Medical Stud question for Doc Az

Doc Az,

I was reviewing your post on developing card memory. I have been trying to apply the techniques you recommended, but I have a long way to go.


I am 46 and my memory is getting worse with age. I will walk into a room and completely forget what I was looking for. I now understand the meaning of "having a senior moment". Anyway, I have to work harder at memorizing dead cards at the table.


My question to you is do vitamins, herbs or non-prescription drugs help your card memory, such as Ginko-Ba? In addition to studying and practicing, Should I be taking extra Ginko and vitamins the week or two before a big tournament or game?


Thanks for your valued input,

Keith O

My Good Stud friends,

I sincerely feel that this is a very important topic. But to do it justice it will take some detail to explain. If you just want the key points of this post, you may want to fast forward to the end of the post where I have summarized the key points. Doc.

Keith I am going to go over you question in detail, but to try and help other forum members I am going to review the entire topic. It should take 3 posts. don't forget to read posts 2 and 3.


Dear Keith,


You raise a couple of critical questions. I’m going to take this opportunity to review some basic concepts on card memory, as well as discussing progressive memory loss that occurs in EVERY human as he matures.


Topic number one: How to enhance your ability to remember your opponents exposed cards by rank, in the sequence that they were dealt.


Example number one


Charlie’s opponents door cards as they were dealt by rank are 3,6,2,Ace,Queen,and 7.

How does Charlie's brain remember the sequence of those ranks?


Answer: As Charlie’s mentally reads to him self the ranks of the exposed cards the neurons (located in Charlie’s memory center) lay down a very thin peptide chain (collection of amino acids) This chain is the start of memory. Each time Charlie reviews the ranks of the cards that peptide chain gets thicker and his memory of this sequence becomes more permanent.


2. Why is it easier for Charlie to remember ABCDEFG than it is 3,6,2,Ace, Queen, 7


Answer: Because Charlie has laid down the ABCD sequence so many thousands of times, that it’s peptide chain is so thick, that it has become a permanent part of Charlie’s consciousness.


3 What can Charlie do to temporarily improve his ability to remember his opponents door cards?


Answer; If Charlie breaks his opponent’s door cards into two groups of three, and then silently repeats them to himself, in the sequences that they came out 4 times. He can prolong the length of time that he remembers that particular rank sequence.


Example: Silently say 6,3,2 Ace mentally 4 times to your self.


632Ace, 632Ace 632 ace, 632 Ace. Now ask your self “what door card rank did the player located between the player with a 6 and the player with a 2 in the door have? Answer 3 of course.


By breaking the card rank’s into the sequences that you want to remember into groups of 3 or 4 and then silently repeating them 4 times, you have made the peptide chain of that sequence in your brain thicker.


It may be only thick enough to remember them for 3 minutes, but that is all the time that you need.


4 What is a memory technique that you can use to remember the sequence of cards as they were dealt on fourth fifth and sixth street?


Answer: In your mind mentally verbalize an imaginary occurrence.


Try this experiment, as a hand is being played mentally pretend that you are an ESPN announcer calling a stud hand play by play, to a national audience, for the world championship at the WSOP (world series of poker)


Research has shown that the more vividly you make the imaginary experience the easier it is to remember.


First change the names of the players to the rank of their door cards. For example Joe, Marry, and Sam will now have different names.


Joe’s name is now 6, Mary now is 3, Sam’s name will now have been changed to 2.


So your mental commentary might sound something like this;


“Door 6 catches a dangerous suited connector 7! Poor 3 caught a partially dead Ace, the bring in player 2 just paired his door card!”


“Watch out folks, Suited connectors and paired door cards can be dangerous. 2’s paired door card may not be as dangerous because 2 was the forced bring in.”


“ Hitting Aces are always a risk but it may not be as much in 3’s case since there already was one Ace out when players Ace, Queen, and 7 folded.”


