Decoding the complex tapestry of human psychology. But how do psychology and poker intersect, and what role does this play in a casino environment like casino? Let’s delve into the captivating world of the psychology of poker.

The Power of Reading People

Reading opponents is one of the most powerful tools a poker player can master. By observing behavior, facial expressions, and body language, players can infer information about an opponent’s hand. This strategy is rooted in psychological principles known as “tells.” Tells are unconscious behaviors that reveal information about a player’s hand. They could be physical, such as a nervous tic, or verbal, like a change in the pace of speech.

However, experienced players understand this concept and can use it to their advantage by feigning tells to mislead their opponents. This psychological warfare is one of the reasons why poker is so complex and engaging.

Cognitive Biases in Poker

Our brains are wired with cognitive biases that can significantly influence our poker decisions. A few examples are:

Confirmation Bias: This is the tendency to favor information that confirms our existing beliefs. In poker, a player may ignore signs that they’re holding a losing hand because they’ve convinced themselves they have the winning one.

Sunk Cost Fallacy: This refers to the decision to continue investing in a losing proposition because of the time or resources already committed. In poker, a player might continue betting on a weak hand because they’ve already invested so much in the pot.

Understanding and mitigating these biases can improve decision-making and give a poker player an edge over opponents.

Emotional Control and Tilt

Emotional control is crucial in poker. A player who lets their emotions dictate their play is likely to make poor decisions. This state of emotional frustration is known as “tilt.” When a player is on tilt, they are more likely to make reckless bets, ignore their strategies, and ultimately, lose more money.

Mastering emotional control involves recognizing the onset of tilt and developing strategies to manage it. It could be as simple as taking a break from the game or practicing mindfulness techniques.

Risk Assessment and Decision Making

At its core, poker is a game of decision-making under uncertainty. Each decision a player makes involves a degree of risk, from deciding to fold or hold, to betting or raising. This game facet? It connects directly to risk tolerance, a psychological notion, that shows striking variation among individuals.

You’ll find players who shy from risks, opting for a guarded game, while others chase risk, favoring a bold, more aggressive style. Understanding one’s risk tolerance and how it influences decision-making is key to developing a successful poker strategy.

The Bluff: Deception and Persuasion

Bluffing? A spellbinding poker element, deeply rooted in psychology. To bluff successfully? Convince your rivals that your hand trumps theirs. It’s a crafty dance of deception, necessitating a profound grasp of human dynamics and the prowess to twist perceived truths.

Psychological research in persuasion and influence provides insight into effective bluffing techniques. For example, players can use the principle of commitment and consistency by maintaining a consistent betting pattern to make their bluffs more believable.

In the end: The Mind’s Role in the Game

Understanding the psychology of poker can elevate a player’s game to new heights. It involves understanding and reading human behavior, recognizing and mitigating cognitive biases, mastering emotional control, assessing risk and making sound decisions, and utilizing deception and persuasion effectively. Poker? It’s no mere shuffle of cards. It transforms into a cerebral clash of minds. Poker matches the intricacy of the human psyche itself. For those bold enough to peek beyond the deck and delve into psychology’s depths? Truly captivating.

Whether it’s a friendly game at home, a local face-off, or a virtual round at casino, integrating knowledge of the human mind can shift the game’s tide. Remember, it’s not about the cards you hold; it’s the one you’re facing.

A disclaimer, though: the aim here isn’t to endorse dishonest play. It’s to enrich our understanding of our minds when immersed in a multifaceted endeavor like poker. Always gamble responsibly and remember that poker is, above all, a game to be enjoyed.

This article aims to explore the fundamental ideas behind poker psychology. These include identifying common psychological traps and honing the ability to read opponents. You’ll also learn how to apply specific psychological tactics to improve gameplay.

Common Psychological Traps in Poker

Recognizing the mental pitfalls that can undermine your poker strategy when playing is critical. One of the most frequent psychological pitfalls you’ll face when playing a poker is tilt. This trap happens when a player experiences a bad hand or goes on a losing streak and starts acting emotionally and irrationally. You might make hasty decisions that hurt your finances when you’re on tilt while playing poker at DraftKings online casino NJ.

Overconfidence can also be a trap, leading players to underrate their rivals and place rash bets. Although it’s critical to have faith in your abilities, it’s also crucial to recognize your limitations and play within your means.

The gambler’s fallacy is another typical behavioral trap. It happens when a player thinks an event is more likely to happen because it hasn’t happened in a while. This is a risky mentality because it can cause gamblers to place irrational wagers based on untrue assumptions.

