The Psychology of Poker

It was hard for me to know whether to give this one four stars or five because it is not the best of the poker books out there, yet reading it definitely enhanced my game. All I can say though is that if you're a beginning or intermediate level player, the volume has much to offer. A crucial aspect of psychology is understanding why we do what we do. Dr. Schoonmaker considers it of the greatest importance to determine what our internal motivations are for playing poker in the first place. Is it all about the money? Well, for me it is, but, for others, there may be numerous factors such as the need for socialization, and a need for competition. He introduces concepts like the eight principles of poker, a series of questions to help ascertain whether you have "the right stuff" for the game, the law of subjective rationality, and the egoistic fallacy. Yet, all of these ideas are presented in layman's term and not in sentences filled with psychoactive mumbo-jumbo. The key section of The Psychology of Poker concerns The Styles Grid, in which we answer some basic questions about ourselves in order to figure out our style at the table. Of course, the most common style is one somewhere in between the four presented. I will mention them now and give their nicknames within brackets: Loose-Passive (Calling Station), Loose-Aggressive (Maniac), Tight-Aggressive (Stone Killer), and Tight-Passive (Rock). Out of these four, the optimal mode is that of Tight-Aggressive. I believe that Dr. Schoonmaker's perceptions and descriptions are clearly on target in regards to cash ring games, but, should one be tempted to apply his advice to tournaments, you'd be in big trouble. The book was written in 2000 just before the big poker craze began, so the author could not have anticipated just how much the gigantic freeze outs would predominate the way in which we play poker online. If one sits around and waits for great cards then, even if they plan on acting with focused, intense aggression should those cards ever arrive, they'll lose because it is probable that the blinds will eat you alive before you see those big pairs or big slick. You can't play conservatively and expect to make it past the first 90 minutes of a multi-table event (at least online as some of the blinds change at five minute intervals). There was one aspect of The Psychology of Poker that immediately helped my game, which was Dr. Schoonmaker's analysis of playing with Loose Passive Players (LAPs) at the lower limits in what he labels, "No Fold `Em Hold `Em." He points out that this game is actually very good for the better players as discipline prevails. However, due to so many players sticking around until the river, the overall hand strength is so high that what can win in a regular game is a big loser if five people go to the river. Until I read his view, I could not figure out why I was losing so often with straights and trips. The moral of the story is that you just have to be patient when you

The strength of this book is in helping you understand why you play the game (it may not be what you think), and more importantly, why your opponent is playing. Understanding motivations can help you understand and predict the actions of your opponent. In poker, knowledge is power, and this book will help you to win pots you may have folded, and lay down hands when you are beaten. The chapters on various playing styles are especially important. Following Dr. Schoonmaker's tips has helped me to get out of the way when beaten, and jam the pot when I had the best of it. Thanks Dr. Schoonmaker for helping make my poker play more profitable!

This book outlines the basic concepts behind WHY people play the way they do, which is essential to understanding how to play against different types of players. The playing characteristics of looseness and tightness are rated on one dimension, passiveness and aggressiveness are rated on another. These dimensions outline the four basic types of players: loose-passive, loose-aggressive, tight-passive, and tight-aggressive. Each player type is described in detail, their strengths and weaknesses are outlined, and strategies for playing against them are discussed as well. The reader is given opportunities to assess their own play according to the principles outlined in the text. This book is especially good for the beginning poker player to whom these ideas may be completely new. Advanced players who have not read this book will still undoubtedly learn much from it as well. One of the books listed on the *required reading* list for the San Diego Poker Discussion Group. I should mention that I played a role in editing this book, and that I am good friends with Dr. Schoonmaker, and the readers of this review should know of my potential bias. However, I still stand by the book, if it wasn't good I would simply refrain from saying anything.

Most people think poker is a card game played by people. Those who advance to expert status eventually realize that poker is a people game that happens to be played with cards.I have probably read every poker book that has ever been written, in part because I want to improve my own game, in part because I want to know what the competition is saying and/or thinking, and in part because I believe it to be the height of "penny-wise and pound-foolishness" not to spend a few bucks on a poker book when ONE good idea or notion in a poker book will probably earn the buyer many times the price of the book.All that said, when I ranked poker books written in the year 2000, Alan Schoonmaker's "The Psychology of Poker" was an easy choice for me as "Poker Book of the Year" for 2000. Over time, the cards tend to even out. What does not even out over time is our ability to understand our opponents' emotions, and our own.The only think I don't like about TPOP, as I call it, is that it will probably cut down on my profits when I play, because even though it has helped me--and I was already very good--it figured to help my opponents even more, because I had already focused the majority of my poker study energy into the psychological aspects of poker.For a completely raw beginner, i.e., someone who has never played or who has rarely played and when playing has played for very low stakes, TPOP probably shouldn't be the FIRST book you buy. You need to understand more basic card and strategy elements. If you aspire to ever being more than a mediocre player who can hold his own against other mediocre players, and you're not some sort of poker savant or expert who has been winning heavily for 30 years, you should read TPOP at your earliest opportunity, and even if you are already quite good and have read it, you should probably re-read it anytime you find yourself in the midst of a losing streak.

This is an absolutely wonderful book that fills a huge gap in poker literature. While many poker books have discussed psychology, they rarely include more than a few paragraphs or a chapter. This is the first book to directly tackle one of the most fascinating elements of poker.The book divides poker players into four groups: loose aggressive, loose passive, tight passive, and tight aggressive. Each group has different psychological characteristics, and each has different motivations for playing poker. Each group also represents a very distinct playing style - with its own strengths and weaknesses. The bulk of the book is devoted to describing these differences and explaining how you can profitably exploit them. When playing against loose aggressive players, for example, Schoonmaker offers fourteen concrete adjustments that you can make to your play. Such recommendations include bluffing less frequently, check-raising more, and minimizing deception and "fancy" plays. For most home games, this section alone is worth the price of the book. Perhaps most helpful to beginning to intermediate players, however, is the guidance Schoonmaker provides in helping a player recognize his own style of play and how he can learn to toughen his game by moving into the tight-aggressive category (the most profitable style of play). He uses written exercises that force the reader to examine his own style of play and motives for playing. He concludes with a list of deadly sins for poker players and a refreshingly honest view on making money at poker - "don't quit your day job."While the book includes some discussion of tells (poker mannerisms such as a shaking hand that may reveal insights into the quality of a player's cards), it is limited in this respect. If your idea of poker psychology is trying to read the body language of your opponent then you would probably be better off with Mike Caro's "The Body Language of Poker : Mike Caro's Book of Tells." Schoonmaker's book also does not devote much text to specific hand situations. If you want to understand the psychological elements of third street play in high stakes heads-up seven card stud, for example, the book for you is "Inside the Poker Mind: Essays on Hold 'em and General Poker" by John Feeney (although this is a fairly advanced book - definitely not for beginners).It should also be noted that the psychological advice provided by the book is more helpful for home games or low stakes casino games. High stakes players tend to consistently play tight aggressive poker and do not exhibit as many of the weaknesses described in the book (although I have played some high stakes myself and have seen more than a few pros who will slip up every now and then!).All in all, a great book that will have you thinking more about why your opponent plays the way he does AND why you play the way you do. Highly recommended.