The Mental Game Podcast

My guest on The Mental Game Podcast is perhaps the one person in the world who has spent more time than me talking tilted poker players off a ledge. Matt Savage is without doubt the most accomplished Tournament Director in the industry and his opinion on rulings is second to none. If you follow him on Twitter you'll know he kindly devotes a great deal of his personal time giving his advice on contentious live poker decisions. Matt is the tour director for the WPT, the founder of the TDA, tournament director of the Commerce Casino and host of the poker show Inside Poker. His job involves making decisions which affect people's money and life, which as you can imagine is its own sort of pressure similar to what the players face.

In recent years I have developed a much bigger client list from the world of finance, trading and investment. This is in no small part because the mental game skills needed to do well in poker are directly transferable to trading, and vice versa. My guest today on the Mental Game Podcast shows precisely this overlap. Matt Bodnar is a partner at a venture capital firm and is also a dedicated student of psychology and what makes top performers thrive. He has a podcast called The Science of Success (which I recently appeared on). He is also a poker player.

With the Olympics now over I have a very fitting guest on The Mental Game Podcast, not just because he is Brazilian but also because he is arguably one of the few professional poker players whose experience of the game mirrors that of elite athletes. Andre Akkari is a Team PokerStars Pro and WSOP Bracelet winner. He is also a megastar in his homeland of Brazil. While he is not as well known as, say, Daniel Negreanu outside of Brazil he is incredibly famous within it. How many other poker players, for example, would be asked to carry the Olympic Torch? Andre has a following and a pressure that comes with it that most poker players don't understand, which made for a great interview.

The World Championship of Online Poker (WCOOP) and Mini WCOOP starts soon and the online version of the WSOP can be just as mentally and physically demanding. In recent years I have been coaching my clients on how to prepare for the demands of an online series like this. In this Q&A in answer these questions: *How do I deal with the tilt/frustration of busting after going deep? *How do I deal with pressure of bigger buy-in events? *How do I stay motivated in the smaller buy-in events, when I know I am playing bigger ones? *I'm staked, how should handle being in make-up and losing other people's money? *I get overexcited at the start of big events, how do I calm myself down and get patient?

My guest today on The Mental Game Podcast is a much needed voice for anyone who is struggling to find meaning and purpose in their life. Mark Manson is a a very successful author, blogger, self-development coach and dating expert. On the surface it appears he has his shit together, but as he says he starts everything he does as a form of 'public therapy' with himself, but with the reader in mind. His new book The Subtle Art of Not Giving a Fuck is actually about finding out what your values are, what you give a fuck about. We had a really good discussion about how young people today in many ways have it better than ever, but are missing a clearly defined sense of meaning. So the onus of responsibility is on us to create our own.

My guest today on the Mental Game Podcast Dr. Jonathan Fader is a clinical sport psychologist who works with top athletes, business people and most notably the New York Mets. He's also the author of the new book, "Life as Sport: What top athletes can teach you about how to win in life". Like me, he has taken a more traditional approach to performance psychology by first getting a degree in clinical psychology and applying it to the world of sports performance. (He's added a Ph.D in sport psychology as well.) We may have different methods but there's a lot we agree on, including there being more to achieving peak performance than simply visualizing yourself winning.

My guest today on the Mental Game Podcast is the author of a book that I've recommended and referenced a lot in my career. Daniel Coyle is the author of The Talent Code, a truly fantastic book that deconstructs the idea of talent and proves that while natural talent does exist, the thing that really separates the winners and the losers is the level of deep practice they are prepared to put in. We often seek to avoid failure, but Coyle has discovered a vast amount of research that proves that only when we push ourselves to the edges of our ability are we able to develop the skill needed to be elite performers in our field.