Maintaining composure and concentration throughout the game is critical to avoid these traps. To refresh your mind and refocus your attention, take breaks as needed. Be mindful of your emotions and set limits on your betting.

Using Psychology to Read Opponents

One of the most important poker skills is the ability to read your opponents. Understanding your opponents’ behaviors and tendencies can help you make better decisions while playing poker game at DraftKings Casino site. It’ll also increase your chances of winning and avoid costly mistakes as you play at DraftKings NJ online casino.

Facial expressions, body language, and even tone of voice are useful in poker gaming. They provide valuable information about an opponent’s hand and their level of confidence. For example, a nervous player may show signs of anxiety, such as fidgeting or sweating. Conversely, confident players may exhibit more relaxed body language. These include leaning back in their chairs or crossing their legs.

According to gambling studies, other indicators of a player’s behavior include their betting patterns. There is also their reaction to previous hands and their overall demeanor. For instance, a player who consistently raises before the flop may have a strong hand. Also, a player who hesitates before calling a bet may be unsure about their hand’s strength.

You may better understand your opponent’s strategies by noticing these subtle cues. Thus, this will allow you to make more informed decisions at the table. So, next time you sit down to play using the DraftKings NJ app, keep a keen eye on your opponents’ behavior factors and use psychology to your advantage.

Applying Psychological Techniques in Poker

Applying specific social psychology techniques can also give players an edge in online gambling. Bluffing, for example, is an excellent example. It’s a well-known technique where players try to deceive their opponents into thinking they have a stronger hand than they do. This can be an effective way to win pots even when a player’s hand is weak. But, it’s important to use bluffing judiciously and not rely on it too heavily, as experienced players can easily detect it.

Reverse psychology is another technique that can be used in gambling situations. This involves deliberately giving off misleading signals to opponents to make them act in a way that benefits the player. For instance, players might act like they’re excited about their cards when they have a weak hand. Most gamers do this to encourage their opponents to bet more.

The art of persuasion is also important in real time casino games at NJ DraftKings. Players use their communication skills to influence opponents’ behavior. For example, a poker player might try to convince an opponent to fold by saying they have a strong hand, even when they don’t. Alternatively, a player might encourage an opponent to keep betting by appearing uninterested in the game.

Balancing Psychology and Strategy

While understanding human behavior is an essential poker component, balancing psychology with strategy is equally important. Good players must know when to rely on their psychological observations and when to stick to their strategic plan. Being too reliant on psychology can lead to making impulsive decisions. Also, ignoring the psychological aspect leads to missing opportunities to gain an edge over opponents.

Balancing psychology and strategy is about finding the sweet spot between the two. A player should always have a strategic plan in mind. They must also be mindful of their opponents’ behavior and adjust their strategy accordingly to maximize the DraftKings NJ no deposit bonus. For example, if players notice their opponent is playing overly aggressively, they adjust their strategy by playing more defensively to take advantage of their opponent’s mistakes.

FAQ

What is some common psychological bias that can negatively impact my poker game?

Some common psychological bias in poker includes tilt, overconfidence, and the gambler’s fallacy. Tilt is an emotional state where a player becomes frustrated or angry and begins to play poorly. Overconfidence can lead players to take unnecessary risks and make poor decisions. The gambler’s fallacy is the belief that past outcomes affect future outcomes. Thus, this may lead players to make incorrect assumptions about the odds of winning.

How can I improve my mental game and avoid making emotional decisions at poker?

One way to improve your mental game is to practice mindfulness and focus on the present moment. It’s also important to recognize and control your emotions to avoid going on tilt. Take breaks when your emotions get the best of you. Another way is to keep a positive attitude, stay focused on your strategy, and be patient.

Is it worth watching experts in this niche, and which ones?

Yes, it’s worth watching experts in the poker niche improve your game and earn huge money. Many pro players have achieved great success in the game. Thus, studying their strategies and techniques may help you improve your game. Some include Daniel Negreanu, Phil Ivey, Jonathan Little, and more. But it’s important to develop your playing style and strategy. Consider this because what works for one player may not work for another.

A thorough grounding in the rules of the game

Famously, Konnikova was a poker novice who had never played the game in her life and the rules of the game were also a mystery to her before she embarked on her remarkable journey to becoming a poker professional. She had the privilege of learning with poker legend Erik Seidel and while this option is not open to everyone, a solid grounding in the rules of the game is the best place to start.

