About "Psychology of Poker" by Alan Schoonmaker

[Psy_Mike]

I just got the book Psychology of Poker by Alan N. Schoonmaker. I thought it could be a nice book to read!

I started browsing through it and found one section named "Don't quit your day job!". I read a few of his statements there which almost upset me. Here they are:

"If you're thinking about becoming a full-time professional, forget it. Keep your day-job because:
1) You probably won't make it.
2) There is little money and no future.
3) It's extremely unhealthy.
4) It's a dreary life.
5) It's a great second job."

The first point is basically just saying "Don't even try because I know you don't have what it takes". Yep! That's the kind of spirit we need to keep the world evolving isn't it? That's the new type of thinking we need in todays society! Err...

The second point he makes he explains that the pros don't make much money, only about $20 an hour or so. Which you can get from any other job.

The third point is based on the assumption that everyone who plays is sitting at lousy chars which kills your back and that you sit around in awefull smokey small rooms without lighting.

The fourth point is based on the fact that you won't be able to handle the stress of not having a set income for the month. But the ones I know who play poker for a living are some of the most unstressed people I know of. It simply comes down to money management. Sure, if you have your months rent in your BR you're playing with it can be stressfull. But these guys have another "safety account" which holds money for about a years worth of rent and food which they don't ever use to play with. And then they have their playing BR which is where they make the money.
He also claims that the only thing you'll do when having poker as a full-time income is to play poker, eat and occasionally sleep. Sure this is true if you're incapable of seperating reality from what you do to get your income! But this is true for most things as well. Silly statement by Alan!

The fifth and last point is the one I agree with, but it doesn't mean that it can't be used as a full-time job either.

In my experience self-confidence is really a must in poker. You have to beleive in yourself and your judgement, and you have to beleive you can make it to the top if you take the game seriously enough. Then I don't want someone who is supposed to be a master of psychology telling me I'll never make it, even though the schmuck have never ever even seen a glimpse of me in the corner of his eye (most likely).

I just think he sounds like someone who has no sense of money management, started playing poker and built up his dreams of the big money, got addicted, couldn't handle the stress, and in the end lost all his money due to his horrible money management. Then he jumps off his poker career and rights a book instead.

Anyone else have any experience in this? It's a 2+2 publishing, so don't kick me around too much...