The Psychology of Poker By: Alan Shoomaker
 

I would like some feedback from some serious players on this book. I read the intro in Barnes & Noble the other day and it got me pumped up for the book, however the reviews on Amazon.com are very mixed. (One player even said the book make him worse). I have read HOH1&II, SSHE by Sklansky, Super System, and I am going to read Theory of Poker shortly. After reading these books I feel like I have a strong enough foundation to play solid poker but I want to increase consistency, and decrease the losses I take while on tilt. Do any of you reccommend this book? Has it helped you? Or do you think it can hurt someone with a solid foundation? Thanks in advance for your time and replys. The Chief

Re: The Psychology of Poker By: Alan Shoomaker
 

i like the book pretty much and i am positive that it won't hurt at the very least.

Re: The Psychology of Poker By: Alan Shoomaker
 

There is actually a post on the book in the books/publications forum at the moment.

I have never found many reviews on Amazon to be helpful or accurate.

Anyway, as for my opinion of the book, I like it a lot. It helps you understand yourself and your opponents, and provides guidelines on how to adjust to certain players.

BTW, I am not just saying I like the book because this is 2+2; I personally gained from reading the book.

PJS

Re: The Psychology of Poker By: Alan Shoomaker
 

This book will help you to think about your relationship with poker, why you play it, and even who you are. Ultimately it is this which will determine how successful you can become at playing the game so it is a help to get you focusing on this usually neglected aspect. It will also help you in thinking about these issues in relation to the other players you face and what the consequences of that should be for your play. So I recommend reading it, you may not get through all of it but the earlier parts are excellent.

Re: The Psychology of Poker By: Alan Shoomaker
 

Dr Al's book is well worth the read. His book and Feeney's book INSIDE THE POKER MIND are excellent poker books.

Re: The Psychology of Poker By: Alan Shoomaker
 

Dr Al's book is g00t. It is not a strategy book so I think if a player is looking for specific tactics on how to beat a TAG or a LAG, then they will be disappointed. What his book will teach you is to examine the motivation (both yours and your opponents) behind why we play the way we do.

Re: The Psychology of Poker By: Alan Shoomaker
 

[ QUOTE ]
Dr Al's book is well worth the read. His book and Feeney's book INSIDE THE POKER MIND are excellent poker books.

[/ QUOTE ]

Re: The Psychology of Poker By: Alan Shoomaker
 

I am not an expert or even better than average. I am struggling with my internet game but my live game is rocking. I am not saying that the book doesnt apply to both only that it is easier to use the info in a live game. If you are observent of the game it is almost like seeing thier cards.

It is so good that I have read it twice at B&N. I am thinking of a purchase as soon as they get some new copies in that are not "read over" so much.

Re: The Psychology of Poker By: Alan Shoomaker
 

Thanks a lot for all of your input. I'm definitely going to pick it up now that I can be confident that some of you have found if useful. Good Luck to all. The Chief

Re: The Psychology of Poker By: Alan Shoomaker
 

I've been at a similar place for quite some time now. When I play my best I'm good enough to win. When I don't, I'm bad enough to do rather poorly. If i'm tilted, its only worse.

The problem for me was just my own emotional/physical state. I put in long hours at my job and spend a lot of time traveling. Often I found myself playing poker when I was tired, exhausted and not concentrating on the game.

You are on the right track, examining your psychology while you are playing. Recently, I've come to grips with my entertainment/profit percentage. While I take poker Very serious and show profit at lower stakes, poker is still very much entertainment for me. Further because of my limited time to put into studying, etc, I have to be at 100 focus, concentration to play against better opponents online ( which I don't operate at very often) As a result, I keep poker 'new' at the lower stakes by learning new games. I find that playing a new game Forces me to focus.

Sorry if I took a tangent too much to my only world, but just trying to relate what I've found ...