Budding poker players have the opportunity to master the Texas Holdem rules at Bodog. The guide provides you with all the essential information required to become proficient in Texas Holdem including the basic rules and the various game types. It also explains the terms you will encounter in this poker variation such as the flop, the turn and the river. Once you have got to grips with the rules, now is the time to gain some insights into how players like Konnikova are able to compete with top poker professionals.

In an interview with Lewis Howes on the School of Greatness Podcast, Konnikova discussed how poker can also provide solutions applicable to everyday life. The first lesson is not only about the importance of concentration, but also ensuring that you focus on aspects of poker you have control over, i.e., your decisions. Once this targeted focus has been achieved, the trick is to spot all the opportunities during a game. This all comes together under the term “mindfulness,” or living in the moment.

The importance of avoiding tilt

For Konnikova, the avoidance of tilt, the phenomenon of letting your emotions take over your decision-making process when playing poker, can also be achieved through concentration. If you can identify situations where there is a risk of becoming triggered, this gives you the advantage of preparing yourself for the situation. If you are already in a situation where your emotions have taken over, it is harder to stop yourself and this could lead to the adoption of a suboptimal strategy. Therefore, it is imperative that you are proactive in the avoidance and awareness of triggers.

Reading your opponents’ behaviour

One psychological aspect Konnikova has identified through poker is the value of paying attention to players’ behaviour. By identifying the baseline of an opponent, or how they usually act, you can examine aspects such as how much they usually talk or how they sit. Therefore, by observing players during games, you can get insights into the significance of a deviation from their baseline. There is an opportunity to gain an edge if you can identify why an opponent is acting differently and the reason behind the change in behaviour.

Konnikova also recommends reading players’ hands as this is the source of the majority of physical tells during poker. By concentrating on hand gestures, it is possible to predict whether or not the player has a strong hand.

Hopefully this examination of Maria Konnikova’s journey from novice to poker professional will have given you some new insights into the psychology of poker and how you can influence your own game and identify the tells of your opponents.

At first, I read my therapist’s agreement as purely jest, a humoring of my attempt at self-psychoanalysis. But when her warm acknowledgement does not break, I realize the display of understanding is sincere. “Cognitive Behavioral Therapy,” she says. “You’re rewiring how you react to adverse events.”

I ask her for an explanation, and she breaks it down.

CBT (or, Cognitive Behavior Therapy) is a psychological method of behavioral and emotional correction. Faced with a triggering event, an individual naturally reacts with a series of automatic thoughts, feelings, and behaviors. In line with this, the disposition of these thoughts, feelings, and behaviors is highly influenced by core beliefs that an individual maintains about themselves or the situation at hand. Over a lifetime, these core beliefs move in one of two directions, adopting positive or negative connotations. And when negative, a triggering event can often be catastrophic, resulting in compounding stress, anxiety, and unhealthy coping mechanisms, which not only worsen the triggering event, but reinforce the core belief which fed its disruption.

“So, the goal is to readjust my core beliefs?” I ask.

“Exactly,” she says, “but it’s an effort in reverse. To do so you must rework the automatic responses, which require prolonged subjection to triggering events.”

When she says it this way, I feel a bit guilty. Over the two years of working together, she has encouraged me many times to participate in the practice of CBT. Whether it be acknowledging and discarding unwanted thoughts while at a party or refusing to blame myself when a first date hasn’t panned out, efforts to nudge me toward actively correcting my core beliefs has been made. And yet over and over again these simple homework assignments had proven too difficult. Too uncomfortable. I socialized, but to dull the anxiety of a function, I’d choose alcohol over meditation. I accepted invites to gatherings, but when the stress of attending became overwhelming, I would choose not to go. In place of an attempt to help myself, I stubbornly persisted down the path of least resistance.

But then here we were, in the same cozy office where I’d brushed off this sage advice countless times before, recognizing that in fact I had done the work after all. Though instead of nullifying my social anxiety through the repeated discomfort of attending parties or sitting alone at a bar, I’d accidentally fought through a mimic of these discomforts doing something I actually loved, playing poker.

via GIPHY

My therapist sits back in her chair and taps her pen on the legal pad resting over her hip. “What do you fear the most about social interactions?”

My instinct is to deflect. I don’t know… the socializing, I think. But smartass refusals to admit my true barriers are what have gotten me to this point to begin with, so I try my hand at honesty. “Maybe, embarrassment?”

“But what about embarrassment? The feeling of being in it? The worry of what it will lead to?”

