Zen and the Art of Poker - Review
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Title: Zen and the Art of Poker
Author: Larry W. Phillips
Publisher: Plume
Length: 192 pages
Date: November 1999
Rating: 
Intended audience: All skill levels, especially players who are prone to tilting.
Available at: Amazon.com ($9.72 w/Free Shipping available)
TightPoker Promotion: $50 Free Amazon Gift Certificate
Reviewed by: Blatman25
Dated Reviewed: 5/24/2006
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Can playing poker help you to achieve a state of Zen? Not exactly. Can Zen principles help
you be a better poker player? Most definitely. This is the basis of the book: how the principles
of Zen can help you become a better poker player. The author makes no promises of helping you
achieve a state of Zen. In fact, he makes it quite clear that it is not possible, due to many
differences in the philosophies of Zen, and the optimum strategy for winning poker. However,
some of the concepts of Zen have great value at the poker table, and the author has laid them
out for us very well in this book.
An Introduction to Zen
In the introduction and the first chapter, the author gives a bit of background on the concept of
Zen, and explains why they are useful for poker players. It's a brief history, but a good one.
He also is quick to point out that poker will not make you a Zen master. Some of the most obvious
conflicting concepts are "banishing the ego" and "embracing poverty". It is clear that poker players
seeking a true state of Zen are going to have a tough time of it. It is very wise of the author to
point out this conflict early in the book. This avoids any illusions that some readers might have
about what the book is trying to accomplish.
Understanding Poker by Knowing Yourself
The author states that one of his goals is to help his readers focus on the "process" of playing
poker, more than the short-term goal of making money. He states that making some money at poker
is not terribly difficult, but truly understanding all aspects of the process could make the whole
game much easier. He also focuses on the Zen concept of the "middle way". The middle way is a
state of balance, where you are "going with the flow". You are acting when necessary, and not acting
when not necessary. It's what poker players might refer to as being "in the zone". This is an
overriding concept of the book. Most players can relate to this, as we have all had times where
game seemed to be playing itself, and every move seemed simple and obvious. Sometimes this is due
to a great run of cards, but I find myself feeling this way even during an average run, where I do
a lot of folding.
After the first chapter, he introduces the structure that will continue for the rest of the book.
Each subsequent chapter covers a concept, such as "Folding" or "Betting", and begins with a short
introduction about that concept. Then he moves into rules, such as "Poker Rule #1: Learn to use
inaction as a weapon." Each of these rules is based on a Zen quote or proverb. For example:
"There is interaction if there is a call for it, no interaction if there is no call for it."
- Zen master Yangshan
I really enjoyed this layout, as it adds a nice blend of poker and Zen concepts with
explanation by the author to tie it all together. Because of the briefness of each rule,
and the shortness of each chapter, the book also lends itself well to short reading
sessions if you don't have the time for long periods of reading. The concepts can be grasped
in a short time, and do not require the time and concentration of a book like "Harrington on
Hold'Em" for example. The format of the book also makes it invaluable when I'm working on a
particular part of my game, such as "Betting", as each chapter is devoted to one of the aspects.
Learning to Control Tilt with Zen
It is worth noting, that players who have problems with emotional control or "tilting" will find
great benefit from this book. I personally had many problems with going on tilt early in my poker
education, and this book helped immensely in that respect. I recently had four-of-a-kind 3's get
beaten by four-of-a-kind Kings in a cash game, and merely shrugged it off and reloaded. It took
me a long time to get to this point, and of course I still struggle with tilt, but this book
helped me greatly.
Last Thoughts about Zen and the Art of Poker
This is easily one of my favorite poker books. I find myself constantly returning to it,
especially when I want a short nugget of wisdom or two. This book will definitely help your
game, especially if you have trouble with emotional control, and it will likely help you find
better "balance" in your game. After reading it the first time, I noticed myself feeling like
I was "in the zone" much more often than before. I highly recommend this book to players of
all skill levels.
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