My guest today on the Mental Game Podcast is a long-time client who has been phenomenal to work with because, besides being an all-around great guy, he is deeply committed to the process of mastering his craft. Niels Feijen is a professional pool player from the Netherlands. He is one of the top players in the world and his accolades include the 2008 World Straight Pool Championship, the 2014 World Nine Ball Championship and the four-time MVP for the Mosconi Cup. Pool strikes me as a game much like golf was decades ago - a physical sport that requires a lot of mental ability and yet, as Niels explains, very few professionals actually work hard on their mental game. Not only is Niels dedicated to constantly improving mentally, he works incredibly hard on every aspect of the game. And that's why he is among the best in the world.

I got a great response to my last Q&A podcast on Goal Setting, so I have done another one all about Tilt. If you want to be featured on a future Q&A podcast, just contact me with your question. Today Barry and I discuss a wide range of topics I'm sure all of you can relate to, even if you are not a poker player. In this episode we discuss: * Why you might Tilt in one format (Like PLO), but not another (Like No Limit) * The differences between Tilt in poker and trading * Is Tilt different online compared to live? * Why Winner's Tilt is more of a confidence issue than an anger issue * Dealing with pressure at the tables that appears as anger

Everyone talks about wishing they had better focus, while they have one eye on Facebook on their smartphone. We live in an age of distraction and as our relationship with technology becomes symbiotic, it can come with great cost. This week Barry speaks with Professor and Author Cal Newport. Cal is a Professor of Computer Science at Georgetown University and one of the most productive researchers working today. He also is a best selling author of no less than five books, as well as having a very popular blog which helps you improve your own focus and study. Cal manages all of this, not in spite of, but because of, a dedication to avoiding distractions like email and social media. In his new book Deep Work he talks about how to improve your focus and do difficult demanding work. Focus is not an innate skill, it is something that can be trained and improved like a muscle.

Today's episode of The Mental Game Podcast was a real honor for me. My guest is exactly the kind of expert I had in mind when I wanted to expand the podcast beyond poker. Chris Chabris is an Associate Professor of Psychology and co-director of the Neuroscience Program at Union College in Schenectady, and along with Daniel Simons wrote the fantastic book The Invisible Gorilla: How our Intuitions Deceive Us. He is also an accomplished poker and chess player, and writes a games column for the Wall Street Journal. Chris's work focuses on the many ways in which we fool ourselves everyday, and the illusions we create for ourselves. Think you don't fall for some of these illusion? Think again, we all do it.

Happy New Year! Now time for some tough love. Many of you are starting to make big goals for the year. Goals related to your career, your health or ticking something off your bucket list. Many of you also feel unstoppable. This will be your best year. You're inspired by what you're going to accomplish, how much money you're going to make, how strong you're going to get, how much weight you're going to lose, and more. Yet, the odds are greater that by the time April rolls around, you will be right back where you started having not made any progress, or very little at all. Right now, achieving your goals seems inevitable, but in just a few months they can feel impossible. In today's episode of the Mental Game Podcast I discuss why New Years Resolutions are often destined to fail. It's not because resolutions are cursed, it is often a result of predictable and preventable errors that are made at the time you set the goal in the first place. If you have a big goal this year, don't make the same mistakes you've made in years past. Listen closely to this episode, it could dramatically change the outcome of your year.

Today on the Mental Game Podcast my co-author Barry Carter interviews a hero of his. James Altucher is an entrepreneur, hedge fund manager, podcaster and NY Times Bestselling author. USA Today called his book "Choose Yourself" one of the best business books of all time. He is very well known in the self-help space, but what is less well known is that he is also an avid poker player. Barry tried, and failed, to get a copy of The Mental Game of Poker into James's hands, only to later discover that not only had James already read it, and had even recommended it to his fanbase. If you are unfamiliar with James, you will discover today that not only is he a brilliant business mind with a unique perspective on success and failure, he is also incredibly funny and down to earth.

