page 5.

3)  "Be tight in your play, but loose in your imagination."  Page 31.

4) "It's usually better, to be the bettor."  Page 62.

5)  "When the blinds in a tournament get big, so do the two benefits that come from stealing them - you've grown your own stack and prevented your opponents from adding to theirs."  Page 77.

6)  "While it's good to be unpredictable at the poker table, it's far better to be misunderstood."  Page 95.

7)  "Positive superstitions are rituals that help put you in a winning frame of mind."  Page 98.

Fischman devotes a chapter each to Sit n Gos, multi-table tournaments, and to playing multi-tables.  There is plenty of basic and advanced advice.  Making this book valuable for any level player.

R. Steve McCollum  (rstevemccollum)  www.sitngoholdempoker.com

"Good judgement comes from experience, and a lotta that comes from bad judgement."  ~Cowboy Proverb

Copyright 2007-2008  SitnGoHoldemPoker.com.  All rights reserved.

Poker Book Review: The Poker Mindset by Ian Taylor and Matthew Hilger

Have you ever made a mistake while playing poker?  Do you make the same mistake over and over?  Are you aware of the mistake while you are making it?  And, wish you could stop? 

Friends there is hope.  Short of brain surgery, now we have a book that teaches us how to fix our mistake ridden minds, The Poker Mindset: Essential Attitudes for Poker Success by Ian Taylor and Matthew Hilger.  These are the guys from Internet Texas Hold'em.com.  And, as professional Internet poker players they know their stuff.  In detail.  This book is exhaustive.  Yet clearly written and easy to read.

Here are The Poker Mindset basics:

1)  Understand and Accept the Realities of Poker

2)  Play for the Long Term

3)  Emphasize Correct Decisions over Making Money

4)  Desensitize Yourself to Money

5)  Leave Your Ego at the Door

6)  Remove All Emotion from Decisions

7)  Dedicate Yourself to a Continuous Cycle of Analysis and Improvement

Using the The Poker Mindset for a foundation, Taylor and Hilger then tackle every known (poker) mental problem.  Somewhere in its pages are the answers you need for improving your play.  Give it a read.

R. Steve McCollum  (rstevemccollum)  www.sitngoholdempoker.com

"Good judgement comes from experience, and a lotta that comes from bad judgement."  ~Cowboy Proverb

Copyright 2007-2008  SitnGoHoldemPoker.com.  All rights reserved.

Poker Book Review: Winning Secrets of Online Poker by Douglas W. and Curtis D. Frye

Winning Secrets of Online Poker by Douglas W. and Curtis D. Frye is a solid guide for anyone new to online poker.  The book is professionally organized and clearly written.  In addition to illustrative screenshots throughout, the book contains a thorough section on the use of Excel (or Calc) to build a poker spreadsheet program.  Learning to evaluate your play using spreadsheets is an important step towards becoming a serious winning player.

In fact, the three chapters, Evaluating Your Play Using Spreadsheets, Analyzing Your Game Using Poker Software and Turning Data Into Discipline, is as good an introduction into the science of online poker as can be found.  While containing many good playing tips, the strength of this book is its introduction to the methods of collecting, formating, understanding, and using your online play data. This is the basis for any effort in advanced poker self-improvement.

If you plan to take online poker very seriously, this would be a good book to have on your bookshelf.

R. Steve McCollum  (rstevemccollum)  www.sitngoholdempoker.com

"Good judgement comes from experience, and a lotta that comes from bad judgement."  ~Cowboy Proverb

Copyright 2007-2008  SitnGoHoldemPoker.com.  All rights reserved.

Poker Book Review: Inside The Poker Mind by John Feeney, Ph.D.

John Feeney, Ph.D., opens his book, Inside the Poker Mind: Essays on Hold 'em and General Poker Concepts, with a statement that brings crystal clarity to the real challenge of poker - "Poker happens in the mind."  It is in our mind that all the technical stuff, despite all the mental storms, must somehow yield a correct poker decision.  Not too easy sometimes.

