Customer Reviews

Poker Winners Are Different

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

There are dozens if not hundreds of books on poker strategy, and many of them are very good and very useful at helping you learn what to do at the poker table. But knowing yourself--your motivations, your fears, your reasons for playing, your responses to the inevitable ups and downs of the game--is at least equally important to successful poker, and maybe more important.

All of Al Schoonmaker's books can help in this regard, and he has set the bar even higher with this new title, "Poker Winners Are Different." He has identified and articulated the characteristics of winners (many of which will surprise you), and he will help you determine if you have those characteristics or can cultivate them. In fact, the most powerful element of the book is in its "interactive" nature, forcing you to self-evaluate your attitudes and your game to determine if you can indeed be a winner.

I used to review poker books for Card Player magazine, and this is a very a impressive addition to the literature of poker. If you're serious about the game and honest with yourself, you should read this title.

I have invested in several of these "how to" and "advanced strategy" books for playing and I have learned a great deal from them. But, I really wanted something that would help keep me focused and to be more disciplined when I played. This book delivers in many ways that helps you organize yourself so that you are at an optimum performance level when you play. The book tells you what winners do (behavior and decision wise)and it also tells you what losers do. Unfortunately, I found myself in the losers category more often than I would have liked. This was actually good news to me and now I know what to fix. The book helps your realize why you play and therefore, how to approach the game with your end goal in mind. Things like playing for the long term are still difficult concepts to master. But, I feel like the author has set some excellent guidelines for filtering out all the noise so that you can play your best. This is a definite must in your library if you want to understand yourself better and be a better player.

I've decided to give Dr. Alan Schoonmaker the nickname Dr. Poker, since this book - combined with all his previous books - form an amazing body of work that is indispensable for the health of all poker players. If there's a leak in your game, your poker personality, your internal attitude towards poker or your approach to the game, Dr Poker is the man to help you fix it. And because his books are not about strategy but personal insight, they are rather timeless, and players at just about any level of play - from beginner to expert - will likely find a lot of information to improve their performance at the poker table.

Since different problems pop up in a player's psyche at different stages in their game play, this book (like his others) is an invaluable reference tool that requires constant re-reading to maximize its value. A first reading may isolate and fix a few problems with your poker attitude. Later readings may identify other problems that didn't exist the first time, but have developed since then. Like physical health, poker health is constantly changing and evolving and this book is the perfect tool as a constant reference guide to refer back to repeatedly.

This book has played a very major role in improving my poker health and I expect it to continue doing so for as long as I play poker.

Poker Winners are Different is the best poker book Schoonmaker has written. This is a terrific book about the psychology of poker focusing on those things poker players do that prevent them from being winners (or bigger winners) at the game. I don't know any poker player who doesn't suffer from at least one of the weaknesses Schoonmaker discusses. If you're a poker player who has read this book and claimed to not learn anything from it, I'd wager it's more likely that you're in denial than that you have that much discipline. Highly recommended.

I am still reading it slowely to get all there is. I am a very fast reader but want to savor every detail.This seems to be what lets you know what is vital to a real thinking poker player. Amazon delivered book very quickly as always.

Well written book targeting players who want to go a little deeper into their game. I bought it with the idea that it would help my game. Can't say that it did. However it does help me evaluate myself and why I do what I do.

This book is not your ordinary "How to" poker book. This book makes you examine yourself. Why you play poker as in motives etc... This book is very interesting and i believe it will help my game out a ton... I am a very open emotional player in poker (i know this is my biggest - EV in poker). This book lets me evaluate myself with a good guide/direction. I am only 4 chapters in(been reading since i recieved in the mail opened immediately and started reading... so far its a great easy read) and can already tell that my game will improve from this book. If you want to improve your emotion / self control in Poker then this book is for you. YOU HAVE TO BE HONEST WITH YOURSELF WHILE READING THIS BOOK...... I will update once i finish the book.

THNX
Dwonka27

A great book for ALL poker player's. A how to act,re-act,think,behave,read others and many other things most players don't
know or don't think about.

Nice book on poker psichology. It will tell you a lot of things that you will either read here or learn by hard (experience).

This book contain information that every poker players already knows. For instance winners prepare thoroughly!! Winners think logically!!! Winners concentrate intensely!!!

Yeah dude I know that.