Dave Scharf

From my current log... your thoughts?

If you are like me, you do not play many major poker tournaments each year. I generally play between three and six. I have a young family and a wife who is busier than I am. Being away from home is hard on us. This means that I spend a lot of time preparing to play in big poker tournaments. And, as of April 1, my focus is on the 2006 WSOP Championship.

To prepare for this year’s event I am going back to something that served me well leading up to the 2004 WSOP, namely, visualization. In 2004 I put a Binion’s gaming token in my pocket and I kept it there for the whole year. Always amongst my pocket change, there he was, Benny Binion in his buffalo coat. This caused me to picture being at the WSOP every time I put my hand in my pocket for six months. Buy coffee? There was Benny. Parking meter? Hello Benny. What affect did this have?

First, it kept me focused on my goal – win my entry fee to the WSOP (which I did in three months). Then, it focused me on playing well at the WSOP. By the time I actually got there I had rehearsed playing against “the pros.� In 2004 I tangled with Gus Hanson, Annie Duke, Dan Harrington, Eric Seidel, Dewey Tomko, and a host of other names. I was, I can honestly say, calm and focused throughout. In fact, when we got down to 100 players Nolan Dalla picked me to win because he couldn’t believe how calm I was. A lot of amateur players are under a lot of pressure late in a major tournament. I attribute my peaceful state to six months of “being there.� This was not a new experience; I had visualized being there many times. When dreams became reality I was equipped with the skills to take it all in stride.

Athletes know and studies have shown that visualization works. By simply visualizing being better at shooting foul shots basketball players can increase performance. So it is with poker – picture yourself playing at the peak of your ability and you will play your best game.

I am not using a Binion’s token this year. Instead, I am wearing my WSOP bracelet everywhere I go. It’s not actually a WSOP bracelet – it’s a pewter bracelet with a West Coast Indian wolf on it. This will serve as my focus point. And, it will serve to remind me to two things: (1) I will keep a healthy and balanced life because I play better poker when I am feeling good about everything else in my life; and (2) I will play at the peak of my ability all the time – no more having the “monkey mind go blank� at a key moment.

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Fear the beaver, baby. Fear the beaver.

Lamb_of_john

Dave, just a side note to your post.

I have a few questions about your buy-in this year. you said it took 3 months for the $10 000 in 2004.

have you reached your buy-in for this year??
how long has it taken?
how on earth did you do it?
any tips for us on how WE coudl do it?

I knwo some of the obvious answers here, like "grind it out", "be a winning player and bank it". but there has to be something else.

do you put all your winnings into your "Buy-in Fund"?

thanks dave

Johnny

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With those fake versace shirts and shit?<br />-Worm<br />John@singlethreat.com

scotsrule

Visualization is a great tool - positive reinforcement etc
Dave - did you pick this technique up (reading, recommendation etc) or is it something you typically do?
In the golf world - this is probably one of the "big" techniques - many pros believe it is what separates the great, from the truly amazing a la Tigers Woods, Ernie Els etc
I try to use it in golf - and somehow I always picture my ball slicing to the right, finding the pond

Dave Scharf

As part of my deal with PlanetPoker, my WSOP entry is paid. So, yes.

Sort of...

I have a poker bankroll. All of my poker money stays in my poker bankroll. I have a good gig and my wife is a physician so there is no pressure on my poker bankroll. Thus, I am easily able to let it accumulate. And, I do.

I play about four "major" tournaments per year. In these tournament I am overplaying my BR but that's OK because that is, for me, the point. I play online poker everyday so that I can play in the WSOP, etc.

I knew a little bit about visualization for athletes but didn't really use it on purpose in 2004. Looking back upon my "Binion's Coin" experiment I realized that this is exactly what I had done.

I am now doing some reading on visualization now to learn more. I have some leaks that I want to plug.

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Fear the beaver, baby. Fear the beaver.

Perry D.

Your use of the coin seems brilliant as it prepares you to be focus in a quick instant, ie upon seeing it come out of your pocket or once annie duke raises you.

How could you apply this priciple to a smaller event or to monthly play?

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Live and Learn!

magithighs

Dave, as usual you're making me think!Â* I'm going to post my response free of royalties as it helps you win this year's WSOP (thanks for all the stuff you've sent my way).Â* I really had no desire to play in this year's WSOP, but your post has made me realize I want to go to Vegas and hang out with you.Â* That was a blast -- always good to hang out with someone who tips $100.Â* And, I we need to let the odds work themselves out so I can buy dinner!