My guest today on the Mental Game Podcast probably has about as varied a CV as you can imagine. Terrence Chan is a professional poker player, MMA fighter, former PokerStars employee, founder of Ultimate Poker and currently co-host of the 2+2 PokerCast. Because he has achieved so much in so many fields, I knew he was going to be very insightful about success and the learning process, but even I was surprised at just how educated he was on the topic of learning. If you want to take a sideways step from one career to another, Terrence is a brilliant example of someone who understands how to use what you already know to improve at something else.

Today my guest Max Steinberg who recently finished 4th at the WSOP main event final table. I have been fortunate enough to have long time clients make the November Nine in each of the last two years. Last year it was 3rd place finisher Jorryt Van Hoof, and this year it was Max. I don't publicly share specific details about what my clients and I do when we work together, but Max graciously volunteered to discuss this in depth. In particular we went into great detail about how he overcame a perfectionism issue which could have really hurt his performance at the final table. Max is a very talented hard working player, he is also a very humble and open guy away from the table and clearly the balance he has in his life has helped his poker results and general mindset towards the game. It has been a career highlight to share his journey towards the biggest final table in poker.

We are trying something new again this week for the Mental Game Podcast. One of the most popular things I have done, and has really resonated well with my audience are Ask Me Anything threads on forums like Reddit and 2+2. It's been great for the person receiving advice to get something tailored to them, but more importantly almost all mental game issues are universal, so very often there's something everyone can learn from them. So we are introducing the format as a semi-regular feature on the podcast. This week we discuss: • Does meditation help you get in the zone? • How do you overcome a hatred of mistakes? • Are psychological studies reliable? • How can we prepare for high pressure situations that don't happen often (like the final table of a poker tournament)? • My views on medication in psychology If you like the format, please let us know as we're already planning to do it again. If you have a question just contact me at http://jaredtendler.com/contact/.

We are doing something a little different today on the Mental Game Podcast. My co-author Barry Carter is very interested student of the psychology of performance, which started with poker and has expanded significantly with the numerous books he's read on the subject. As we expand the scope of the podcast, he will be joining us occasionally to interview some interesting minds from the world of psychology. Today he interviews Jonathan Gottschall, a scholar at Washington and Jefferson College in Pennsylvania, who specializes in literature and evolution. His most recent book, “The Professor and the Cage,” follows his journey from academic to MMA fighter. Through it he explores the evolutionary psychology of fighting and bravery as he prepares to step into the Octagon himself. Barry raves about this book and believes it is a must-read for anyone wanting to learn more about masculinity, bravery and evolutionary psychology.

My guest today on the Mental Game Podcast has a unique perspective on what it takes to get to the top in whatever profession you choose. David Tuchman is an accomplished poker player, but an even more accomplished poker commentator. When you add up his work on Live at the Bike, Sky Poker, Twitch and, of course, the World Series of Poker, he may have commentated on more hours of high level poker than anyone in the world. He is also a broadcaster and big sports fan for a number of other sports. There is no doubt that talking about poker with other high level poker players is a very effective way to learn the game, so I was curious whether his hours of poker broadcasting have improved his own game.

To restart the podcast in style, I'm very happy to welcome reigning WSOP Main Event champion Martin Jacobson to the show. Last year while watching the final table in person, I got to see Martin's performance up close. I was obviously cheering for my client Jorryt von Hoof, but it was easy to be impressed with the composure, professionalism, focus, and resilience that Martin showed on his way to the title and $10 million first prize. With the Main Event final table just around the corner, Martin was the perfect guest to have on the show.

We use the word competitive a lot in poker, but my guest today on The Mental Game Podcast has to be one of the most competitive poker players out there. Chris Moorman is addicted to winning, and as you will learn he would much prefer to win a smaller tournament than come 2nd in a tournament for a bigger prize. This mentality is very interesting to me in a game where cash is the way of keeping score. For Chris, it's all about the titles. He has the accolade of the biggest MTT winner ever with $11 million in cashes, boasts 23 PocketFives Triple Crowns and this year won his first live major, the WPT LA Poker Classic. Chris also discusses his new book, "Moorman's Book of Poker" which is available November 7th.