Feeney offers some helpful suggestions.  Here is a sampling:

1)  "Poker happens in the mind.  Chips and cards are incidental."  Page 1.

2)  "Be careful about anything you do habitually in poker.  The correct play is usually so situationally dependent, that anything habitual is suspect."  Page 28.

3)  "...though game selection is of paramount importance to winning players, to make good money in poker you must learn to beat games that are a little tougher than those found in the small limits."  Page 52.

4)  "Education in poker theory reduces one's susceptibility to illusions which can interfere with good play."  Page 62.

5)  "The best players are generally cognizant of and actively assessing more variables than other players."  Page 71.

6)  "...at any given time your image may be markedly different in the perceptions of different opponents."  Page 197.

7)  "...in poker, as in some other games, over-concern with winning rather than simply trying to play well, can hurt your end result."  Page 209.

8)  "Difficulty with self-esteem may lead a player to form certain self-deceptions."  Page 210.

9)  "Tilt occurs any time you make an incorrect play when you know better."  Page 212.

10)  "Good judgement in poker derives in part from innate talent, personality type, and emotional maturity."  Page 226.

Broaden your poker knowledge.  Learn about the mental side of poker.

R. Steve McCollum  (rstevemccollum)  www.sitngoholdempoker.com

"Good judgement comes from experience, and a lotta that comes from bad judgement."  ~Cowboy Proverb

Copyright 2007-2008  SitnGoHoldemPoker.com.  All rights reserved.

Book Review: The Art Of Learning by Josh Waitzkin

Josh Waitzkin is an extraordinary individual.  In his youth, he was an eight-time National Chess Champion, and the subject of the book and movie Searching for Bobby Fischer.  Today, he is a martial arts champion, holding a combined twenty-one National Championship titles in addition to several World Championship titles. 

In his book, The Art of Learning: A Journey in the Pursuit of Excellence, Josh reveals in great detail the intense and exhausting levels of concentration that achieve championship performance.  Regardless of your discipline - poker, sports, business, life - if you seek mastery, The Art of Learning will illuminate a path rarely seen.

Josh teaches in terms of performance psychology.  Here are a few of his keener lessons, which are of particular relevance for the aspiring poker champion.

1)  "A child with a learning theory of intelligence tends to sense that with hard work, difficult material can be grasped - step by step, incrementally, the novice can become the master."  Page 30.

2)  "...almost all mistakes have both technical and mental components..."  Page 46.

3)  "Growth comes at the point of resistance.  We learn by pushing ourselves and finding what really lies at the outer reaches of our abilities."  Page 47.

4)  "I was a competitor who knew winning and losing and the hair's breath between."  Page 49.

5)  "One idea I taught was the importance of regaining presence and clarity of mind after making a serious error."  Page 61.

Josh Waitzkin's book is inspirational.  The insights are unequaled.  The inside view of elite world class competition is mind expanding.  I hope you have the opportunity to read a copy.

R. Steve McCollum  (rstevemccollum)  www.sitngoholdempoker.com

"Good judgement comes from experience, and a lotta that comes from bad judgement."  ~Cowboy Proverb

Copyright 2007-2008  SitnGoHoldemPoker.com.  All rights reserved.

Poker Book Review: Poker Wisdom of a Champion by Doyle Brunson

While reading Poker Wisdom of a Champion by Doyle Brunson, I kept thinking that Doyle had to be the greatest poker story teller ever.  His stories seemed to match so many of my memories.  And, not because I'm from Ft. Worth, Texas, which is the geographical center of his early rounder days.  Nope, it was because I had already read this book...over twenty years ago.  When it was titled According to Doyle.

Doyle's wisdom is just as applicable today as it was then.  Here are a few nuggets:

1)  "When you're down near the bottom of your bankroll, never play in a game where you feel uncomfortable."  Page 45.

2)  "Players would do well to examine themselves carefully before every poker game.  Occasionally they should place themselves on an injury list and declare themselves ineligible."  Page 52.

3)  "Shifting gears is possibly the single biggest secret you should master if you want to play poker at the highest levels."  Page 132.

