Your brain, and how it controls your game...

[Shoe Lace]

If your current mindset is [insert non-optimal mindset], how do you clear your mind to play your "A" game?

This is more of a question towards the pros I guess. Those who need to play to support themselves regardless of what their mindset is at the time.

You have no choice but to play, but you don't want to play and if you let your mood control your in-game actions, you will lose.

Are there any books or exercises that help you -really- seperate any sort of true emotions from your game?

To the point where you are no longer a normal human being who uses their thoughts/moods to control their reactions, but to become machine-like and act perfectly based on what's going around you (at the table).

Here's a small story of a previous experiment with "mind games"... (not related to poker)

A few years back I read a small article explaining how to give yourself an out of body experience. If performed correctly, apparently you will imagine yourself floating above yourself in your "mind's eye".

You end up consciously putting yourself into a nearly(full) unconscious state through deep relaxation techniques.

After practicing it once, I got to a point where I really felt myself levitating from the knees down (my mind saw another pair of shins/feet which were actually mine, floating). It was most definitely one of the craziest experiences in my life.

I've never done it again because it was too much for me to handle. I remember waking up dripped in sweat with a 32423423432423bps heart beat but during the ordeal I felt calm.

I'm not sure what caused me to snap out of it, maybe my body went into "dude, you're in over your head" mode and woke itself up before I did serious damage, who knows.

I shared this story because I really feel no matter how you might THINK you feel, your actual mindset will control your actions (subconsciously), unless you specifically do [something] to counter it. Which is my question. What do you do to really seperate your game from your mind, or is what I'm asking impossible?

Thanks.

[Knockwurst]

I'm no pro, but I do grapple with the issues you're talking about. Even though it didn't get a very good review from MM, I liked Zen and the Art of Poker (I think that's the title), which is great for getting you into the detached mindset you're talking about. Just ignore the poker strategy advice in the book. Also Inside the Poker Mind discusses that machine-like way you've got to play, and I think both DS and MM talk about it somewhat in some of their books.

Could you provide a title for or link to the book you're talking about. It sounds pretty cool.

[Shoe Lace]

Hmm, it wasn't a book. I don't remember the exact title/details. I just remember seeing a show that got me interested in trying to perform an OBE. I google'd it, and read one of the 1st techniques that came up.

Thanks, I'll check them out.

[Bremen]

For me I played tournament chess before I found poker. If you've spent four hours playing a single game you learn pretty quickly not to blow it by getting emotional at the end. I wish I could impart some method to achieving this, however realizing you just blew an advantage that took four hours to develop is a pretty good motivation.

[provee]

I 2nd the recommendation of Zen and the Art of Poker, the poker strategy advice wasn't much, but for learning to detach emotion from the game its a good read.

[Dov]

I derive most of my income from poker now.

I still work P/T a couple of days a week because it keeps me focused in the game. The job I'm doing is essentially menial labor for about $20/hr. I do it because it's good exercise and a good break from the cards. It also keeps me grounded in reality. I don't really have to do this job, but I think I actually play better because of it. (Not because of the money, but because of the discipline and exercise)

Any time I feel like getting crazy at the table, I just have to think about what it would be like to do the real job all the time.

That sets up the A game pretty quickly.