Beyond Bluffs: Master The Mysteries Of Poker

Book excerpt: Play your opponents, not just your cards! The most important game being played in a poker room has nothing to do with cards--it's the psychological battle being waged between players. In Beyond Bluffs, poker columnist and psychotherapist James A. McKenna shows you how to elevate your game to a new level by playing your opponents as expertly as you play your hand. With these advanced people skills, you'll be able to determine how and when a player is bluffing, and know which bluffs to use in response. You'll even be able to predict how different types of players will think and react in any game situation. Go beyond spotting bluffs to reading your opponents! In his acclaimed Beyond Tells, McKenna introduced a unique way of integrating personality types with reading tells. Beyond Bluffs delves further into those six key personality types--The Boss, Party Hardy, High Roller, System Player, Loner, and Hunch Player--revealing the psychological patterns that govern the way they live and the way they play. McKenna shows you how to spot the subtle clues that reveal when a person is bluffing or telling the truth. You'll learn when, how, and against whom to bluff with "garbage" hands, how to avoid bluffing when you don't have to, and the difference between planned and unplanned bluffs. Discover the clues to look for and unravel the mysteries of poker! Plenty of poker books outline strategies that can help you become a good tactical player. Beyond Bluffs goes further, unraveling the real mysteries of the game and providing the psychological advantage that will help you play smarter every time. James A. McKenna, Ph.D., has been a practicing individual and group therapist for over 35 years, as well as a management consultant to Fortune 500 corporations. His column, "Power Poker Psychology," appears regularly in Poker Player and Gambling Times magazines. He lives in Dardenne Prairie, Missouri.