I your case, I think visualization would work best if you see yourself doing all the tough things which make you win, rather than all the fun things.Â* Staring down Annie Duke or outplaying Negraneu are fun things for you.Â* You have this, you don'tÂ* need to visualize this.Â* I find you get yourself in a funk if you find yourself hemmed in.Â* Either in a situation where you're card dead, or forced to fold when you really, really want to play.

I would suggest trying to visualize doing the hard things.Â* Like folding for an hour.Â* Is this possible?Â* Is this right?Â* When would it be right for you?Â* What advantages does it offer?Â* When do you take advantage?Â* When do you take advantage and have to back down?Â* Now when Monkey Man wants to spring into action in this situation, you will have calmed the monster and have a good shot at making the right decision sans monkey influence.

What about visualizing how each different type of opponent percieves your strengths/weaknesses on your different types of play.Â* The cards will dictate your style and how your opponents percieve you.Â* You can dictate how to take advantage of those perceptions.Â* Sometimes folding is taking advantage of those percpetions, sometimes raising, sometimes calling.Â* Notice the order.

Visualize your real strenths and weakenesses and who will likely notice them.Â* How will they counter them?

To win you'll need skills which go from A to Z.Â* Unfortunately, the table and the cards will only let you use A, N, J.Â* The deeper you go, the more skills you get to use.Â* However, visualize using only a small portion of your skills to make the first day cut.Â* Then, another small portion to make the second day.Â* Etc.Â* You'll notice that many more skills come to use as you go on.Â* My last tournament, I was in, I used one skill -- my push orÂ* fold instincts pre-flop.Â* It was awesome and helped me get deep until I went on invisible tilt when I folded a hand which wouldÂ* have made me quads.

Visualize two or three bad beats and gettting yourself out of the funk.Â* Visualize yourself down to four big bets and coming back -- you'll likely have a real life experience on that.

Finally, visualize the big win and saying those magithighs helped you get there!!

Cheers
Magi

Dave Scharf

As usual, you are making me think.

This is some VERY good advice that I need to give some serious thought to.

Interestingly, my next "preparing for the WSOP" memo is on recognizing one's own leaks. You have done a better job articulating my leaks that I have... back to the word processor...

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Fear the beaver, baby. Fear the beaver.

jpajamas

Be one with the cards- ommmm.......
Play inspired poker-ommmmm......
What would Stu Ungar do- ommmm.....

Sounds like something Phil Helmuth does...

It works for him, I'll give it a go too...

OMMMM.....

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3-2-A-K-Q is not a straight- really.

Tigerscott

Help an old lady cross the street...
Help get a kitten out of a tree...
Give up your seat on the bus to an older lady..

These are going to help you win more then visualization will.. Because with 5k plus entries and facing 100's of the top Tournament pros it's going to come down to LUCK!!! Your better off doing good deeds to get good mojo then planning to win the WSOP ME or any of the other events.
You know yourself that you can Play perfect poker, Play your game exactly the way you want to play it and still lose to a 2 outer!
I'm a pessimist I know.

Now that being said let me also add I do like your visualization idea. Doing this and anything else that will help you to get in the best frame of mind before playing is a great idea. All you can do is prepare yourself to be at your best on the days you play. Another that might help would be to get someone else to help you with your site. Get someone to do the reporting ,take the pictures and update the site while your doing your JOB! It might be an added distraction for you during the events...

A few other things that may also help to work on:

Focus - Keeping the noise and distractions of the tournament from distracting you
Concentration - Staying with your goal and adjusting as needed to the game
Memorization - Studying betting patterns etc...
Get in shape - Tournaments are a Grind mentally and physically
Everyone may have different ways to practice these so do what ever you have to to prepare. Whether it's trying to play online with the TV on and Music playing in the background to setting a style of play for yourself and sticking to it in a MTT. Watching tables online to work on memorizing what people do and how they play to walking the dog , playing with the kids and riding a bike to take some winter fat off ) ( not saying your fat)! Start by doing a little then do a little more building up towards the WSOP. And don't forget to take a break before you go... Take a week or two off and go in fresh.

Hope my opening statements were not derogatory as that is not what I intended.
I do wish you the best! And would love to see you do well this year..

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Raise or Fold!!<br />All other buttons are useless!

jpajamas

Good tips Tiger, using a bunch already, so I'm on the right track...

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3-2-A-K-Q is not a straight- really.

Tigerscott

Yeah the Old Ladies and Kittens will love you too!!

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Raise or Fold!!<br />All other buttons are useless!

jpajamas

THIS is the visualization I was refering to:

http://www.grapheine.com/bombaytv/pl...php?id=1055613

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3-2-A-K-Q is not a straight- really.

Tigerscott

lolol That is funny

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Raise or Fold!!<br />All other buttons are useless!