Zen and the Art of Poker

I_Geeve · #1 03-25-2006, 06:40 PM

Has anyone read Zen and the art of Poker? Does anyone have any thoughts to share. For me, it made the difference of being a winning and losing player. I was a losing player and I read this book in combanation with 2 other books and I am now a consitant winner.

Scary_Tiger · #2 03-25-2006, 09:01 PM

I'm in my second reading. It's a good book.

elvirto · #3 03-26-2006, 01:51 AM

If you can get past the fact that the author gives horrible strategy advise.. it might be useful. Anytime I start reading it I just get mad at his obliviousness to independent events and want to rip the book up... not very zen i guess.

But at least he's "due" for his flush.

Starfish · #4 03-26-2006, 05:25 AM

Howard Lederer recommended Zen mind, beginner's mind audio tapes in his video. I, eh, kind of got access to those audio files and listened to them a bit. They were about meditation, lotus position, Budha, zatori etc. Well, maybe you could get some self control through meditation excercises but I'd really want to leave all the religion crap out - regardless of religion - and maybe find some "technical" stuff somewhere in the net instead.

Anyone listened to those tapes, what's your opinion?

Starfish · #5 03-26-2006, 06:28 AM

[ QUOTE ]
They were about meditation, lotus position, Budha, zatori etc.

[/ QUOTE ]

Zazen was mentioned, not zatori (as far as I got).

CrayZee · #6 03-26-2006, 07:00 AM

I quickly read maybe a quarter of this book in a used bookstore a couple of months ago. From the sample that I read, I didn't think it would add to my knowledge. What advice was good and added to your poker knowledge in this book? Was it the discipline aspect?

pegboy · #7 03-26-2006, 02:04 PM

I'm considering buying this book later today. I'm also buying "Hold'em Poker for Advanced Players" for technical support. Are they're any other books that people would recommend for the psychology side of poker?. I'm a winning internet holdem limit player who's trying to make the jump to 3/6.

talentdeficit · #8 03-26-2006, 03:57 PM

i haven't read any of these books, but the biggest improvement i ever made to my game was adding breathing control exercises i learned in a zen class.

DrPhysic · #9 03-26-2006, 11:37 PM

1.Psychology of Poker, Dr. Alan Schoonmaker
2.Inside the Poker Mind, John Feeney
3.Zen and the Art of Poker, Phillips.

Doc

MicroBob · #10 03-27-2006, 12:56 AM

as i've mentioned in other threads about zen, some of the advice is just plain backwards or wrong.

He mentions things like 'leaving BEFORE the cards turn cold on you' as if you are somehow supposed to be able to 'feel' when that happens.

It really gets ridiculous in places.

But if you can ignore that and just want to appreciate the stuff on patience and discipline it can be okay.

The back-cover (or somewhere) acknowledges that the author finished 2nd in the Wisconsin state championships one year...which impresses me so little I think it would have been better to leave it out.