“Rejection,” I say, feeling the words dislodge from within me. “Being rejected.”

I think back to all the times in my life that hurt the most when trying to fit in. Eating lunches alone throughout middle school. A travel soccer team on which I was the outcast and an easy target for bullying. Panic attacks during college presentations. Hostile work environments. In all these memories, I note the same variables. Feeling as if I am an army of one. Risking my personal protection for uncertain rewards. Wading through darkness with limited knowledge of when I’d find light. All, in general, certain aspects of poker.

Much like social interactions, poker offers all the same avenues for inviting anxiety. At the height of my troubles, while in conversations, I was always overly aware of other’s eyes being attuned to me, of the attention being payed. And whether true or manifested from my own idiosyncrasies, I couldn’t break from the worry that I was being analyzed and facing scrutiny by the people around me. Likewise, in poker, with each shuffle and deal of the cards, I’d face an excruciating moment in the spotlight. My opponents enacting the same tools as they would if we were in conversation instead. Though through silence, I knew it was my body language they were watching, my quirks and patterns they were picking apart, my faults they were noting.

Anxiety, Felted

For a long while, this fear of being closely observed and judged kept me away from the poker table. Between the first time I sat down to play in a casino and the time that reignited my passion for the game, over a decade had passed. Poker, more than any other social event I’d ever participated in, offered the most frequent opportunity for rejection. What if I act out of turn? Stack my chips wrong? Lose all my money on the very first hand? People will know I am weak if my hands are shaking. Will know I’m a newbie if I say something stupid. They might even ask me to leave.

Leading up to a session of play and while at the table, I’d let these unnerving thoughts debilitate me. Still, I was finding some success amidst all this inner turmoil, discovering that after an hour or so of play, I’d naturally calm and settle into a mode of near comfort.

The moment that sticks out clearest in my mind as representative of poker’s impact on healing my psyche, came on the day of one of my first significant tournaments. The night before my registered start, I was so restless with energy, that I decided to forego sleep around 3am and drove my car a caffeine-fueled two-and-a-half hours to the casino. When I arrived in the poker room around 6am, dazed, but excited to play, there was only one cash game in action, the table surrounded with serious looking gamblers who appeared to have been at war for days. Among them, there was an open seat, but I found myself unable to approach it. Being so overwhelmed with nerves of joining the table as a newcomer and attracting all the attention that would bring, left me paralyzed. So instead, I turned around, my heart pounding, vision narrowed, and went back to my car, where I fell asleep until the start of the tournament.

When I reentered the poker room later that day, this time rested and having digested my cup of daily anxiety, I experienced a different feeling than I had earlier that morning, the same unexpected calm which would later take root as the norm in all of my social interactions. In a way, it had seemed that facing this space before, even briefly, acknowledging and processing my fear earlier that morning, had provided me with a certain peace of mind. Without yet having the definition to my practice, I’d taken the initial steps of confronting my issues using CBT.

I’d go on that day, focused and determined, to nab my first cash in a live tournament. A 21st place finish amidst more than 600 entrants. Further reinforcement that practicing healthy mental habits could be valuable in more ways than one.

My therapist and I go off of this to make as many connections as we can between poker and real life. How in neither you can be sure of what cards your counterparts are holding. That there are no guarantees of how the board will run out or if you will avoid bad beats in the long run. How inevitably there will always be people that you do not get along with, who will try to steer you the wrong way, or will engage with you under ulterior motives. But that against it all, you’ll find the majority of people you are surrounded by are there for similar reasons, to enjoy themselves and the game they love.

In the end, it all came down to believing I had as much of a right to a spot at the table as anyone else.

Before I leave my session, my therapist likes to end with the same question. “What will you take with you from today?”

And for now, my answer is simple. “To keep myself in the game,” I say. “To just stay in the game.”

Interview Transcript (Summarized)

Our guest on the show today is Dr Alan Schoonmaker. He’s a psychologist, a university professor, business advisor and consultant, plus a prolific author of poker articles and books. I hope it’s alright to direct you as Dr Al, and it’s a pleasure to have you on our podcast.

Glad to be here.

So let’s start back at the very beginning, you’ve had a great academic career, a PhD in psychology, worked in the business world, and have taught at university level. You seem like your focus is on poker now, so how long have you been playing poker, and what prompted you to get involved in the poker world?

