"The Zone"

[magiluke]

I was going to mention what Brunson said in his book, but you beat me to it... Anyway, I think a lot of that has to do with your subconcious paying attention to what has happened already, and then it tells you what might be coming up.

I actually experience something like that when I'm playing craps though. The dice will be thrown, and as they are in the air, I know what number they are going to land on. It's only when they have already been thrown, and it isn't every roll. Just maybe one in every 5 - 7 rolls, I just get this gut feeling that "It's going to hit the point", or "Oh no, the 7!" And every single time I'm right. I wish I could do it before the roll is made.

I actually saw something about "the zone" on a documentary. They had a sharpshooter shooting at a target. They compared him to someone who wasn't nearly as good as him. They both did pretty much the same thing as far as aiming goes (they had a laser to show where they were aiming); they were fairly unsteady, and got the laser to the general area of the target. But as the sharpshooter pulled the trigger, his sight went almost instinctively to the center of the target. My description can't do it justice, but you get the general point. Maybe there is something about it on the internet. Google it.

[Mark H]

Tek I dont want to flame anyone. I think the human mind is programed to see patterns and coincedences that dont nessasarily exsist. When playing i'll often pick out a low card like a 5 and comment how often 5's are hitting the board and i aint folding no 5's. Its amazing how often players pick up on it. They arnt hitting more players are just noticing.People have bin trying to prove ESP forever there is none yet. My guess is if you are looking for a particular card you'll guess right once in 46 to 52 trys if your playing holdum. A lot more often if your looking for just a number or suit. I cant think of a worse way too improve your game.

[img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]Mark H

[pokerstudAA]

The "zone" for me is those moments where you have accurate reads on the players in the game and are able to use these reads to your maximum advantage. I have found that I can become extremely focused and aware of the minor details and this feels like the "zone." It truely has little to do with ESP when you come to the realization that your opponent was betting with a draw and missed or is betting with TPTK and your bottom two pair is good but this is part of being in the "zone." No one can predict what their hole cards or what the flop will be but very good players can often tell you what two hold cards their opponent holds without ever seeing them! Is this ESP?

[goofball]

something that's greatly in enhanced for me "in the zone" i sthe knowledge of what other players will do. Something entirely different from knowledge of what the cards will do

[Al Schoonmaker]

I agree.

[StellarWind]

[ QUOTE ]
A few sentences later you say, "somehow I knew the Vikings were going to cover tonight. Dont ask me how I knew because I cant answer you." Again, you're talking about ESP.

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Technically that would be precognition [img]/images/graemlins/wink.gif[/img].

[Al Schoonmaker]

You're correct that it would be "precognition."

The term "ESP" is not clearly defined, and its definition varies from person to person. It is often used to include precognition, telepathy, and many other forms of paranormal thought, even telekinesis (which is not perception at all).

But they are all BS.

Regards,

Al

[paland]

[ QUOTE ]
But they are all BS.

[/ QUOTE ]
Are they really BS, Al? Are you saying this because of solid scientific research? I'm of the crowd that thinks that Psychology isn't really a science. Maybe art, but not true science. Mainly because it can't be measured accurately.

[Burno]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]

When I play poker and I see a player who is hot or in the zone, I am not going to butt heads with him. You must respect that momentum he has built up otherwise he will bite you in the ass.


[/ QUOTE ]

This is wrong.

On a related note, I think some people (not all) who have had a good run of cards (who are in the zone) will begin to overestimate themselves and their cards, start chasing in bad situations, make bad river calls or whatever, meaning you should be more inclined than usual to "butt heads with him"

[/ QUOTE ]

I agree with Fabian. Sit down at a cash NL game and the moron who's running well and got 10x the buyin ALMOST ALWAYS gives it all back(quicker than he should) because he thinks he's "on a rush" and indestructible. Even solid, winning players will occasionally fall victim to this.

[tolbiny]

The only change i make is not to bluff the dudes on a rush.