Mindset Coaching

[Chipless Wonder]

When I'm playing my best poker, I feel like no one can beat me unless they get lucky. I'm in some sort of zone where I seem to know my opponents' hand strength, I feel like I can predict what they're going to do, and I seem to know how to make them do what I want them to do.

The problem is that I can only seem to get into this zone about 5% to 10% of the time. The rest of the time I feel mortal and helpless, the cards don't seem to be good enough, and I feel like I get nothing but bad beats.

I am considering a mindset coach for 2010, to help me learn to play my A-game a higher percentage of the time.

Has anyone else tried anything like this? Does anyone have thoughts or opinions about this?

Examples:

http://tommyangelo.com

http://changingyou.org/the-force/poker-mindset/

[occams raisor]

Tommy Angelo is great for this type of stuff. I was barely better than break even until I read his book Elements of Poker. I went on a tear for 2.5 months at over 50% roi. I was focused, certain that I would not lose and if I did it wasn't going to destroy my BR or my confidence. I've lost that mindset but at least I have found what it takes to make me a winning player.

If you haven't already check out Elements of Poker or you can check out Tommy Angelo's website. IMO it's the best poker book that is not really about poker. Good luck.

[Chipless Wonder]

If you haven't already check out Elements of Poker or you can check out Tommy Angelo's website. IMO it's the best poker book that is not really about poker. Good luck.

Definitely one of my favorites! I really like his thought process - especially the way he is able to remove emotion from every equation.

[dyehard]

Are you in Vegas? Where did you play with him at?

[AlphaDion]

This is indeed a great topic!

The pioneers of positive thinking (W.Clement Stone, N. Hill etc.) used the affirmation as a powerfull tool to manipulate their subconscious mind, in order to materialize their dreams and definite chief aims. It is said that by repeating the affirmation/definite chief aim twice a day - in the morning, right after you wake up, and in the evening, before going to bed, will make you sort of "convince" or "cheat" the subconscious to get you on the right track to success. In "Think and grow rich" Napoleon Hill summarizes his decades of researches on thousands of successful people.

Many of his contemporaries also support the idea of positive affirmations and claim they've achieved miracles by repeating them. I have mine as well and I can definitely say that they've helped tremendously in my endeavours.

An example affirmation may be:

"I am a winning poker player. Large sums of money come to me quickly and easily as I win consistently in any poker game I play. I am now proud and happy for myself as I'm readily earning, saving and investing $100,000 a year, including the money from my recent 2010 WSOP main event victory. As I am a positive and grateful person, I'm willingly donating 10% of my winnings to charities. I know that by respecting others I will receive respect in return which will bring even more success in my life"

Saying this with as many emotion and belief as possible will speed up the process.

I believe that many of the motivation/mindset coaches use, or at least base their practice upon this technique. It has helped many people achieve success from scratch in all fields of life and I dont think that poker will be an exeption.

[Chipless Wonder]

Are you in Vegas? Where did you play with him at?

Yes, we have been at The Venetian all week.

[Chipless Wonder]

I want to give a public thank you to Tommy Angelo for agreeing to coach me. This week has been a major enlightenment for me. I had no idea there were so many holes in my game that needed plugged. Nor did I have any idea about a lot of the state of mind teaching that he would do.

For others who know and/or have played with me, I'll offer just a brief outline. Not of what we covered, but of the key areas in my game where Tommy has helped me to effect improvements this week. Without question, some of these changes are dramatic.

+ Breathing
+ Posture
+ Mindset
+ Mindfulness
+ Tilt control
+ Game selection
+ Seat selection
+ Stack sizing
+ Chip stack management
+ Verbal tells
+ Facial tells
+ Card protector tells
+ Chip handling tells
+ Tempo tells
+ Anticipation
+ Decisiveness
+ Table presence
+ Concentration
+ Situational awareness
+ Bet sizing strategy
+ Cash game tipping
+ Stopping

We studied by day and played cash games by night, moving up in limits each time. Tonight was my first ever foray into the 5/10 game and it was a major success. I am very pleased to have learned so many new things, and really excited to start using some of the new tools in my poker tool box.

Thanks for everything Tommy!

[swd805]

Yes, we have been at The Venetian all week.

Scott your a fkin baller.

[Dixienormas2]

Dusty Schmidt (leatherass) Really pushes a life or mindset coach very hard......He says it was life changing for his poker game as well as his life.

I believe he uses Jared Tendler over at Stox Poker. I believe he does telephone mindset coaching and assigns you mental homework ect ect. Might be worth a look see. Who knows what the cost of something like that would run. It may be worth it in the long run.

[Hwilli]

Great post. I have been struggling with this myself. So much so I have taken the rest of the year off to write instead of play.

My main problem is going on autopilot instead of playing my A thinking game. I'm currently working on excercies/practices to help prevent this. Obvioulsy developing this myself has limitations. I had never heard of a "Mindset" coach before now.

I'd like to hear more.

H