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"Beyond Traps" - The Anatomy of Poker Success

by Al Spath

James McKenna continues to pound home his central message when playing cards: "The key to success in poker is to make the least mistakes or succeed in getting other players to make more mistakes or both." In his previous book, "Beyond Tells", readers were treated to insights and observations that most level one, and many level two players, never bothered to consider. In "Beyond Traps", Dr. McKenna reveals a multitude of options that are at your disposal to catch your prey and hammers home the reasons to identify the style of play opponents are exhibiting, so you can manipulate them into continuing to make mistakes.

One specific chapter, dealing with attitudes of players, brought to light the various type opponents one will often face at the tables and here are excerpts depicting his thoughts:

Money Attitudes - Players' attitudes toward money will affect the game. Whether they manage their money with their mind or their emotions will have drastic results.

Scared Money: We have all heard about how "scared money" never wins. The reason that scared money seldom wins is that it's hard to play your best game when you're worried about leaving broke.

Stupid Money: When players bet on impossible odds and seem to be throwing their money away, they make stupid moves. Mostly these moves come from boredom. Often they come from players who are by nature wanting to live on the edge and are searching for more excitement.

Silly Money: There are players who play mostly with their intuitions. They are often passive and yet will play on their hunches more than on the value of their hands. Intuition works best when it is applied to people and not so well when it is applied only to the cards.

Smart Money: Players who are patient and wait to play good cards are usually spending their money wisely. They will use the cards they have, their knowledge of their opponents, and their position to leverage the most out of their bets. Their bets are seen as investments and their use of money is smart."

Dr. McKenna also provides the reader with very descriptive categories of perceptions we encounter. Identifying tendencies of your opponents translates to profit at the tables:

Thinking Types
These are primarily "left-brained" players. They're very organized. They know the odds and can quote the latest statistics. They usually do quite well.

Belief (Opinion) - Oriented Players
These are also very methodical players who tend to be hard on other players. The major difference from thinking-oriented players is that these players are also very opinionated. These are the "parents" of the poker tables.

Feeling-Orientated Players
Players who use intuition and hunches to play cards will do well at times. Most of the time, particularly in the midst of some stiff competition, they'll make many mistakes. What they want is to be accepted. They're there more to socialize than to win.

Action-Oriented Players
These players are there for the excitement. They like to take risks and need stimulation. When things go wrong, they get tough. They usually are expecting others to be tough and will get pretty pushy. "If you can't stand the heat, get out!" This is their motto. Creating negative excitement is better than no excitement at all. So these players know how to get others upset. They seldom, if ever, admit to creating problems when things are bad. It's always someone else's "dumb actions" that caused the problem.

Reaction-Oriented Players
They're there for a good time. They enjoy contact with the game and with people. They like to see action and are easily bored. For this reason, reaction-oriented players aren't too patient. They will even make mistakes to get some action going. Reaction-oriented players are at their best when they're having fun. When they are down, they'll play dumb and invite criticism rather than laughter.

Nonaction Types
Playing cards is probably the most social thing that non-action oriented players do. They are withdrawn and don't participate in much of anything that happens except the hands they play. They'll play very tightly and won't win or lose much."

The author clearly provides insight into knowing the type of opponent you may face, their revealed tendencies and how to exploit these must know factors when gambling your money at the tables. Simply playing your cards and not factoring in the multitude of information (from observations or listening) could be a huge mistake, and usually is for new players attempting to play poker. It is important to use information to create an edge at the tables, always noticing players who simply don't grasp this concept and fall victim to repeated losses.

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About the Author

Al Spath is the "Dean" at PokerSchoolOnline and has authored the "Poker Journal." In addition to having one place for all your poker records, you'll get advice and tips on reading hands, playing live, reading tells and so much more (www.alspath.com). Al's poker expertise, coupled with his insight and ability to communicate effectively to both large and smaller sized audiences, make him an ideal speaker for any company, convention, college, or organizational group venue.

Comments to: AlSpath@pokerschoolonline.com