Jared Tendler - The Mental Game of Poker 2: Proven Strategies for Improving Poker Skill, Increasing Mental Endurance, and Playing in the Zone Consistently

THE

MENTAL GAME OF POKER 2

THE

MENTAL GAME OF POKER 2

PROVEN STRATEGIES FOR IMPROVING POKER SKILL. INCREASING MENTAL ENDURANCE, AND PLAYING IN THE ZONE CONSISTENTLY

JARED TENDLER, M.S.

WITH BARRY CARTER

The Mental Game of Poker 2: Proven Strategies for Improving Poker Skill, Increasing Mental Endurance, and Playing in the Zone Consistently

Copyright 2013 Jared Tendler, LLC

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, without written permission from the author, except for the inclusion of brief quotations in a review. To request permission to use any part of this book in any way, write to: .

Published by Jared Tendler, LLC

Printed in the United States of America

ISBN: 978-0-983-95973-1

Cover and book design by theBookDesigners, www.bookdesigners.com

Jareds headshot courtesy of Naheed Choudhry

www.jaredtendlerpoker.com

Digital book(s) (epub and mobi) produced by Booknook.biz .

The best poker book ever writtenand its not even close.

Lex Veldhuis, PokerStars Team Pro

Ive spent years building then blowing bankrolls online. It was only after I read Jareds book that I realized what a mental game fish I was. Every chapter I read helped me fix a leak, and since finishing it, I havent blown a bankroll. Its increased both my bottom line and love of the game.

Niall Smyth, 2011 Irish Open Champion

Jared has keen insight on the mental game of poker.

Allen The Chainsaw Kessler

Jared Tendler cares about people. Thats why he is so good at helping them. And he can write! His book is a collection of treasures. No matter where you look, you will find riches.

Tommy Angelo, author of Elements of Poker

Ill give TMGP a big thumbs up. I think its one of the few books that breaks new ground in the poker genre.

Bill Rini, legendary poker blogger

I taught a university course titled Psychology of Poker for several semesters without the benefit of an adequate textbook. Finally, Jareds book came along! Having used it twice so far, I can attest to the fact that it is the perfect blend of psychological theory and practical application. Students who diligently study this book, and apply its teachings, cannot help but to become successful at poker!

Tricia A. Cardner, Ph.D. Ed.D.

As soon as I read the book, I decided we should make it the first book we stock in the store at Black Belt Poker. Copies have been flying off the virtual shelves like hot cakes ever since.

Neil Channing, 2008 Irish Champion

The seminal work on tilt. This is no psychobabble; this is no man sitting on a leather couch in an ivory tower spewing transcendental waves. Tendler provides real steps and real answers for poker players involved in the day-to-day struggle who are too often beating themselves.

Jesse May, The Voice of Poker

Quite simply it is the only book you will ever need regarding the mental side of poker.

Matthew Pitt, Editor of UK PokerNews

Best thing Jareds book did for me is to show how my learning process works. After that, I got back in the right mindset and started working my ass off, with great results!

Steven Van Zadelhoff, Everest Poker Pro

Im a tilt monkey and finished the book with the confidence knowing I can diminish tilting at the tables.

Paul Tao Pauly McGuire, author of Lost Vegas

This book is the first of its kind and should be considered mandatory reading for any poker player.

Hunter Bick, DragTheBar CEO & poker professional

TMGP is one of the most important and applicable poker books written in the last ten years. It should be a staple of any serious poker players library.

Pawel Verneer Nazarewicz, author of Building a Bankroll

The book is full of so many ways to help you improve your emotional control that they are literally spilling out from the pages.

Lee Davy, poker journalist and poker player

Raises the bar so high for poker mindset books, other thinkers may not be able to clear it.

Jack Welch, poker author, editor, and player

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

Im very appreciative of all the help that I had writing this book. I have an amazing team and I know Ive run well to find them.

Barry Carter, youve done a fantastic job once again helping write this book. The process is not easy, but working with you makes it a heck of a lot easier. Thank you for helping me to focus on only whats most relevant to poker players. You often call me a B.S. detector, but youre pretty good at it tooquickly spotting when Im saying something that is complete crap. In the years since the first book, youve become a better friend, colleague, and writer. Its great fun working with you and Im looking forward to the next chapter.

Alexis Nahoum, youve outdone yourself. Thank you for all the time, effort, and care you put into editing this book. Im amazed at how youre able to turn my gibberish into eloquencethis is truly a skill you can be proud of. I know all the late nights you spent getting every point just right and making every word flow just right. Your dedication to making the book as good as it can be is truly appreciated.

Corey Karsch, the future Mrs. Tendler, thank you for your love and support through all the ups and downs of the writing process. You were my coach when I needed one. Im also extraordinarily grateful that you handled most of our wedding planning, so I could complete the book before we get hitched. Now we have two reasons to celebrate!

Im very appreciative of the love, support, and guidance given to me by family and friends. I particularly want to thank my parents, sister, and brother-in-law for always being there for me. Life is easier when I know you have my back.

Im particularly grateful to my clients who have graciously shared their stories: Roy Bhasin, Darren Kramer, Matts Quiding, and Danny Steinberg. Having your voices in the book makes it complete, and Im really thankful for that.

Finally, thank you to all the readers of my first book who shared your feedback with me. Your praise motivated me to work even harder on this book, and your critiques helped me understand how to make it stronger.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

INTRODUCTION

THERE ARE TWO major areas of skill in poker: tactics and the mental game. Tactics are where poker players spend most of their time and include things such as odds, strategy, hand analysis, image, and metagame. The mental game is given much less attention, but its what sharpens, strengthens, and prepares the mind to function at its highest level. Most importantly, it allows all of the learning done on a tactical level to be implemented into a players game.

If youre only focused on improving tactically, your game may not be progressing as fast as it could. This is true even if you subscribe to a training site, talk about hands, read books, and study away from the table. The work you put into improving your tactical skill can show diminished returns if youre not also improving your mental game.

When poker players think of the mental game, they typically think of tilt, fear, motivation, and confidence problems. However, they rarely consider factors such as focus, decision making, and discipline as a means to elevate their game and increase their edge. The purpose of this book is to help you refine these factors and consistently reach the peak of your mental performance, otherwise known as the zone. You may not have even realized that poker players can play in the zone. But think about those instances when you just know the right decisions, the game feels easy, youre in the flow of the action, and it seems as if your opponents are playing their hands face up: Thats the zone.