Mind Over Poker

In his book Every Hand Revealed, Gus Hansen details every hand he played from beginning to end during the course of the 2007 Aussie Millions championship event. He would ultimately outlast 747 other players to take down first place in that tournament and win $1.2 million. The book is extremely valuable, in that Hansen shares his thought and decision-making processes throughout the tournament. He provides invaluable insight to why he makes every move that he makes, be it a fold, bet, raise, call, or check. I found the book to be very worthwhile, and I highly recommend it.

The purpose of this column, however, is not to discuss the book. What I found inspiring is the incredible exercise Hansen put himself through in analyzing every hand. He’s not afraid to critique his own play. Apparently, this is a practice he goes through quite consistently. I’ve always prided myself on my ability to analyze my own play with brutal honesty. I replay hands over and over, to see where I made mistakes and where I played correctly. I don’t concentrate on the result as much as I do the decision that was based on the information I had at the time. I look at every nuance. Even if I won a hand, could I have extracted more chips?

Yet, I don’t think I go to the level of detail that Hansen did in analyzing every hand in that tournament run. I love the game of poker and I greatly enjoy writing about it. I find that the writing process — which is directed at teaching others — is a great learning tool for me, as well. It’s one thing to review my hand history from an online tournament. It is altogether different to actually write down my thought process during each decision made.

I know that most successful poker players know it’s a game of continuous learning. They consistently look for ways to improve. These players read books and articles, analyze their own play, and usually have a few close confidants with whom they discuss strategy and hands. Personally, I know that I do all of that — plus write a biweekly column for this magazine.

However, I’ve started to force myself to write down my hand analysis, a la Gus Hansen. When I write it down, I take the point of view that I’m trying to not only share my thought process, but also teach. That means that I must take a completely objective approach and emotionally detach myself from the hands. I am forced to put ego aside and critique my play, much like I would critique someone else’s.

I’m finding the exercise to be very worthwhile, and want to recommend it to others to try. Here’s the catch, though. Doing it right is a very time-consuming exercise. I don’t want to set people up for failure. I would not suggest doing it for every hand that you ever play, as it would be impossible to do it justice. On the other hand, I wouldn’t suggest that you pick just critical hands to analyze. Much can be learned from hands that you may not perceive to be critical at the time.

So, here is what I would suggest. Start with a single-table sit-and-go tournament. If you play online, jot down your thoughts as you play. When the tournament is over, print out your hand history and write your analysis of each hand. If you’re playing in a brick-and-mortar casino, bring a small voice recorder or notebook. Don’t be shy about taking notes, or needlessly worry about what your opponents think. If anything, it may prove to be intimidating to them. When the tournament is over, write your thoughts while they are still fresh in your mind. Remember — every hand analyzed.

David Apostolico is the author of several poker-strategy books, including Tournament Poker and The Art of War. He hosts a radio show every Tuesday at 8 p.m. Eastern time on www.holdemradio.com. He is available for lessons, and you can contact him at [email protected].