There is an interesting theory that you are the average of the five people you spend the most time with. If you surround yourself successful people, you will strive to become more successful yourself. Liv Boeree is a testament to that. She started her career being coached by Annie Duke on a TV show, and in our interview today you will learn how she has continued to use collaboration with other players to enhance her skills. If you follow Liv, you will know that she never stops adding to her skillset. Whether it is poker, the guitar, presenting, or charity work she is a highly dynamic person with an incredible array of interests and skills.Like many poker players I have interviewed recently, Liv is really focused on self-improvement and her mental game. This is a great interview for anyone who has a passion for learning and always striving for more.

My guest today on the Mental Game of Poker Podcast is the youngest ever Triple Crown winner Jake Cody. He won an EPT, WPT and WSOP title in an 18-month period. Rarely is someone a true overnight success. Instead, we see someone young like Jake come along, take the poker world by storm and assume he got lucky. But, you'll be surprised at how much work went into getting Jake to the level of winning majors like the EPT.

My guest today on The Mental Game of Poker Podcast needs no introduction. Daniel Negreanu is one of the most famous and most successful poker players on the planet. It is always interesting to delve into the mind of an elite performer, but I am particularly interested in Daniel because in recent years he has made a public commitment to self-improvement. This seemingly has had a big positive correlation with his poker results. This is perhaps the most self-help focused podcast I have done, and we discuss his approach to learning and how he opens himself up to feedback, the importance of taking personal responsibility and not falling into a victim mentality, and how setting goals has been crucial to his poker success. In particular I think you will learn a lot from our discussion about positive thinking. Daniel and I have different perspectives but we still found common ground.

My latest guest on the Mental Game of Poker Podcast is Paul “Vulcans” Ratchford. He's a prolific coach for DragTheBar.com and is author of a new book “Exploitive No Limit Holdem.” Before Paul entered the poker 6 years after the great recession took him from his corporate job at JP Morgan. In poker he's a cash game player who's averaged a 7BB/100 winrate since 2009 at a mix of stakes from $2/$4 up to $25/$50, and has won another $100k in live tournament winnings. He's a thoughtful and smart guy who has a lot of interesting things to say.

My next guest on the Mental Game of Poker Podcast is Nick Wealthall. Most of you will know him as a host for PokerStars TV, and a former host for Sky Poker and Poker Night Live. He is also an accomplished poker author, and away from the game, a comedy writer. You may be surprised at just how much he has to share about the mental side of poker. Learning is a topic that has fascinated him for years and he has used this enthusiasm to create his own training video series at www.transformmypoker.com. Nick is a really funny guy with a great handle on some of the mental biases that can hamper our progression as poker players. You'll learn a lot about learning in this show.

Today on The Mental Game of Poker Podcast I had a great discussion with Jennifer Shahade who is a poker player and ambassador for PokerStars. She is also a chess champion and author, who recently presented a TED talk about understanding decision making in chess and poker. I've worked with elite performers in a variety of fields like poker, golf, billiards and trading. One discipline that I've always found fascinating is chess, for a number of reasons. First of all, when you study performance, chess comes up a lot, it is used a lot to prove points about the role of hard work vs talent. I also find chess very interesting because it is a strategic, mental game, like poker. But unlike poker, variance doesn't play a part. That's why I was excited to talk with Jennifer. Here are a few things we discuss - decision-making, tilt in poker and chess, how she's promoting poker to chess players.

My guest today on The Mental Game of Poker Podcast is without doubt one of the most driven, hardworking and enthusiastic minds playing the circuit today. Jason Somerville is a WSOP bracelet winner with over $5 million in earnings. His caliber is so high that Russell Thomas, 2012 November Niner, asked him for coaching before the final table. He one of the great new ambassadors for the game, and sacrifices some EV by playing a reduced schedule to work tirelessly for Ultimate Poker. Amazingly in 2014, he is one of the few openly gay high profile players.

