My Challenge To You

When I started this blog, I just wanted to try to give other poker players a chance to learn from my years of experience playing online poker, and how I also apply my training in Hypnosis/Hypnotherapy/EMDR/Neuro-Linguistic Programming to my game. I've always felt that until you can teach a skill to others that you really haven't mastered it yourself.

That said, I also wanted to have some fun with the site at the same time. Hence, my QAsRevenge Trophy Room and the Thongs Of The Day.

Recently, I applied for Bodog's Affiliate Program with this idea; To really have fun with the QAsRevenge Trophy Room and actually challenge my readers to join Bodog and take me on. On my dime!

That's right! After becoming a Bodog Affiliate I want to actually pay you to play against me! Then I will attempt to take my money back and put you in my trophy room! Good times!

All we need to do is to drive more traffic to this site to build more statistical data and Bodog said it would be a go!

So, tell your friends, click the Google Ad bar, check out past post, of course the Thongs Of The Day, and let's get this going!

Good luck and don't suck,

-QAsRevenge

What Are You "Trying" To Do?

Doesn't matter really, you most likely won't succeed.

Why is that? By using the word "try", we give ourselves a subconscious out, allowing ourselves to fail while still having the excuse, "well I tried".

Think about it; How many times have you heard somebody say that they were going to "try" to quit smoking? And what were they doing the next time you saw them? Smoking! And their excuse? "Yeah, I "tried" to quit but then I had a bad day at work, had too many beers, got in a fight with my GF/BF, etc."

The simple fact is that if they wanted to quit smoking, they would quit smoking. Not "try" to quit. The use of the word "try" allows them to fail while still saving face, which was the subconscious reason for the use of the word "try" all along. Their conscious, rational mind, knows that they should quit, and all of the reasons for doing so, but their subconscious, emotional mind, enjoys smoking and doesn't want to.

Another example; Let's say that you are having a party or meeting friends for happy hour etc., and one of your friends says that they will "try" to make it. Guess what? They're not coming! But what happens if your friend actually does show up? You feel surprised! Internally, you knew what their use of the word "try" meant, and didn't really expect to see them!

Now, take a moment to think about times in your life when you have used the word "try" to get out of doing something, or as a way to save face in case you failed.

How does this relate to poker? Think about how often you use "try" statements in relation to your game.

• "Well, I'm going to go "try" to win some money."

• "I'm going to "try" to win, or at least cash in this tournament.

• "I'm going to "try" and make a living playing poker."

You get the idea. Now, what should we do instead? Simple, remove the word "try" when we are making a statement about our personal goals.

Say these two statements out loud;

1. "I am going to go play poker now and "try" to make some money."
2. "I am going to go play poker now and make some money."

Notice the difference in how the two statements feel internally. In the first one, you can actually feel the doubt about accomplishing your goal, while the second feels much stronger and more positive. In the future, keep an ear or eye out for your "try" statements and then make the same statement removing the word "try". Make a mental note of the differences in feeling, and think about what the implications of actually succeeding would be.

Good luck at the tables and I'll see you soon!

-QAsRevenge

Hypnosis And Poker

"Today I will play perfect poker. I will play patiently and with discipline. I will play with aggression when I detect weakness, and with caution when I suspect strength. I will punish players on draws or that hold weaker hands. I will have the discipline to fold when I am beat. I will create big pots with big hands and small pots with small hands. I will stay calm and relaxed at all times."

This is an example of how I use hypnosis to create a positive mindset for myself before each session of poker. Notice that each sentence is phrased as a positive suggestion. This is because your subconscious mind is designed to accept suggestions only in that manner. Remember that you think in your language! When you frame a suggestion, it should always be written, or spoken, using a positive intonation. Suggestions that are framed as a negative are not accepted by the subconscious in the way that you wish them to be. Actually, they are accepted by the subconscious in the exact opposite!

An example; Do not think of the front door of your house!

What happened? You just thought of the front door of your house. Though strangely enough, I have had clients that told me that they thought of the front door of someone else's house.

Another example; Do not think of a large pink elephant walking down the street!

You just thought of a pink elephant.

So what happens when you tell yourself something like, "I am not going to get mad and go on tilt today!"

Actually, your subconscious hears that as "I am going to get mad and tilt today!" The exact opposite what you wanted.

Even the best players are going to lose their share of hands each day. The ability to not let those beats affect your play is crucial to your long term success. Rare is the day when the poker gods smile upon you and everything just falls into place. That is why it is so important to prepare yourself. Nobody plays well when they are upset or angry.

It also goes without saying that you should be playing well within your bankroll. I personally always stick to Chris Ferguson's five percent rule. You simply cannot play your best when the loss of few buy-in's eats up a quarter, a third, or half of your bankroll!

So, use the example at the top and begin writing and formulating your own pre-session suggestions. Repetition is the key to using suggestion, so make sure to get a note pad and write them down each day before you start to play. Then, take a moment at the end of your session to make a few notes. Including your mental state.

I will soon include an audio link of an actual Self-Hypnosis CD called Improving Poker that I have created for myself. I think you'll really like it.

Good luck and and don't suck,

-QAsRevenge