Why are the best poker players actually the best? Every serious poker player wants to be successful and many of them have the right technical skills. However, the truth is that there are key mental factors that separate the big winners from everyone else. Patricia Cardner is a psychology professor, licensed professional counselor and dedicated poker player. She interviewed a select group of professional poker players who share two key characteristics: ALL of them have been successful over many years and ALL of them have lifetime winnings of more than $1,000,000. Patricia analyzed the results to determine exactly what psychological skills, techniques, and strategies they use. This book is the result of her studies. Positive Poker outlines the mental skills that you need to develop if you want raise your game. Positive Poker will help you to: Optimize your brain for efficient learning Increase motivation and stay positive Use psychological skills to increase your win rate Increase self-control and reduce tilt Patricia is aided in her investigations by the highly successful poker pro Jonathan Little, author of the critically acclaimed series, Secrets of Professional Tournament Poker.

Rough sex, black magic, murder, and the science-and eros-of gambling meet in the ultimate book about Las Vegas James McManus was sent to Las Vegas by Harper's to cover the World Series of Poker in 2000, especially the mushrooming progress of women in the $23 million event, and the murder of Ted Binion, the tournament's prodigal host, purportedly done in by a stripper and her boyfriend with a technique so outré it took a Manhattan pathologist to identify it. Whether a jury would convict the attractive young couple was another story altogether. McManus risks his entire Harper's advance in a long-shot attempt to play in the tournament himself. Only with actual table experience, he tells his skeptical wife, can he capture the hair-raising brand of poker that determines the world champion. The heart of the book is his deliciously suspenseful account of the tournament itself-the players, the hand-to-hand combat, and his own unlikely progress in it. Written in the tradition of The Gambler and The Biggest Game in Town, Positively Fifth Street is a high-stakes adventure, a penetrating study of America's card game, and a terrifying but often hilarious account of one man's effort to understand what Edward O. Wilson has called "Pleistocene exigencies"-the eros and logistics of our primary competitive instincts.

Mike Sexton once asked Chip Reese, "The guys you play against are tough. What separates you from them?" Chip replied, "You're right Mike. They are tough. In fact, when they play their 'A' game, I'm really no better than they are. The difference is that they also have a 'C' and 'D' game, whereas I don't. They become weak players when they steam and just about all of them do. My edge is that I don't steam." (Life's a Gamble, D&B 2016). If you've ever wondered if the psychological aspect of poker is important, that should provide the answer. One of the greatest players of all times is attributing his success to the fact that he has better psychological control over his play than his opponents. The good news is that, actually, there is nothing mysterious about Chip's ability. To do the same you simply have to adhere to specific strategies and guidelines. This book will tell you what they are and explain why they work. These strategies, implemented into your everyday routine, will substantially increase your performance and improve your mental state. Peak Poker Performance will show you how to:Create an unbeatable mindsetPursue excellence during downswingsEliminate procrastinationImprove your motivationMaster your emotionsPlus much, much more Dr. Patricia Cardner has worked with hundreds of poker players, at mid-stakes and high-stakes levels, both through private coaching and online training. With the help of Jonathan Little, Patricia moves on from her first book, ‘Positive Poker’ and uses the very latest research to take you to the next level so you too can achieve better results on the felt and in life.

One of the ten greatest books written on poker, this must-have book should be in every player's library. If you're serious about winning, you'll realize that most of the profit comes from being able to read your opponents. Caro reveals the the secrets of interpreting tells-physical reactions that reveal information about a player's cards-such as shrugs, sighs, shaky hands, eye contact, and many more. Learn when opponents are bluffing, when they aren't and why-based solely on their mannerisms. Over 170 photos of players in action and play-by-play examples show the actual tells. These powerful ideas will give you the decisive edge.

Since reigning poker expert Phil Gordon’s Little Green Book illuminated the strategies and philosophies necessary to win at No Limit Texas Hold’em, poker has changed quickly and dramatically. Today, Pot Limit Omaha is the game of choice at nosebleed stakes. The players are aggressive, the games are volatile, the decisions are tough, and the pressure is relentless. This is Poker 2.0. In his Little Gold Book, Phil Gordon reexamines the game from the ground up. The key to competing with today’s top players is finding the post-flop edge, but to really understand this new playing style, you need to get comfortable with the underlying math. Don’t be intimidated. Gordon makes this challenging material as approachable and simple as possible. Beginning with the foundations of Poker 2.0, he unpacks the modern poker player’s tool kit, rigorously examines the new lines of play in No Limit Hold’em, dissects the fast and furious strategies of Pot Limit Omaha, and explores the winning poker mind-set that will take your game to an entirely different level. The golden age of poker is upon us. Phil Gordon’s Little Gold Book will shorten your learning curve, and if you’re willing to put in the time and the work, big bankrolls await.

This new, expanded, fully updated and revised, edition of 'Secrets of Professional Tournament Poker' is a landmark in poker publishing. Originally published in two volumes in 2011 and 2012 this was both a critical and commercial success. Over the last decade, the understanding of poker has changed dramatically and this new edition fully reflects current thinking on the game. This book will give readers a thorough understanding of everything they need to know about playing tournaments and Jonathan Little is undoubtedly the person best qualified to impart this information. The book is split into seven sections: 1) How Tournaments Work –This explains why tournaments are a highly profitable form of poker and examines the basic concepts that need to be mastered. 2) Playing Deep Stacked –This deals with situations where (most) players have stacks of 50 big blinds or more. All situations are dealt with including pre-flop and all three post-flop streets. There is further information on general topics at this stack depth. 3) Playing Mid Stacked –This deals with situations where the basic stack depth is between 27 and 50 big blinds. These situations are tricky because with the shorter stack, players are often going all-in. This means that very clear adjustments are required compared to the deeper stack strategies. 4) Playing Short Stacked –This section focuses on play below 27 big blinds. Now play is almost exclusively focused on the possiblity of players going all-in. Knowing the correct ranges and plays here is vital to maximise your chances for tournament survival. 5) The Late Stages –As the prospect of serious prize money looms, huge adjustments need to be made. How to play on the bubble and concepts such as risk premium and the Independent Chip Model are fundamental to maximising your chance of landing a major prize and they are all thoroughly explained. 6) Hand Examples –This will test your understanding of everything you have learnt so far. 7) Other Considerations –You can improve your tournament results by also working on your general attitude and approach. This section encompasses all the non-technical aspects of playing, including learning, the mental approach, tells and practical tips. Jonathan Little has dedicated himself to educating players who are keen to improve their poker strategy, and in 2020, he was awarded the prestigious title of Global Poker Index “Poker Personality of the Year” – voted for by the poker-playing public. As well as being an immensely successful professional player with over $7,000,000 in live tournament cashes, Jonathan runs the highly respected coaching site pokercoaching.com. By interacting regularly with his students, he has developed a clear understanding of how to explain important concepts in a language that can be easily understood by players of all skill levels. The result is Secrets of Professional Tournament Poker – the definitive guide to modern tournament play.