4)  "It is not what cards you have that matters.  It's how your cards stack up against the cards your opponents are likely to be holding."  Page 133.

5)  "If I were to define the main difference between good players and poor players, it's that good players play their cards and poor players let their cards play them."  Page 134.

Although the poker tips are timeless, the real beauty of this book is its historical significance.  If you want to know about the beginnings of Texas Hold'em in Texas by a Texan, this is the book to read.  By the way, Doyle really is a great poker story teller, too. 

R. Steve McCollum  (rstevemccollum)  www.sitngoholdempoker.com

"Good judgement comes from experience, and a lotta that comes from bad judgement."  ~Cowboy Proverb

Copyright 2007-2008  SitnGoHoldemPoker.com.  All rights reserved.

Book Review: The Psychology Of Winning by Dr. Denis Waitley

Happy New Year, everyone!  I suppose we all have a copy of Dr. Denis Waitley's book, The Psychology of Winning.  Or, his motivational program.  Or, some other of his books or audio programs.  He is almost a household name.

But, as a refresher for the New Year, in case you have forgotten, here are Waitley's Ten Qualities of a Total Winner:

1)  Positive Self-awareness.

2)  Positive Self-esteem.

3)  Positive Self-control.

4)  Positive Self-motivation.

5)  Positive Self-expectancy.

6)  Positive Self-image.

7)  Positive Self-direction.

8)  Positive Self-discipline.

9)  Positive Self-dimension.

10)  Positive Self-projection.

Live long and prosper.

R. Steve McCollum  (rstevemccollum)  www.sitngoholdempoker.com

"Good judgement comes from experience, and a lotta that comes from bad judgement."  ~Cowboy Proverb

Copyright 2007-2008  SitnGoHoldemPoker.com.  All rights reserved.

Book Review: The Official Rock Paper Scissors Strategy Guide by Douglas and Graham Walker

Alright, stop laughing.  Rock Paper Scissors is not just a kid's game.  It is serious competition.  Rafe Furst wrote a whole chapter in The Full Tilt Poker Strategy Guide: Tournament Edition, titled Roshambo and the Mental Game of Poker (Roshambo is another name for Rock Paper Scissors).  Furst, a dot.com millionaire, holds an MS from Stanford in computer science and a WSOP bracelet.

So, when I ran across  The Official Rock Paper Scissors Strategy Guide by Douglas and Graham Walker, my mouth was salivating.  Herein I hoped were the secrets to the mental game of poker.  Well, not exactly.  But, it was a fun read.  Full of parody and humor. 

And, the book will get you to thinking.  For example, in a gambit (three throws), how would you respond to an opponent whose first two throws were rock?  See the psychology?  How hard would you be looking for tells?  How hard would you be trying to psych your opponent into throwing rock again?

Indeed, all of the familiar poker strategies - aggression, reading tells, bluffing, feigning weakness, higher levels of thinking - are also factors in Rock Paper Scissors.  So, if you want to really tune up your poker mind, play some Rock Paper Scissors.  But, be a good sport...they're just kids.

R. Steve McCollum  (rstevemccollum)  www.sitngoholdempoker.com

"Good judgement comes from experience, and a lotta that comes from bad judgement."  ~Cowboy Proverb

Copyright 2007-2008  SitnGoHoldemPoker.com.  All rights reserved.

Poker Book Review: Phil Gordon's Little Green Book by Phil Gordon

Even though the book's name is a little odd, Phil Gordon's Little Green Book: Lessons and Teachings in No Limit Texas Hold'em, Phil Gordon has written a wonderful poker book, indeed, full of top level lessons and teachings.  Phil wastes no time. 

Beginning on page one, you will find:

"The greatest poker players in the world share five qualities:

1. They are invariably aggressive.
2. They are patient.
3. They are courageous.
4. They are observant.
5. They are always working on their game and want to be even better players." 

And, on page three, this great revelation:

"Throughout my poker education I have read nearly every book on poker ever written." 

Now, if reading nearly every poker book ever written is good enough for Phil Gordon, how about yourself?  Ready to meet the challenge?

