"Your Worst Poker Enemy" by Alan Schoonmaker
You are your own worst poker enemy. At least, that's what psychologist and poker author Alan Schoonmaker claims. Schoonmaker observes that there are many poker players out there with the skills and knowledge to succeed, but who are thwarted by their own psychological obstacles.
In Your Worst Poker Enemy, Schoonmaker teaches players how to overcome those obstacles and optimize their poker play.
Breaking Down Poker Psychology
Schoonmaker stresses that the most important aspect of poker psychology is being able to honestly assess your poker play. The reason that good poker players are successful is that bad poker players convince themselves that they are simply victims of bad luck.
They keep coming back at the tables and making the same mistakes. Schoonmaker shows you how to prevent yourself from being one of those players and how to exploit those who are.
Using Poker Psychology
Schoonmaker provides tips on how to evaluate yourself as a player honestly, so that you can plug the leaks in your game. He also shows you how to evaluate others effectively so that you can exploit their psychological weaknesses.
He gives you tips for handling the emotional pitfalls of the game such as going on tilt or being rigid in your assumptions.
Fine Tuning Your Mental Game in Poker
While this book contains no specific poker strategies to employ at the table, it does help teach you how to think about poker and your approach to the game in a different way.
If you are finding that your poker knowledge is far exceeding your poker successes, it just may be your mental game that needs fine tuning, and this book may be the way to do it.
