Unleash the Power of Your Mind - Play Consistent Winning Poker

Charlie Shoten shared his insight on focusing the mind and staying in the zone at the poker table with Mike Caro in a pre-conference interview.  Here is some of what he shared. 

At age 65 I was a break even poker player and had never played no limit Hold ‘Em, because I couldn’t hold my focus or stay in the zone for a long period of time.  I had always played limit, because you could make a lot of brilliant moves and a lot of mistakes and still stay in the game. 

What I came up with that turned everything around was the tools and strategies to bring my game up a level and to play no limit.  The tools I developed enhanced my ability to maintain focus through an entire poker tournament and be in the zone at the table.  As a result, from 2002 to 2003 I actually got to 19 final tables, 4 seconds, and 4 firsts. 

What I did was developed tools and a strategy.  The tool I developed was my ten commitments.  I used them to take control of my mind each time it was my turn.  I determined if I was distracted and unable to make my best decision in the past, because of bad thoughts implanted by outside forces that interfered with my decision making process, then I could implant this in my own mind. 

My sixth commitment is the best example:  “I am calm confident and clear, wait for my best choice to appear, considering all my choices and the consequences of each.”  I cemented that mantra in my mind by saying over and over again, so that I don’t even have to think about it now.  I read Napoleon Hill’s Think and Grow Rich, and he says the mind works like the soil.  It will return in same abundance whatever we plant whether it is night shade or corn.  But, he missed one important thing.  My mind had already been implanted by poisonous thoughts either by outside forces or thoughts I created from neglect and abuse.  I decided to take control of my mind by being proactive, rather than positive thinking effort to get rid of obstacles that were sabotaging my game and my life.

You have to clear those things out so they never come back again before going to the table.  Embrace the feeling you had at time it happened.  When you take a better attitude to the table, you will be more successful.  Why are people like Tiger Woods and Michael Jordan so successful?  Because they can maintain their focus. 

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