OK, then here are two highly recommended New Year's resolutions:

1. Commit to read at least one poker book a month in 2008, and
2. Order your poker books thru SitnGoHoldemPoker.com. :)

That should make for a great year (for both of us).  Happy Holidays!

R. Steve McCollum  (rstevemccollum)  www.sitngoholdempoker.com

"Good judgement comes from experience, and a lotta that comes from bad judgement."  ~Cowboy Proverb

Copyright 2007-2008 SitnGoHoldemPoker.com.  All rights reserved.

Poker Book Review: Poker Tournament Tips From The Pros by Shane Smith

Even though Shane Smith's book, Poker Tournament Tips from the Pros: How to Win Low-Limit Poker Tournaments, is written for the novice player, don't underestimate the quality of advice.  Shane draws on the experience (and quotes) of some of the greatest tournament players:  Tom McEvoy, Tex Sheahan, Bobby Baldwin, Bill Sykes, Doyle Brunson, Mike Caro and T. J. Cloutier.

Here is a sample of the pro-level tips you will find.

1)  "...Stay out of major confrontations against other big stacks in late play."  Page 25.

2)  "Luck is important in a tournament because you need it in the short run rather than the long run, and the closer to the end of the tournament the better."  Page 28.

3)  "If you are in the late lead, you are well advised to change gears and become more conservative than you were with the aggressive play it probably took to build up your big stack."  Page 39.

4)  "In poker tournaments, you need to develop a sixth sense for when to shift gears, that is change the pace, strategy or style of your play."  Page 60.

5)  "With a big stack in survival mode, you can protect your standing by playing very solid poker."  Page 70.

6)  "When you are in a strong chip position late in a tourney, you may be wise to call more often than you normally would, especially in late position against short stacks."  Page 73.

7)  "If the short stacks decide to gamble with you, give action with your solid hands, but fold marginal ones."  Page 75.

8)  "Top tournament players have no more trouble with folding than they do with raising."  Page 84.

This book of tournament fundamentals is well organized and easy to understand.  It is a good starter or refresher for any player.

R. Steve McCollum  (rstevemccollum)  www.sitngoholdempoker.com

"Good judgement comes from experience, and a lotta that comes from bad judgement."  ~Cowboy Proverb

Copyright 2007-2008 SitnGoHoldemPoker.com.  All rights reserved.

Poker Book Review: The Full Tilt Poker Strategy Guide: Tournament Edition edited by Michael Craig

Okay, I made a mistake.  After I purchased The Full Tilt Poker Strategy Guide: Tournament Edition edited by Michael Craig, I let it collect dust for a long time.  After all, this was just another piece of self-promoting, inconsequential pulp.  Right?  Wrong.  Big time, wrong.

I was only a few pages into Chris Ferguson's first chapter when I knew this book was something special.  Howard Lederer's second chapter was equally great.   Then came chapters by Ted Forrest, Andy Bloch, Gavin Smith, Phil Gordon, and Richard Brodie.  Get the picture?  Each chapter: a different no-limit tournament subject; a different professional player-author.  These ten chapters make up the first half of the book, which is dedicated to the several elements of no-limit tournaments.  The balance of the book covers all the other popular poker tournaments.  This book probably will become the definitive work concerning all poker tournaments being played today.  And that, by the way, was their intention.

This book is your opportunity to get into the minds of world class no-limit professional tournament players.  To learn their styles of play and their thought processes.  There will hardly ever be a better opportunity in the form of a book to elevate your game to the next level.  This is a special book, read it as soon as possible.

R. Steve McCollum  (rstevemccollum)  www.sitngoholdempoker.com

"Good judgement comes from experience, and a lotta that comes from bad judgement."  ~Cowboy Proverb

Copyright 2007-2008  SitnGoHoldemPoker.com.  All rights reserved.

Poker Book Review: Lessons From The Felt by David Apostolico

Like all of us, David Apostolico has learned his poker tournament lessons the hard way.  And, made his fair share of mistakes along the path towards improvement.  In his book, Lessons from the Felt: Advanced Strategies and Tactics for No-Limit Hold'em Tournaments, David shares all - his mistakes and the lessons learned.