The mental game is like a muscle. If you push yourself mentally, whether it is to face your fears or develop a new skill, you can adapt and grow stronger. My guest today on the Mental Game of Poker Podcast is a true example of this. Bertand ‘ElkY' Grospellier is very much like my recent guest Jason Mercier. Like Mercier, he wins everything. Like Mercier he has a reputation for running well. And just like Jason Mercier, most people don't realise how hard he works to get where he is. ElkY is a world champion Starcraft player, a former SuperNova Elite and one of the few men to hold the Triple Crown.

My next guest on the Mental Game of Poker Podcast really does not need an introduction. Without 2003 World Champion Chris Moneymaker, poker would not be the industry it is today. Not only did help spark the poker boom, he has been a tremendous ambassador for the game. What you may not know is that he is perhaps the first poker player to put me on tilt. Find out how he out-mental gamed this mental game coach on the golf course, and much more.

What is the point of working hard on your game if you are going to get unlucky? Of course, fixating on the things out of your control is only going to make matters worse. The only thing you can do is double down your focus on the things you can control. Jason Mercier is one of the most prolific poker players in the world. He is about to surpass $10 million in live tournament cashes, he has previously been a Supernova Elite, he has two bracelets, an EPT title and a string of other huge results. He also has a reputation for having had more than his fair share of 'run good'. However you will learn from today's show that the real reason for his success is surely his phenomenal work ethic. Many successful people have said that “the harder they worked, the luckier they got.” This sentiment rings true with Jason. If you are struggling to deal with variance, you would be much better off trying to emulate his work ethic than trying to will the cards your way.

Is it possible to play in the zone all the time? Vanessa Selbst doesn't think so, and nor should you. In the latest episode of The Mental Game of Poker Podcast I get to speak with the most successful female poker player of all time fresh off the back of a $1.4 million winning trip at the PCA. We have a very high level discussion on how she manages her energy to make sure that rather than playing he zone all the time, she works hard to play in the zone at the most important time. We also discuss, how she manages mental energy, how to avoid burning out, and how she maintains her passion and enjoyment of poker through rough periods. This was a really enjoyable show with one of the true top performers in the game today.

My guest on The Mental Game of Poker Podcast is Shannon Shorr. Despite being just 28 years old, he was recently voted 7th in the Global Poker Index Player of the Decade rankings. He has over $5.4 million in live tournament winnings and nearly $2 million in online tournament winnings. Shannon really is a player who embraces the things in poker he can control and not the things he can't. If you are looking to improve your focus in poker, he's a great model to follow. If you want to learn more about Shannon or to follow his blog go to his website or follow him on Twitter: @shannonshorr.

Have you set your poker goals for 2014 yet? What are you going to do to make sure they happen? Do you find yourself setting ambitious goals and abandoning them after a few weeks or months? My guest today on the Mental Game of Poker Podcast is Roy "GodLikeRoy" Bhasin. He is a Team PokerStars Pro, four-time Supernova Elite and professional PLO cash game player. He is also a long-time client of mine and one of the clients who shared a story in The Mental Game of Poker 2. (His was about recognizing Burnout.)If you are about to embark on a big goal in 2014 you have to listen to this show to help you avoid some of the common pitfalls poker players make when setting goals at the start of a new year.

Eugene Katchalov is a professional tournament poker player and a Team PokerStars Pro. He boasts two WCOOP titles, a WSOP bracelet and a WPT titles, as well as a super high roller victory at the PCA. Outside of poker this former trader also was featured in Men's Health magazine for his impressive weight loss after making some big changes in his fitness and diet. If you are trying to limit the amount of extra calories you consume over the holidays, or are thinking about making some big lifestyle changes in 2014, my next guest is a real inspiration.

