Poker Mindset: Essential Attitudes for Poker Success

The Poker Mindset evaluates seven core attitudes and concepts that ensure you have the optimal emotional, psychological, and behavioral framework for playing superior poker.

In this groundbreaking book, Taylor and Hilger lay bare the secrets of the Poker Mindset: seven core attitudes and concepts that ensure you have the optimal emotional, psychological, and behavioral framework for playing superior poker. The Poker Mindset deeply explores vital topics that most poker books only touch upon: - Tilt: What it really is, why and when you are most prone to it, and how you can avoid it.- Bankroll: A complete examination of bankroll management from a technical, but more importantly, from a psychological and emotional viewpoint.- Opponents: How to determine your competitors' mental and emotional processes so that you can dominate, out think and outplay them.- Downswings: Every poker player experiences them, but you will truly understand and be armed against low ebbs when they occur.- Bad Beats: The Poker Mindset will enable you to overcome the trauma of bad beats and losing big pots. Poker is a fun game, but it is even more fun when you win. The Poker Mindset may be the most valuable poker book you will ever read. Embrace its concepts and you can overcome the unseen obstacles that are limiting your success at the table.

Chapter 1 Introduction		12
Chapter 2 The Poker Mindset
Identifying the core mental attitudes a poker player needs to succeed.		15
2.1. Understand and Accept the Realities of Poker		16
2.2. Play for the Long Term		23
2.3. Emphasize Correct Decisions over Making Money		26
2.4. Desensitize Yourself to Money		30
2.5. Leave Your Ego at the Door		33
2.6. Remove All Emotion from Decisions		40
2.7. Dedicate Yourself to a Continuous Cycle of Analysis and Improvement		44
2.8. Chapter Review		51
Chapter 3 Overcoming Your Instincts
A discussion in how your instincts and life experience may lead you astray in poker.		54
3.1. Actions and Reactions		54
3.2. Setting Goals		59
3.3. Is "Average" Acceptable?		62
3.4. Risk Aversion		64
3.5. Greed		70
3.6. Woolly Thinking		72
3.7. Chapter Review		77
Chapter 4 Bad Beats and Losing Big Pots
How to cope with losing a big pot or suffering a bad beat		80
4.1. What Happens When You Lose a Big Pot?		81
4.2. Reaction to Losing a Big Pot		86
4.3. Applying the Poker Mindset		92
4.4. Bad Beats		95
4.5. Chapter Review		102
Chapter 5 Downswings
What downswings are, how to handle them, and what pitfalls to avoid.		105
5.1. Running Badly		105
5.2. The Reality of Downswings		110
5.3. Common Bad Responses to Downswings		115
5.4. Dealing with a Downswing		120
5.5. Staying in Control		123
5.6. Downswings and the Poker Mindset		125
5.7. Improving Your Game		127
5.8. Downswings and Your Bankroll		131
5.9. Chapter Review		134
Chapter 6 Tilt
Identifying, managing, and avoiding different types of tilt.		137
6.1. What Is Tilt?		137
6.2. Why Do Players Go on Tilt?		140
6.3. Different Types of Tilt		144
6.4. Preparing for and Avoiding Tilt		153
6.5. Detecting Tilt		157
6.6. Combating Tilt		159
6.7. Tilt in Tournaments		161
6.8. Chapter Review		163
Chapter 7 Looking after Your Bankroll
Bankroll considerations with a psychological slant.		167
7.1. The Biggest Mistake in Poker		167
7.2. Determining Your Bankroll Requirements		171
7.3. Why Do Players Go Wrong?		175
7.4. Moving Up Limits		178
7.5. Moving Down Limits		181
7.6. Cashing-out Strategies		184
7.7. Chapter Review		186
Chapter 8 Into the Minds of Your Opponents
Evaluating your opponents' tendencies, motives, and levels of thinking.		189
8.1 The Importance of Observation		190
8.2. Categorizing Your Opponents		193
8.3. Different Types of Players		195
8.4. Getting into Your Opponents' Heads		201
8.5. Levels of Thinking		205
8.6. Chapter Review		209
Chapter 9 Advanced Topics
Miscellaneous topics concerning poker psychology.		211
9.1. When to Quit		211
9.2. What about Upswings?		217
9.3. Tilt and Your Opponents' Mindset		220
9.4. When Sub-optimal Is Optimal		223
9.5. Probability in Action		226
9.6. Internet and Live Play		232
9.7. Professional Poker		239
9.8. Non-Profit Motives		247
9.9. Chapter Review		251
Chapter 10 Poker and Life
Integrating poker with the rest of your life.		255
10.1. The Missing Component of the Poker Mindset		255
10.2. Life Beyond the Poker Table		258
10.3. Bankroll Separation		261
10.4. Emotional Separation		266
10.5. What Can You Learn from Poker?		269
10.6. Chapter Review		273