Post by Randy C on Jun 9, 2006 15:23:58 GMT -4
Zen is an ancient Japanese form of Meditation. It is the Art of Mindset and preparedness. Samurai Warrior's would use Zen to prepare for Battle.
The question is, How does Zen apply to poker? The answer is quite simple, really.
Any poker tourney is battle. You must go in prepared for ANY scenario. You must get yourself in the mindset to "Battle" your poker foes. How you prepare for this battle will rest squarely upon your shoulder's. Some will read a book about poker, while other's will painstakingly size up the competition through notetaking, and yet other's will do little else than make a cup of coffee and sit their fat behind at the computer of Poker Room chair. More times than not, I fit into the latter category.
You'd be surprised to learn that many of today's poker greats are vastly educated in the Art of Zen. I am told that the great Doyle Brunson lays in his camper bed for several hours before his poker events to wind down from life and wind into his Poker self! Could Zen be his secret to poker greatness...Doyle may not use the term Zen to describe what he is doing, but the fact is...he is "preparing" for battle!
Meditation is the ultimate release of all stress. It is the practice of preparedness to it's most basic form. Perhaps it is the most important concept you will ever learn about preparing for your poker victory.
Years ago, I use to teach Martial Arts. I taught a great many of my students the basics of Zen. The way I taught them was to lay flat on their back, clear their mind from everything for the first 2 minutes. They were instructed to focus on one small positive thing, such as a flower. I would ask them to focus on every aspect of that flower. The smell, the feel, the look, the texture...everything relating to that flower. After that 2 minutes, I would ask them to visualize a dear drinking from a stream in the middle of the forest...to hear the babbling stream, the wind as it passed the ear...to feel the sun's warmth as it radiated on their body...
After about ten minutes of preliminary cleansing of the mind...I would ask them to visualize them in combat...both giving and recieving blows. I would ask them to actually feel what it felt like to strike the opponent and be struck. I asked them to become a warrior...to completely give themselves to the spirit of the warrior.
Applying that to Poker is exactly the same...Try the mediatation. Prepare for battle...See your victory...fee your victory.
Try these methods out. You have little to lose by trying to become a warrior of Poker.
All In,
Randy C -
The question is, How does Zen apply to poker? The answer is quite simple, really.
Any poker tourney is battle. You must go in prepared for ANY scenario. You must get yourself in the mindset to "Battle" your poker foes. How you prepare for this battle will rest squarely upon your shoulder's. Some will read a book about poker, while other's will painstakingly size up the competition through notetaking, and yet other's will do little else than make a cup of coffee and sit their fat behind at the computer of Poker Room chair. More times than not, I fit into the latter category.
You'd be surprised to learn that many of today's poker greats are vastly educated in the Art of Zen. I am told that the great Doyle Brunson lays in his camper bed for several hours before his poker events to wind down from life and wind into his Poker self! Could Zen be his secret to poker greatness...Doyle may not use the term Zen to describe what he is doing, but the fact is...he is "preparing" for battle!
Meditation is the ultimate release of all stress. It is the practice of preparedness to it's most basic form. Perhaps it is the most important concept you will ever learn about preparing for your poker victory.
Years ago, I use to teach Martial Arts. I taught a great many of my students the basics of Zen. The way I taught them was to lay flat on their back, clear their mind from everything for the first 2 minutes. They were instructed to focus on one small positive thing, such as a flower. I would ask them to focus on every aspect of that flower. The smell, the feel, the look, the texture...everything relating to that flower. After that 2 minutes, I would ask them to visualize a dear drinking from a stream in the middle of the forest...to hear the babbling stream, the wind as it passed the ear...to feel the sun's warmth as it radiated on their body...
After about ten minutes of preliminary cleansing of the mind...I would ask them to visualize them in combat...both giving and recieving blows. I would ask them to actually feel what it felt like to strike the opponent and be struck. I asked them to become a warrior...to completely give themselves to the spirit of the warrior.
Applying that to Poker is exactly the same...Try the mediatation. Prepare for battle...See your victory...fee your victory.
Try these methods out. You have little to lose by trying to become a warrior of Poker.
All In,
Randy C -