Here are a few of David's lessons.

1)  "I highly recommend these (online) single table tournaments no matter your level of skill...it's a great way to learn about balancing chip accumulation with survival."  Pages 25-26.

2)  "...turbo sit and go's are great practice...Since the blinds move quickly, you must be aggressive or you will be blinded out."  Page 28.

3)  "We know that position is important in Texas Hold'em.  It is even more important in no-limit Hold'em, and it becomes extremely important in no-limit Hold'em tournaments."  Page 37. 

4)  "Avoiding mistakes is critical to tournament success."  Page 57.

5)  "When you only bet the minimum, you will have a hard time defining your opponent's hand."  Page 68.

6)  "By using your chips, you can neutralize both position and skill.  When you make big bets and raises, you put your opponents on the defensive."  Page 75.

7)  "You always want to make some kind of move while you still have fold equity with your chips."  Page 76.

8)  "In a perfect world, you should be either folding or bluffing when you are beat but never calling."  Page 101.

9)  "No matter what the EV is in poker, there is a lot of luck involved.  That is why you have certain stages of a tournament when it makes sense to gamble and certain times that it does not."  Page 118.

For a good, thorough overview of tournament poker, Lessons From The Felt, is a worthwhile read.

R. Steve McCollum  (rstevemccollum)  www.sitngoholdempoker.com

"Good judgement comes from experience, and a lotta that comes from bad judgement."  ~Cowboy Proverb

Copyright 2007-2008 SitnGoHoldemPoker.com.  All rights reserved.

Book Review: The Tao Of Chess by Peter Kurzdorfer

Peter Kurzdorfer has been a Chess Master since the early 1980's.  He is the coauthor of The Everything Chess Basics Book with the U.S. Chess Federation and is the former editor of Chess Life magazine.  In The Tao of Chess: 200 Principles to Transform Your Game and Your Life, Kurzdorfer shows how the complex game of chess can reveal underlying truths that one can adapt from the chessboard to every aspect of life, even to the poker table.

Here are some of Kurzdorfer's competitive thinking insights.

1)  "Attacking a well-prepared opponent on the fly will rarely work in any sport or game."  Page 57.

2)  "The initiative is an advantage.  Take it whenever you can, and take it back when you don't have it, if at all possible."  Page 60.

3)  "We know that if you want something to happen, you need to make it happen.  And the way to make something happen is to go after it aggressively."  Page 102.

4)  "Completing a hugh task becomes possible when it is broken up into many connected little tasks.  In other words, a journey of a thousand miles is carried out one mile at a time."  Page 129.  (Think - winning a poker tournament.)

5)  "Every dog has his day.  Don't ever think you can win without effort."  Page 160.

6)  "Be on the alert at all times for opportunities in any game that you play.  They come up when least expected."  Page 173.

7)  "You have to trust your intuition.  That way, you can learn to correct it whenever it turns out to be wrong."  Page 179.

8)  "The hardest game to win is a won game."  Page 192.

9)  "Anything that does not pertain to the position in front of you is extraneous thought: eliminate it."  Page 205.

10)  "Think along strategic lines when it is your opponent's turn and along tactical lines when it is your turn."  Page 207.

11)  "The best way to psych out an opponent is to always play the strongest moves."  Page 213.

12)  "Fortune favors the brave...At least one reason why this is so is that defending is such a distasteful activity for most players."  Page 219.

One more of Kurzdofer's insights should close out this book review and make my point nicely:  "Patience...All strong players possess this virtue in abundance...", page 214. 

R. Steve McCollum  (rstevemccollum)  www.sitngoholdempoker.com

"Good judgement comes from experience, and a lotta that comes from bad judgement."  ~Cowboy Proverb

Copyright 2007 SitnGoHoldemPoker.com.  All rights reserved.

Poker Book Review: Online Poker by Doyle Brunson

Are you just getting started playing online poker?   Are you looking for some basic, no frills advice from an expert?  Then Doyle Brunson's book, Online Poker: Your Guide to Playing Online Poker Safely & Winning Money, is about as good a place to start as any.  Doyle covers all the basics, and showers them with a lifetime of poker wisdom.