My guest today on The Mental Game of Poker Podcast is Jeremy Ausmus. Jeremy first came to our attention in 2012 when he made the October Nine and came in 5th for over $2 million. He since had a number of near misses in high profile events but finally took down his first bracelet last month in Paris at the WSOPE. Jeremy has been a professional for nine years, and he is just about one of the most balanced and professional players you are likely to encounter. He really is the blueprint for having a solid mental game. In the show we discuss: • Why a slow and steady approach to learning has proven to be very successful in the long term for him. • Why he is always reanalyzing his game and never wants to think he ‘knows it all'. • How he values a strong mental game, and why he would always take a player with a solid C-game over a player who has an amazing A-game but prone to mental game leaks. • How he works on his game away from the table and why not wanting to get caught out in tricky spots motivates him to learn. • The mental adjustments he makes when switching between tournaments and cash games. • How he dealt with the pressure of the Main Event final table. Just a quick reminder, you can now get The Mental Game of Poker 1 and 2 for free either on audiobook or using PokerStars Frequent Player Points. Go to Jaredtendlerpoker.com for more information. Also keep an eye out for a one-time-only sale from November 29th - December 1st on the softcover versions of both books. Get both books for the price of one.

I often talk about how being a poker player is a lot like being a small business owner. You are responsible for your own hours, education, money management, risk tolerance and much more. One player who understands this comparison all too well is Marc McLaughlin. When Marc is not playing poker he is a successful entrepreneur, but you all know him as one of this year's November Niners. He's going into the final table with a very healthy chip stack and shot at the world title. As you can imagine this is a very fascinating insight into the mind of someone who is just days away from the biggest final table in poker history.

The Mental Game of Poker Podcast is back, and what a way to return. I interviewed the reigning World Champion Greg Merson ahead of this year's Main Event final table. Merson is certainly an interesting champion from a poker mindset perspective. Last year was his breakout year where he won arguably the two most prestigious No Limit events of the year – the Main Event and the Six Max Championship. Yet amazingly he started 2012 playing $1/$2. - See more at: http://jaredtendlerpoker.com/?p=4344&preview=true#sthash.VpV7SY1t.dpuf. More significantly Merson has beaten, and continues to beat, drug addiction, and has used his profile as WSOP champion to try and help others do the same.

If there's one thing I would change about The Mental Game of Poker 1 it would be to include more examples from the world of live poker. I tried to remedy that in The Mental Game of Poker 2, and if you want more proof that the mental game is just as, if not more, relevant to live poker look no further than today's guest on my podcast. Bart Hanson is a live cash game player who is best known for his commentary on 'Live at the Bike,' as well as having one of the most critically acclaimed strategy podcasts. His site, www.seatopenpoker.net, is on of the few training sites to concentrate on live play. Live poker does not get anywhere near enough coverage on training sites, but Bart is almost single handedly redresses that balance and proves that live players think as deeply about the game as their online counterparts. During our chat we talk about the importance of patience in live poker, some of the biggest errors online players make when the come to brick and mortar card rooms, how to combat distractions, spotting signs of tilt in others, being results-oriented, and much more. If you're an online player who assumes they can just crush the live game, think again. If you're a live player looking to take your game to the next level, Bart is your man.

Today's episode is not to be missed if you are a high volume online player. I sit down with Steven McLoughlin from PokerTracker to discuss the mental side of tracking software. We discuss some of the most common mental game crutches poker players fall into when using tracking software, the truth about all-in EV and luck, and so much more. As a mental game coach I found this discussion to be one of the missing pieces of the puzzle. I have many clients who had become over reliant on tracking software, some will use it as a crutch to try and 'prove' how unlucky they are. Others had tried to deny the truth by deleting their own databases after bad runs. Make sure you are not falling into some of the most common mental game mistakes when using tracking software by listening to this essential interview.

