Past Experiences Can Help You Reach the Highest Level of Skill

In 2003 Charlie Shoten was ranked among the Top Ten players by Card Player Magazine, with 19 final tables, four wins and four seconds. Since then, Charlie's Lifetime recorded tournament earnings have risen to $1.3 million with 70 final tables including 16 1st- and 12 2nd-place finishes.
He's the author of the book "No-limit Life," winner of the finalist best book award for 2005 from USABookNews.com in the category of - not poker or gaming, but Psychology/Mental Health. He's also published nearly 50 articles in Poker Player Newspaper on the subject of poker and mind clearing.
Here is what he had to say to Mike Caro about using your past experiences.

You are walking down a dark alley and hear a sound that you ignore and you keep going, then you get mugged!  That was a valuable experience.  If it happens again, and you hear a noise, you are going run like hell.  You applied your previous experience to the current situation. 

It’s the same thing at the poker table.  When I’m at a hand, my unconscious mind will automatically take me to a similar experience.  Instincts tell you whether you have a good feeling or bad feeling about the current play based on your past experience.  If you are paying attention and taking in all the information at table, then you can make a good decision based on your instincts. 

Instincts come through feelings.  It is important to relate past experiences to your current play at the table.  How many people say, instinct told me to do A, but I did B.  Even when you know you are beat, you still throw money in, because you are ignoring your instincts.  You can avoid that by accessing your experiences.

Hear more of Charlie’s interview at http://www.2007cppc.com/#shoten.