Here is a small sampling.

1)  "The trick to beating games filled with weak players is to avoid doing anything fancy."  Page 121.

2)  "...I believe you should seldom bet strange amounts online."  Page 122.

3)  "The best tactic when you hold a small pair, meaning sixes on down (but medium pairs are vulnerable, too) is to attack the blinds, call in the blinds, or get in the pot cheaply in hopes of making three of a kind."  Page 131.

4)  "Oddly, some players who would otherwise be very credible have the bad habit of calling with overcards much too often."  Page 135

5)  "I know that there's lots of money to be made when you can force the situation to be heads-up with the last-to-act position against a lesser opponent."  Page 139.

6)  "Online, many opponents tend to keep bluffing once they've begun and to keep "value betting" weak hands."  Page 157.

7)  "...immediate bets and raises - those made without hesitation - are the most threatening and the least likely to indicate a bluff."  Page 171.

8)  "Online, the answer is to play using more straightforward strategy and use less psychology."  Page 180.

Doyle's book is a good refresher read even for the more experienced online player.  Sometimes it helps to get back to basics.

R. Steve McCollum  (rstevemccollum)  www.sitngoholdempoker.com

"Good judgement comes from experience, and a lotta that comes from bad judgement."  ~Cowboy Proverb

Copyright 2007 SitnGoHoldemPoker.com.  All rights reserved.

Poker Book Review: Kill Everyone by Lee Nelson, Tysen Streib & Kim Lee

The title for Kill Everyone: Advanced Strategies for No-limit Hold 'em Poker Tournaments and Sit-n-go's by Lee Nelson, Tysen Streib & Kim Lee, could just as easily have been, Today's Most Advanced Moves and Strategic Thinking for the Online Sit n Go Player.  We players are fortunate to have several excellent new Sit n Go books available, and Kill Everyone is the icing on our cake.

Every page is crammed with top thinking and tips, here are but a few:

1)  "In my view, the best players in the game today play some variant of this loose aggressive (LAG) strategy."  Page 11.

2)  "If a player in the big blind has just won a nice pot, he's a good candidate for a steal attempt."  Page 17.

3)  "Bluffing a player who can't be significantly wounded if he loses is a recipe for disaster."  Page 30.

4)  "In deciding whether or not to call a raise when we have a speculative hand, we use the Rule of 5 and 10.  If it costs us 5% of our stack or less, we call; if it costs 10% of our stack or more, we fold."  Page 49.

5)  "If you can make your standard-size raise for less than a third of your chips, do it.  Otherwise, you should be going all-in."  Page 70.

6)  "If you want to maximize your profits against sub-optimal opponents, you should push more often against tighter opponents and push less often against loose ones."  Page 95.

7)  "The long-ball approach is particularly good if your opponents are fearful (as in a tournament)."  Page 98.

8)  "There's a non-linearity in chip value in tournaments and each chip you gain is worth less than the chip before it."  Page 108.

9)  "When you keep the small stack alive, you can continue to dominate the other two players."  Page 159.

10)  "You should have the cardinal rule of short-stacked heads-up play etched onto your brain:  Pushing too often is always better than not pushing enough."  Page 181.

I highly recommend this book.  At least for me, it was just what I was needing.  The new moves alone will cover the cost of the book many times.

R. Steve McCollum  (rstevemccollum)  www.sitngoholdempoker.com

"Good judgement comes from experience, and a lotta that comes from bad judgement."  ~Cowboy Proverb

Copyright 2007 SitnGoHoldemPoker.com.  All rights reserved.

Book Review: The Zen Of Gambling by Wayne Allyn Root

Wayne Allyn Root, the King of Las Vegas, is a remarkable success story.  In his words, he is living the American Dream: he makes tons of money watching sports on television.  But his book, The Zen of Gambling: Lessons from the World's Greatest Gambler, is not about sports gambling.  Instead, Root advances the spiritual principles behind his consistent winning in all of his endeavors.