I started playing poker when I was about 13. I was a caddy and they always had a game in the caddy shop. I read a couple of books and it was extraordinarily easy because I was the only one who had ever read a book about poker. So I knew that you shouldn’t play every hand for example, and that should be looking at the other players instead of thinking about your own cards. My very first lesson in poker psychology was from Oswald Jacoby who was a great bridge and poker player, and he said “If you see somebody who’s overly casual: beware!” We were playing five-card stud and I remember a guy who casually made his bet, and then sat back and smoked his cigarette. I folded a pair of sevens or something like that, and he had aces!

We touched upon that you used to teach psychology at UCLA and Carnegie Mellon University. I’m wondering if you’ve ever participated in some sort of faculty poker game akin to that which we saw in the movie Rounders?

I played an awful lot of poker from about 14 until about 25-26, and then after that I played hardly. I didn’t play poker at all to speak of for 30-odd years. I had things to do! Then, when I was getting to be an old guy I said “Hey! Let’s keep my mind working, let’s go back and play some poker!” I went down to Atlantic City in 1995 or 1996 and the people were there didn’t really play a whole lot better than the people in the caddy shop! We played 8-handed seven card stud and sometimes all eight would see fourth street! People would say “I’m always going to see the next card. If I don’t have anything after fourth street, then I’ll get out!” If you can’t beat a game like that then you should give up the game. It was really astonishingly easy in those days.

The overall level of the game has improved spectacularly because it’s on TV, there’s a zillion books and there’s places like Card Runners and Deuces Cracked with a ton of educational videos. Then you have all kinds of things like PokerTracker and Hold’em manager. I would have never had a chance at all against today’s 22-year-olds – they’re just really good.

You eventually made Vegas your home; how long ago was that?

I moved to Las Vegas in 2000, and it’s one of the best decisions of my entire life. I love this town. It goes 24/7, and it’s the only place in the world where you can call someone at 2am and you’ve got about as much chance of reaching him as you do at 2pm. It’s not at all unusual to meet someone at 3am for coffee.  It’s an informal town!

Was poker the big draw that brought you to Vegas? Did you make the decision to focus on poker, not only playing but writing and immersing yourself in it?

Absolutely, I knew I was going to go to one of the two poker capitals of America – either Los Angeles or Las Vegas. Las Vegas had the attraction that Card Player Magazine was here, as well as Two Plus Two.

The first time I came across your name was with Two Plus Two and Card Player Magazine, with some psychology and strategy articles. How long have you been writing for them and been associated with them, how long did that even begin?

I wrote my first book for Two Plus Two called ‘The Psychology of Poker’, and I have to tell you that writing for Two Plus Two is a wonderful experience. Every single word that came out of Two Plus Two was edited by Mason Malmuth. and he’s probably run it past David Sklansky. As a result the book was improved immensely. We did this before the internet and before emails, so he would send me a copy of the manuscript with a pile of hand written corrections. It took several weeks to agree on the book, but it became immeasurably better because those two guys were involved in it. So, Mason was writing for Poker Digest, so I ended up working for them, and then I came over to Two Plus two in 2002.

You mentioned a lot about these 20-year-old kids these days, and they probably know Two Plus Two primarily as an online forum, but it’s good to learn a bit of the backstory of its origins as  a publishing house for books and magazines.

I think if you take the top twenty selling poker books of all time, at least six to eight of them are from Two Plus Two. ‘The Theory of Poker’ from David Sklansky is considered by many as the best book. You’ve got all of Dan Harrington’s books are from Two Plus Two, Ed Miller’s ‘Small Stakes Hold’em’ is from Two Plus Two, and they are all very big sellers.

Let me tell you a little bit about David Sklansky. David is an astonishingly intelligent guy. I’ve worked in big league academia and I’ve had lunch 40 or 50 times with Herbert Simon who won the Nobel Prize. I’ve worked at Berkeley with a couple of other Nobel nominees, and David is as smart as they are. He really is.

I wanted to ask you with the books and hundreds of poker strategy articles, and all the writing, what is it that motivates you? That’s a lot of work lot of time put in. Why do you feel the need to share your knowledge or to educate poker players?

As a psychologist I write exclusively about psychology. I did write one book about strategy which is called ‘How to Beat Small Poker Games’. Mostly I write about psychology because I’m a life time educator. I just love to teach.

