poker strategy blog

[purnell]

"Best way is not to think anything, of anything."

As I understood it, he wasn't thinking, he was "feeling". Different animals, IMO.

edit: Like maybe when you are walking and your mind is empty, you are "feeling" your way. (?)

[purnell]

k

[ifoldaces]

That post was aimed at Tek's comments, no one else.

[ifoldaces]

That is one way of looking at it (Freudian pretty much).

Conscious thoughts are those that our intellect realizes and are subject to change due to a conscious logical process.

Sub-conscious thoughts are those which exist on the surface of consciousness and usually consist of regressed/repressed memories, predespositioned bias and ideas. These thoughts guide us into forming a mental picture of the world, as we see it, every second, individually for each person. These are also the thoughts that allow one to make instanteneous decisions, such as reads in poker, based on predisposed information.

Then there is Higher intelligence which is not in the form of thoughts but in fact is more like an ocean of cosmic information. There is all and none of what we know. This level is accessable only by destroying the ego (self) and discarding all ideas of mental thought-forms, pretty much everything we have learned from an early age. Further practice allows one to lose the only remaining attachment of intellectual thought form which is that "I and not I", after which one may become one with universal knowledge.

Back to Poker Zen, we are attempting to cultivate the second level of thinking and to penetrate into its depths. This will allow us to absorb and control our subconscious thinking, split-second decisions, automatic reads and predesposed bias. It is impossible for a fully conscious (completely un-awakened) person to penetrate any level beyond the first, which is why I am recommending starting Zazen practice.

[ifoldaces]

That is one way of looking at it (Freudian pretty much).

Conscious thoughts are those that our intellect realizes and are subject to change due to a conscious logical process.

Sub-conscious thoughts are those which exist on the surface of consciousness and usually consist of regressed/repressed memories, predespositioned bias and ideas. These thoughts guide us into forming a mental picture of the world, as we see it, every second, individually for each person. These are also the thoughts that allow one to make instanteneous decisions, such as reads in poker, based on predisposed information.

Then there is Higher intelligence which is not in the form of thoughts but in fact is more like an ocean of cosmic information. There is all and none of what we know. This level is accessable only by destroying the ego (self) and discarding all ideas of mental thought-forms, pretty much everything we have learned from an early age. Further practice allows one to lose the only remaining attachment of intellectual thought form which is that "I and not I", after which one may become one with universal knowledge.

Back to Poker Zen, we are attempting to cultivate the second level of thinking and to penetrate into its depths. This will allow us to absorb and control our subconscious thinking, split-second decisions, automatic reads and predesposed bias. It is impossible for a fully conscious (completely un-awakened) person to penetrate any level beyond the first, which is why I am recommending starting Zazen practice.

Boris R.
http://www.TheLeagueNY.com

[ifoldaces]

Your mind is never truly empty when one is not in a meditative state, all information including sights, sounds, feeling and more is a conscious illusion and therefore occupies the mind.

Unfortunately most people in this world spend their entire lives unawakened and unaware of their true paths, true abilities and true senses. I believe that poker may be a gateway for some to take a step forward, due to its mechanical nature and long, addictive hours of play.

[Billman]

I don't think your post is very useful. Practicing zazen or meditation at the table is the last place you want to be doing your learning. It takes people sometimes months and years to be able to really achieve a state of mindfulness (which I assume is the goal you are proposing). After someone can do this away from the table THEN they might want to try it at the table. Doing otherwise is more likely to have one making mistakes due to not paying proper attention to the action in the game.

[ifoldaces]

Actually that is not at all what I am proposing. Naturally practicing Zazen is virtually impossible at a poker table, instead I am simply offering a mind-altering technique that will allow one to empty out useless thoughts and increase instinct perception.

If one was to break down thinking into three major levels of consciousness, subconciousness and kensho, this method that I am proposing would allow one to recieve benefits in the first two levels without attempting to cross into the third.