Here are a few lessons we can all embrace.

1)  "Success all comes down to a series of gambles:  your ability to make positive choices at pivotal moments, to thrive on risk, challenge,and high stress."  Page 2.

2)  "Even in the face of long odds, even after multiple failures, superachievers are not afraid to put it all on the line again."  Page 12.

3)  "Winners treat gambling like a serious business."  Page 35.

4)  "Nothing kills more gamblers (or their bankrolls) than simply not knowing when to stop."  Page 35.

5)  "Risk is essential to success, even more essential to mega-success.  And ignoring the (negative) advice of "experts" and critics is equal to being willing to risk!"  Page 80.

6)  "The only way to overcome a losing slump as a professional gambler, handicapper, entrepreneur, or human being is to have real confidence to go out and take the next calculated, high-percentage risk..."  Page 129.

7)  "Without discipline, all the commitment, confidence, and tenacity in the world is for naught."  Page 141.

8)  "Discipline is essential to putting the odds in your favor."  Page 141.

9)  "Your job as a smart bettor is to recognize those situations where you have a significant edge."  Page 167.

To see the man in action, check out his website, www.WinningEDGE.com .

R. Steve McCollum  (rstevemccollum)  www.sitngoholdempoker.com

"Good judgement comes from experience, and a lotta that comes from bad judgement."  ~Cowboy Proverb

Copyright 2007 SitnGoHoldemPoker.com.  All rights reserved.

Book Review: Playing To Win: Becoming The Champion by David Sirlin

David Sirlin is a multiple-time national tournament champion in video games.  As part of Street Fighter Team USA, he represented America in an annual international fighting game tournament held in Japan.  He graduated from MIT's Sloan Business School in 1998.  In his book Playing to Win: Becoming the Champion, Sirlin includes a complete analysis of Sun Tzu's book The Art of War and its applications to virtually all competitive games and to "real life."

Here are some of Sirlin's pointers for handling the issues that top players face.

1)  "The principles of winning apply equally to all zero-sum competitive games.  No matter the game, you must create an environment in which you can improve.  You must practice against a wide range of opponents.  You must free your mind from self-imposed rules that prevent you from winning.  You must develop "mental toughness" and the ability to read the minds of your opponents.  You must interact with a community of other players.  Whether you play chess, tennis, Quake, Mario Kart, Street Fighter, or poker, the lessons are all the same."  Page 7.

2)  "Building your life around any game is arguably a mistake, but I'll pretend to ignor that point, as it sure helps when it comes to winning."  Page 11.

3)  "I personally prefer to play against average and poor players for a bit, as a way of to hone my skills of attacking efficiently."  Page 12.

4)  "Self-doubt does not win games; positivity does."  Page 22.

5)  "When losing badly, you are often forced to choose only from high-risk options that have big enough payoffs to put you back into the game."  Page 40.

6)  "Critical moments are what you need to create and take advantage of when you're losing.  They are what you need to supress and avoid when you are winning."  Page 79.

7)  "Games require training, practice, and discipline...Games teach you to remain calm under the most dire of circumstances, and to never give up until your very last breath of life is spent."  Page 130.

Sirlin's book is, "Dedicated to winners and those who strive to win."  I suppose that says it all.

R. Steve McCollum  (rstevemccollum)  www.sitngoholdempoker.com

"Good judgement comes from experience, and a lotta that comes from bad judgement."  ~Cowboy Proverb

Copyright 2007 SitnGoHoldemPoker.com.  All rights reserved.

Five Tips For Training Your Poker Opponents

Perhaps you have noticed, but it just did not register, that sometimes your poker opponents will do exactly what you want without any apparent, manipulative action on your part.  Chances are that they have followed your lead without you knowing.  There are probably plenty of opportunities, and more with conscious planning, for leading our opponents.

Here are a few examples of this concept in action; I call this Training Your Poker Opponents.

1)  Training the small blind to fold. 