When I was doing some research I came across a quote of yours. We’re the home game poker podcast and we kind of zero in on the niche, with people who are attending or hosting home games, and this quote from you says: “I play only smaller games because maximising my profits is much less important to me than relaxing and learning about people. I became a psychologist because I enjoy people-watching and a card room is a wonderful place to do that. Players in small games are much more interesting than some more serious players. They’re more varied opened and relaxed. They laugh more, tell better stories, and never forget that the focus of playing in any game is to have fun. As the stakes get higher the players get more serious and more homogenised. Most of them study the same books, know the same odds, and try to use similar strategies. In the small games there are more rocks, more maniacs, more calling stations, more nerds, more deluded experts and more oddballs, which means I learn more and get better material for my writing.”

The point about fun is one of the things I find most fascinating. So many people who write books think that people play to win, and the typical error in most poker books is that they are written by very good players who will teach you how to beat other very good players. There aren’t many good players in these small games and you’ve got to learn how to deal with people who aren’t quite sure whether a straight beats a flush.

The other thing is, is that there is a myth in poker that everybody wants to win. That’s simply not true. The reason people play badly is extraordinarily simple. It’s more fun. It’s boring to throw away your cards hand after hand after hand. It’s fun to play crap and catch that gutshot straight draw.

And it really is very simple math. Bad players lose, good players win, and the more bad players you have the more money gets loss. The more good players, the smaller your share of the winnings are.  If I have to share with two or three other good players, I get 1/3 or 1/4 of the bad players money.

I’m sure we’ve got some older senior citizen listeners. If you travel around the United States there are a lot of senior citizens playing in poker rooms as well as in home games of course, and from a psychologist’s perspective Dr. Al, what would you say the main benefits of playing poker are for senior citizens?

Preventing Alzheimer’s.

Really?! You’d go that far?

Just by chance, a book that will be out within three days is called ‘Stay Young Play Poker’, and it was inspired by classes that my friend George Epstein has been teaching for several years. George is 89 years old, and he’s still writing and playing poker and still teaching, wonderful guy, and he said not one of my people, to his knowledge, has developed Alzheimer’s or dementia.

If you want to stay mentally healthy you’ve got to keep your brain working. I don’t care if you’re keeping it working playing bridge, doing Sudoku, doing crossword puzzles, the important thing is to keep active, and poker has an extraordinarily demanding game and it’s also a social game. You can’t play poker by yourself. So you have to interact with people whether you like it or not, you’ve got to get off your butt and go out. You can do it for several hours while very, very few people are going to do puzzles for several hours. Poker is the ideal way to stay young.

That’s a fantastic answer and I’ve gotta tell our listeners buried in there is a great tip. If you really want to go out and play cards and your spouse won’t let you, just tell them “Hey I’m going to prevent Alzheimer’s!”

What can you tell us about taking notes in poker?

I’m a fanatic note taker. Read my book called ‘Your Best Poker Friend’, it’s got a whole chapter on taking notes. And what’s fascinating to me is that in virtually every one of the learned professions people take notes. If you go to a doctor who doesn’t take notes, walk out. If you go to a lawyer who doesn’t take notes, walk out! Walk out because he won’t remember you! The typical poker player does not take notes because he thinks his memory is sufficient. And that answer is total absolute bullshit. I’ve got a very good memory, believe me. You don’t get a PhD from Berkeley without a good memory, and I know if I don’t write a whole bunch of notes I’m going to forget them. In addition, which player should you take the most notes on?

I’d say the probably the person you think is the best one.

No, yourself.

Ah trick question!

I’m serious. All those times you think “How could I be so f-ing stupid?” or “Why was I smarter than I was yesterday?” A typical poker player feels that real poker players don’t take notes. They don’t need them. Well I’m quoting now from Dan Harrington. Harrington said that at the top levels of poker people take hundreds of pages of notes about their opponents. That’s direct from Dan Harrington, who’s terrific.

We again really want to thank you for taking your time to share your stories and outlooks, hugely beneficial. Any other projects or priorities you’re focusing on?

Not at the moment, what I’ve done is made a whole change in my life. I think that the day of the long expensive printed book is over, or almost over. There are several reasons for it. The first is that just one hell of a lot cheaper. Go to Amazon and you’ll see exactly the same books in printed or Kindle, and Kindle is half the price. Sometimes I have no idea what I want to read! I’m having a cup of coffee and I pull out my cell phone and I don’t feel like reading about poker so I can read a mystery novel or I can read a history book. And when I go on a trip it used to wonder what book I should take to read on the plane, I wouldn’t know! Now I got them all in me!

We’ve certainly enjoyed talking to you Dr. Al, some great information and some great stories and really it’s been wonderful talking to you. It’s the perfect type of information that our audience is listening for.

Thank you very much for having me.