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The Mental Game of Blackjack
Erik Flowers
What if I told you I know what's inside the minds of the world's
best tournament blackjack players? You want to win like the
pros, you have to think like the pros! You're going to need
all your book knowledge, skill, experience and more to compete
professional blackjack tournaments.
To be a top professional tournament blackjack player you have
to control your emotions, minimize drama, use effective systems,
employ flawless strategy, enjoy competitiveness, rely on unerring
money-management skills, and absorb the bad-beats.
I know you. I know your bookshelves are stuffed with expert
blackjack books: "Big" books, "Secrets of..." books, "Theory"
books. You must have a brain for numbers. Likely you play
chess or Sudoku. You are a visual-analytical thinker who stores
information up and to the left. That's where your eyes go
when you are ruminating. You remember vividly your first love--what
he/she looked like. You don't have time for heavy breathing,
so likely don't do yoga. You prefer action sports. You speak
in clips or bursts. You'll agree there are X-factors in the
game, but not the thing called luck.
Here are the mental skills needed to be a top pro tournament
blackjack player:
- Relaxation (comes with hours and hours of experience
in mini-tournaments, not with the game on your cell phone)
- Concentration (so many important decisions to
be made in brief spans of time)
- Risk play (be comfortable losing because most
of the time you will)
- Fear (don't--it's only a game)
- Pressure (it's your money you're losing)
- Distractions (waitresses dressed like cheetahs,
drinks, noise, stares, jabbering players)
- Confidence (start small win big, start big win
nothing)
- Optimal play (not perfect play)
- Post-performance review (all pros in any sport
do it)
- Control factors (stay in your zone, play your
game)
Even after all that training, how much of the game can you
really control? Maybe only 20% say some of the pros -- same
as any other high-stakes game.
Erik Flowers is a Certified Mental Game Coach. He
has been called "The Athlete Whisperer" and was taught tournament
blackjack in his mid-20s by players who are now considered
the world's best. Contact him at: http://www.athletewhisperer.com
Article Source:
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