(Note to my friends, if this technique is starting to sound a lot like the way that I dictate my hand analysis's, its because, this IS the technique I use. And once you have done it 100,000 times it becomes automatic)


5. When you have free time mentally play imaginary hands out card by card. Mentally play each possible strategy and counter strategy. In your mind ACTUALLY SEE THE CARDS as they are dealt. Repeat the hand over and over again, so that when you encounter it at the Casino your moves become almost automatic.


Ok so we have reviewed several techniques that you can use to keep track of the exposed stud cards. Now lets talk about memory enhancement in normal humans.


There are 3 major techniques and 4 minor techniques that we can use to enhance both or short term and long term memories.


No 1. Aerobic exercise. This has a major impact on memory. Chess playing became an obsession in the Soviet Union, and since Chess brought the USSR quite a bit of international prestige they had their scientist go to some lengths to find ways to enhance both memory and strategic analysis.


They divided their beginner Chess players into two groups and started one group on MILD aerobic exercise.


I.e. Walking or slow swimming, and what they found was that there was a profound increase by the exercises in both memory and strategic logic


(This is especially true for the first 4 hours after you exercise.) Try this experiment do a mild hour of aerobic exercise and then go directly to your poker room and see how you feel.


Answer: You will feel strong, sharp, and alert. Usualy for the first 3 or 4 hours.


When NASA started having our pilots do aerobic exercises they documented the same findings.


This is the end of post number one. But we still have some very exciting materials to cover. That I will cover in posts numbers 2 and 3.


And I’ll bet that before we are done, we will have taken your card memory capabilities to levels that you have never reached before.


That is if I can just remember those other 7 techniques that are!


One final important step!!!


Since card memory is so critical to playing advanced stud well. I would like you to take your copy of Seven-Card Stud for Advanced Players, and go to the blank pages in front of the table of contents. Or you can use the page in the back after the index.


Now write abbreviated summaries of the topics that we have covered.


1. Rank sequence memory technique: break ranks cards into groups of 3 or 4 and then mentally repeat each group, in the sequence that they were dealt 4 times each. (You may need to repeat this during the hand)


2 During a hand mentally change your opponents names to the rank of their door cards. I.e. Change Joe’s name to 6, Mary becomes 3, Tom becomes 2.


3.As each following street’s exposed cards are dealt, mentally imagine yourself as a commentator announcing the hand. I.e. “ Look 6 just caught a dangerous suited connector 7!


4 Mentally vividly conceptualize imaginary hands and mentally play them over and over again card by card. Using every possible strategies and counter strategies.


5 Work up to doing an hour’s worth of aerobic exercises a day. Try exercising and then going directly to the card room. You should be much sharper for 4 hours.


Thank you for raising this topic which I feel is vital to playing stud well.


Most Sincerely,

DocAZ

Hello,DocAZ,

Thanks for generously sharing your knowledge!

I bicycle 5 miles to my casino and it certainly makes me feel a lot more alert and focus.

I have an old coaster bike that I use frequently.

His name is Henry. I really enjoy having my buddy Henry with me.

Oh! A few minutes ago,I forgot why I went into my room! Now,I remember!


Thanks again,DocAz

I really appreciate the contributions of ALL forum members!


Sitting Bull

Dear Bull,


Thanks for the follow up.

Your right cyceling can be a great way to work out. For 14 years I use to work out every morning for an hour on an bike or exercycle, and then go directly into the operating room, for the next 4 or 5 hours. That extra boost I got from the exercise was a big help.


Your friend,

Doc AZ

Doc,

The memory practice has already started to show dividends. I was in a Stud tournament at Commerce, in L.A., this weekend. During one hand I had memorized that there was a dead Ten and Nines when a Ten raised it. I called him with Qc/KsJs and my cards were live. He caught another Ten on fourth and I caught a King. He bet into me and I analyzed the hands he could have. I deduced that he had two pair and not trips because I remembered the dead cards. I called him on fifth and checked behind him on sixth. On seventh street he checked. I bet into him; he called. My Kings and Queens beat his two pair. Cool!


Thanks for the tips, Doc, I look forward to post 2 and 3.

p.s. I am going to start riding the bike in the gym soon.


Keith O