Today on the Mental Game of Poker Podcast, I speak with Pokerstrategy Coach “Schnitzelfisch” who is a personal productivity coach. He became very popular on the Pokerstrategy forums for this guide that he posted on personal productivity. I've talked in the past about and written in the mental game of poker, how errors in how you learn can create mental game problems. You can become frustrated, anxious, lose motivation and confidence all because you don't understand or have unrealistic expectations of the learning process. Being unproductive or inefficient in the way that you're working on your poker game, or your ability to balance poker and life, can create the same problems. By learning more about how you learn, or by becoming more productive, you can eliminate some of those mental game problems as well. Primoz may have some answer that can be a big help to you. You can follow him on Twitter: @PrimozSYP

Today on the Mental Game of Poker Podcast I'm joined by the incomparable Jay “Krantz” Rosenkrantz. Jay has teamed up with Taylor Caby on a documentary about the story of online poker called, “Bet, Raise, Fold.” Jay talks about the movie, the process of make it, and how what he learned from playing poker was instrumental in handling the chaos of it. For those who don't know him, Jay was one of the biggest winners online in 2007 – 2009, he founded DeucesCracked, was on the show 2Months2Million, and co-created the excellent poker cartoon, The Micros. I thoroughly enjoyed my conversation with Jay and hope you do as well. For more about the movie go to: www.betraisefoldmovie.com. Follow Jay on twitter: @DCKrantz.

Today on the Mental Game of Poker Podcast I'm joined by two very interesting guests who have unique viewpoints on a two important issues that are all too common within poker. First up is Mike Weeks, the director and producer of a new poker documentary "Drawing Dead" about the highs and lows of online poker from two very different perspectives. One player, Dusty Schmidt, won millions and the other, Michael Korpi, became so addicted he stole credit cards so he could keep playing online poker. The film will be premiering at the Thin Line Film Festival – Dallas area - on Friday February 15th at 6:30pm. If you live in the area go check it out! You can follow Mike on Twitter: @DrawingDeadDoc My second guest, Daniel, is in the process of recovering from extreme isolation where he spent two year barely leaving his apartment and not interacting with anyone. Motivated to change he sought therapy and wrote a thread on 2+2 called, "Two Years of Solitude: A cautionary tale for poker professionals," where he chronicles the rebuilding of his social life. This is a silent problem and hopefully Daniel's story will encourage others to get help.

Today on The Mental Game of Poker Podcast you'll get a look inside the mind of one the most profitable mass multi-tablers in online poker, Randy “Nanonoko” Lew. He's a member member of Team PokerStars Online and very recently made SuperNova Elite for the 3rd or 4th time…he can't keep track anymore! Contrary to what many players think, Randy is not playing on autopilot the whole time he's playing. In fact, he's trained his game so well that he can easily pay close attention to game flow and other details of the action, while playing 24 tables simultaneously. Remarkable skill. Randy also talks a bit about how he handles tilt himself and spots it in his opponents. You can find Randy's blog here: http://www.randylew.com/ and you follow him on twitter: @nanonoko

Today on The Mental Game of Poker Podcast Jared interviews Matt Affleck, who is famous for making two deep runs in the 2009 and 2010 WSOP main event. Matt recently said in a blog that reading the book was “eye opening” and made him realize how important the mental game is for him in poker. This interview opens with Matt talking about the mental game issues he's recently discovered in his game, namely overconfidence, entitlement, injustice, revenge, and loss of motivation. He also gives some insight gets into the mental side of the big hand that he lost to Jonathan Duhamel in the 2010 WSOP. This candid interview is really interesting and may open your eyes to issues you didn't realize were affecting your game. You can find Matt's blog, here: http://www.mattaffleck.blogspot.com/ and follow him on twitter: @Mcmattopoker

