General Discussion Poker Forums

Hi Guys,
Just wanted to get a topic started that helped players deal with tilt and other mental game components.
What is the weakest area of your mental game and do you currently have any strategies for helping eliminate these as a consistent part of your game?

The Eightfold Path to Poker Enlightenment is your answer and its available here

The Eightfold Path to Poker Enlightenment is your answer and its available here

EPTPE does not cover all aspects of mental game and does not suit all players.
I really like it and I think it's really good, but you guys treat it like it's the only relevant thing, which I disagree with.

Hi Guys,
Just wanted to get a topic started that helped players deal with tilt and other mental game components.
What is the weakest area of your mental game and do you currently have any strategies for helping eliminate these as a consistent part of your game?

this might sound like a trite answer, but getting better at any aspect of poker is awesome for your mental game. study and learn the math so you can prove whether a play is good or not in terms of EV, and your confidence should go way up. review your sessions and post constantly in the forums to help yourself and others evaluate your decision making process.

The Poker Mindset book

Hey and welcome to DC! I made a thread awhile back about some of my problems and ot a lot of fantastic feedback: http://www.deucescracked.com/forums/4-General-Discussion/32649-Shortcomings-as-a-pro-emb

I'll try to reply the way OP seemed interested in (although if he hasn't watched EPTPE yet, he definitely should). My mental game at this point in time is pretty weak overall, though it's also much stronger than it was last year. If I had to name the three worst parts of it, they would be results-oriented thinking, lack of discipline, and auto-piloting. All of those things result in the broader sensation of "tilt," for me.

To cope with my results-oriented thinking (and to improve in general), I look at hands I was unsure about or particularly happy with, and do a more detailed range analysis, which leads to much more helpful conclusions. Discipline, I just try to do what I'm supposed to do, two steps forward one back style. Auto-piloting is trickier, mostly I just end up performing poorly when clicking buttons, and since I take breaks when things are going poorly I'll usually realize that I'm zoned out, and if I decide it's worth coming back to the game then I'll just be aware of what I was doing and make more of an effort. This has never failed to result in some degree of success.

Anyway, I don't have these things under wraps of anything. It's just a process, though, I'm pretty sure, and as long as I'm working on it I should get better.

All - MindGuru is Jamie, a mental game coach from Australia (we met at Aussie Millions and talked extensively about his methods) that has worked with Joe Hachem and some other pros (both live and online). I suggested that he start a thread like this here, picking his brain is def +EV :-)

Great Post infire!!!
Results orientated thinking is one of the biggest factors in sub optimal play from a mental game point of view and but if you can attach more emotion and meaning to the quality of your play vs results, you will begin to eliminate this as a problem area.
Thx 1BYONE, I will be sure to check out EPTPE
sushiglutton, I will def check out your thread, thx.

As has been mentioned, results orientated thinking a pretty big weakness in the mental side of my game.

Especially when it transpires into other forms of tilt. For instance a lack of focus, where I'm thinking too much about that hand instead of concentrating on the present and anticipating the future. I struggle moving on from the past in the heat of the game, despite realising that it's an incredibly stupid thing to do when I'm not playing.

Thx Jay!!
Pleasure to be a part of the DC community and look forward to being able to help fine tune your mental games

Jamie Glazier

Hi Guys,
Just wanted to get a topic started that helped players deal with tilt and other mental game components.
What is the weakest area of your mental game and do you currently have any strategies for helping eliminate these as a consistent part of your game?

ah, I get the point of this post now. At first I thought it was *yet another* I'm running bad post that us DC members habitually post from week to week..

The weakest area of my mental game is playing too long and playing while hungover/tired etc.

Stategies I learned from Tommy Angelo:
- breathe, deeply and slowly and be mindful of each in/exhale.
- play in sessions and sets in time frames you are able to remain in control over your concentration
- your thoughts are not reality

Strategies from Joe Talls TA group:
- presession routine, 5 things to do to tell your body to get alert and ready to play
- trigger points
- post session routines

Stategies I picked up from DC:
- get better at poker (bigger WR = lower variance = less tilt = more profit = winning cycle = repetition)
- Play more while winning, less when losing

Strategies I picked up randomly:
- "You are what you repeatedly do. Excellence is not an event -- it is a habit." - Aristotle (BC 384-322, Greek philosopher)
^^^
For me it means play your best every time, or taken another way - a la LIL WAYNE style REPETITION IS THE FATHER OF LEARNING
- "you only see what you tune in" - Robert Anton Wilson
- "The Golden Rule of Tilt - If you are on tilt - STOP PLAYING" - The Poker Mindset

Kap

Kap, love your willingness to fine tune this component of the game.

All great advice you received and if you can consistently create new empowering behaviours, soon excellence will be a no brainer!!

Just switch on and there you are- bringing your A Game to every session!!!

EPTPE does not cover all aspects of mental game and does not suit all players.
I really like it and I think it's really good, but you guys treat it like it's the only relevant thing, which I disagree with.

Kind of agree with this. I wonder if Tommy Angelo is going to come out with some NEW sessions. I'm sure members would eat it up. <smile>

I have a Video Program on my website and will look to possibly do videos for DC if there is enough interest.
I have an extremely practical way of looking at the Mental Game and give exercises to help improve focus, eliminate tilt and get you to understand how you function when you are playing in the zone, then get you to implement a pre game routine that helps you place your self in these states on a consistent basis.
As well as many other processes that will help you build a rock solid mental & emotional game, on and off the tables!!!

Look forward to being able to give you guys some more to help you understand your brain and emotional systems!!