You are the big blind and the blinds have become meaningful.  You are wishing that the small blind would not complete.  Often, the small blind will follow your lead, if you are also folding your small blind.  (That is, if he sees you to be a smart, tight player.)  But, the first time he does complete his small blind, whack him with a hugh (or all-in) raise.  That should stop that foolishness (for awhile).

2)  Loosening up the table. 

In a fast Sit n Go, sometimes it will serve your purposes for the table to loosen up before it would normally.  That is, before the blinds reach 5-10% of starting stack size, when most everyone broadens their starting hand requirements.  So, just start your pushing earlier; your opponents will usually follow.

3)  Limping to build a big pot. 

Try limping from under-the-gun to build that hugh, cheap-to-enter pot.  Works almost every time.

4)  Establishing the table normal size bet. 

Sometimes a table will fall into a pattern of standard size amounts for bets, raises, and continuation bets.  You can reinforce this behavior by following the standard, (and by punishing any transgressors).  Mainly though, this type pattern may suit your purposes when, for example, your are card dead.  Later on, being the first to break the standard can be very profitable.

5)  Inducing thoughtful play.   

Your opponent has bet, and you want to steal the pot.  If you push, the correct play for your opponent would be to fold.  You want your opponent to think and fold, rather than react and call.  So, try waiting until your time has almost run out before pushing.  This suggests that you thought long and carefully before acting, and so should your opponent.

Admittedly, training fish and donkeys will be a challenge.  But heck, no one ever said life would be easy being a shark. :)

R. Steve McCollum  (rstevemccollum)  www.sitngoholdempoker.com

"Good judgement comes from experience, and a lotta that comes from bad judgement."  ~Cowboy Proverb

Copyright 2007 SitnGoHoldemPoker.com.  All rights reserved.

Book Review: The Tao Of Bridge by Brent Manley

I was curious to know if any other card game held secrets for the poker player.  Then, I ran across this book, the Tao Of Bridge: 200 Principles To Transform Your Game And Your Life (Tao of) by Brent Manley.  Manley is a Gold Life Master with 4,000 masterpoints, and editor of The Bridge Bulletin, the world's largest-circulation bridge magazine.  With Manley's credentials and the book's title, I knew I was on the right track.

Here are some of Manley's transforming thoughts that can apply to life as well as bridge, and as you will see, to poker, too.

1)  "Many elements of bridge do not lend themselves to formulas, and you will have to teach yourself to think at the table."  Page 3.

2)  "The fact is that luck is a hugh factor in your success as a player.  When you accept that and strive to maintain your equilibrium in the face of luck - good as well as bad - you will be on your way as a bridge player."  Page 4.

3)  "If you want to be a good player, you will need some imagination and creativity.  You are free, within the proprieties of the game, to deceive your opponents..."  Page 23.

4)  "Seizing the initiative is almost always a good idea."  Page 26.

5)  "One of the challenges of bridge is walking that fine line between safety and aggression."  Page 27.

6)  "No one wants to be thought of as ho-hum or predictable.  You want your opponents to respect your creativity.  You want to put pressure on them through aggressive bidding."  Page 54.

7)  "Wild is not necessary.  Aggressive will do just fine."  Page 59.

8)  "As long as you shun needless risks, you can counter their moves with moves of your own."  Page 75.

9)  "No one in any sport succeeds by playing down the middle all the time...The winners are usually the competitors who are willing to let it all hang out on occasion...The key, as with most competitive exercises, is picking your spots."  Page 93.

10)  "There's a famous saying in sports that "it ain't over 'til it's over."...Learn to play with dogged determination.  Never give up, even when things seem the most hopeless."  Page 111.

Sound familiar?  It would appear that the Tao of Bridge could easily instruct the poker player, or any competitor.  As I have suspected, all mental games and sports have a lot more in common than we might think.  In fact, that is the thing they all have in common - competitive thinking.

R. Steve McCollum  (rstevemccollum)  www.sitngoholdempoker.com

"Good judgement comes from experience, and a lotta that comes from bad judgement."  ~Cowboy Proverb

Copyright 2007 SitnGoHoldemPoker.com.  All rights reserved.