Today on The Mental Game of Poker Podcast Jared interviews Phil Galfond, one of the top players in poker. Since Phil's mental game is so strong, the interview focuses extensively on how he learns and improves his game. He is constantly questioning his game to find new ways to improve because he doesn't see himself as talented as players like Tom Dwan or Viktor Blom. Phil is also a subscriber to several online training sites and has a new training site out himself, Runitonce.com. For more information on Phil, you can visit him there and follow him on Twitter: @PhilGalfond

This week on The Mental Game of Poker radio show I'm joined by Zach Elwood, author of “Reading Poker Tells.” This is the first time that I've talked extensively about tells on the show. We discuss some of Zach's methods for deciphering tells from random information and how to get a handle on your own tells. Surprise surprise, there is often a mental connection to them. For more information about Zach or to pick up a copy of his book, go to his website ReadingPokerTells.com, or you can follow him on Twitter: @apokerplayer.

This week on The Mental Game of Poker radio show Jared is joined by Dean Bogan. Chances are if you spend a decent amount of time on 2+2 you're familiar with Dean Bogan, his sense of humor, his coaching and staking advice, and his occasionally unintelligible (to North Americans) Australian accent. What you may not know is that life wasn't always this fun for Bogan. Bogan spent most of his young adult life struggling with drugs, addiction, and worst of all, clinical depression. At the age of 21, Bogan tried to end his own life. Today, Bogan is a happy father, soon to be married, and the head of a large and very successful online poker stable, but he has never forgotten to whom he owes his new life. After leaving rehab, Bogan has dedicated his own time to helping troubled youths and Orygen. On Monday, November 12, Bogan will take part in a fundraiser meant to raise awareness for mental health issues and Orygen further.

Today on The Mental Game of Poker Podcast, Jared welcomes professional poker player and blogger Olivier Busquet. Busquet delves into issues of tilt control, something he struggled with severely in the beginning of his poker career. Fundamental distinctions are made between the success in live poker and success in online poker. Olivier is one of the most successful online poker players in the world, in large part to his professionalism. Listen in and learn from one of the best.

The Mental Game with Jared Tendler returned with special guest Ryan Eriquezzo. Originally from Danbury, Connecticut, 28-year-old Eriquezzo came under serious fire in July during the 2012 WSOP, after his ex-girlfriend Amanda Musumeci outed him on Twitter for having struck her. Two months later, Eriquezzo famously atoned by posting a starkly honest and personal blog detailing in great depth his relationship with Musumeci, his demons with drugs and alcohol, and his ultimate road to recovery and redemption.

Today on The Mental Game radio show, Cardrunners coach Jonathan “Djross13” Davis joined me to talk about a range of topics including how he's recently solved a lot of his tilt problems. Jonathan's is a long-time tilter, who's broken his share of computer equipment. Entitlement Tilt was the main offender, but overall his tilt problems were made worse by personal stressors. After experiencing some major personal issues this year, he's been dedicated to improving his mental game and eliminating negative emotion. Learn how he did it. Then our old friend and long-time listener, Benny came on the show again. Still struggling with how he handles Injustice and Entitlement Tilt from his last time on the show, we took the necessary steps today to break the issue down further and prescribe a strategy to make the significant progress he's after.

After an enjoyable week off, I'm back today with a great episode of the Mental Game radio show. First up is an in-depth interview with Stacey Nutini, an MTT grinder and the owner of Lasvegaspokersource.com. Stacey has been playing full-time since 2010 and rapidly found success after training with some great instructors. Great instruction didn't stop mental game issues from popping up, and today we talk about them, along with her prep for the WSOP, and more. Then, Barry Carter drops by to catch up on his recent trip to New York City to get married and we discuss a new book on productivity that can make poker players perform better. Lastly, I was joined by @SheepRustler who came on the show looking for advice to help him stop thinking about results during a charity grind. He's trying to make money for charity, and can't play well because he's trying to make money for charity. Tough spot, but fortunately I gave him some advice that just might work.