Painless Poker addresses these sources of poker pain and more. Tommy Angelo, esteemed author of Elements of Poker, reveals extreme pain from his own life and those of seven agitated players – and shows how to end that pain. Drawing on his 20 years as a professional poker player and elite coach, Angelo demonstrates effective strategies to make. Legendary poker player, author and coach Tommy Angelo joins us this week for a discussion about his new book, Painless Poker. The book is focused on mental game and dealing with pain in poker, using an imaginary poker clinic featuring characters embodying seven archetypes of poker players. The Genteel Poker: A Next Gen of Pain-Free Lancing Device? Say hello to a new diabetes device on the scene, promising “pain-free” blood draws that can be used on fingertips or other spots —.

Painless Poker Review Forum
Painless Poker Review 2020

Tommy Angelo

Mechanics

Rule #1: Do not move the button.

Rule #2: Post your blinds when you should.

Rule #3: When you have a live hand, place your phone face-down on the table or rail.

Rule #4: Your cards should be visible to everyone always.

Rule #5: Do not impede the dealer with your chip stack.

Rule #6: Protect your cards with your hands or a chip.

Rule #7: Do not hunch down to look at your cards, and keep your thumbs low.

Rule #8: Do not reveal your betting intentions until it is your turn.

Rule #9: Put your bets and your folded cards where the dealer can easily reach them.

Rule #10: Do not bury your large denomination chips.

Rule #11: When you change seats, cause as little disruption as possible.

Rule #12: Do not use cash to rebuy or add-on. Keep large-denomination chips on hand for that purpose. It's efficient for you, and the house, and it looks good.

Rule #13: Sit up. Ready yourself for the cards. Look strong, feel strong.

Talking

Rule #14: Behave like a guest, even if you play every day.

Rule #15: When you join a table, make your posting intentions known to the dealer.

Rule #16: Do not speak to an opponent who has a live hand unless you have a live hand.

Rule #17: When you are out of a hand, and you are talking to someone else who has folded, be courteous to those who are still in the hand, even if that means becoming suddenly silent until the betting is finished.

Rule #18: Do not gossip.

Rule #19: Do not agitate.

Rule #20: Do not talk about betting strategy.

Rule #21: When a dispute does not involve you, do not get involved.

Rule #22: When you bust out and quit, say, 'Seat open.'

Rule #23: Do not distract or abuse the dealer because (1) They are working, and (2) Dealers are people, too.

Money Makers

Rule #24: Before every hand, consciously inhale and exhale.

Rule #25: Watch every betting action of every hand.

Rule #26: Scan the stacks frequently..

To know who has swung which way and how far,
To not be surprised by all-ins, and
To refocus on the game.

Rule #27: To see the future, observe your left-hand opponents when it is not their turn.

Mental Health

Rule #28: Do not play for more than two hours without taking a break.

Rule #29: Do not fill your gut before you play or during.

Rule #30: When you are too tired to play, don't.

At the Showdown

Rule #31: When you show your hand, do it silently, in turn, in tempo.

Rule #32: When you muck your hand, do it silently, in turn, in tempo.

Rule #33: Do not slowroll. (Slowroll: To delay showing a hand in order to intentionally make someone think they have the winner when you know they don't.)

Rule #34: Do not slowcall. (Slowcall: To delay calling in order to intentionally make someone think they might have the winner when you know they probably don't.)

Rule #35: Do not show uncalled hands, especially bluffs.

Rule #36: Do not show pain or joy, especially when mucking.

* * * * *

World-class coach and author, Tommy Angelo is considered a modern master of poker's mental game, and has helped pros and rec players alike achieve less tilt and more focus. Called 'the seminal poker text of the 21st century' by The London Times, Angelo's Elements of Poker has revolutionized how serious players approach the game. His latest book, Painless Poker, already a bestseller, can be found on Amazon.com. Connect with Tommy on Twitter @TheTommyAngelo, and visit his website: tommyangelo.com.

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cash game strategytournament strategylive pokerrulesetiquettetellspsychologymental game

Martin Harris

Poker coach, author, player and PokerNews contributor Tommy Angelo has a new book due out this month, following his earlier, well-regarded titles Elements of Poker and A Rubber Band Story and Other Poker Tales.

Angelo's new one, Painless Poker, is due out March 14. Recently he took the time to speak with us about the book as well as to share an early excerpt.

* * * * *

PokerNews: Talk first about that title — Painless Poker. What does that mean?

Tommy Angelo: I get a lot of different reactions to that title. One friend asked me if I was writing a comedy. Most people are like, 'That’s not a possible thing.'

The book is called Painless Poker because most of it takes place at a fictional place called the Painless Poker Clinic. What happens at the clinic is, I'm sitting there alone and seven archetypal poker players beam-in at their moment of greatest pain. Each of them has a story to tell about what they were doing at the moment they got beamed to the clinic.

Once they arrive, I teach a two-day seminar to them on how to reduce pain — both in poker and in life. Each of these characters was developed to represent all the various types of pain that we experience in poker. The two days of the clinic roughly mirrors the coaching program that I do with my clients that is several days' long. So you see the characters develop and grow.

So the book is kind of like a novel or fictional story, but it also gives poker advice.

That's right. What makes the book interesting, I think — both to read and for me to write — is that I'm writing in first person about me teaching this class, but all of it is made up. All the characters, all the stories, everything. They are based on experiences I've either had or witnessed others having, or that any of us can imagine poker players having, but they are all invented. It's like any other fiction, where none of it is true, but it's still full of truth. Or at least my best shot at it.

I think it turned out to be an effective venue for expressing all the ideas that I've learned on the topic of painless poker during my years of coaching, and from my own experiences with pain as a player.

Why did you decide to write Painless Poker?

What I'm hoping the reader will get out of this book is some combination of entertainment and value. As a writer, my primary emphasis was on writing a book that was readable, enjoyable to read and entertaining. As a teacher, my goal was to include information and insights that people might not have thought of before, that will help them reduce the stress and anxiety they have around issues concerning poker, and with everyday life.

One of the things I work on with my clients is meditation and mindfulness, and that also happens at the clinic near the end. We talk about everything from actual poker and strategy — we sit and play poker — and there's also discussion of using mindfulness techniques as a way to improve our poker score and just make life easier.

It's interesting to think about that idea of that one moment of greatest pain — the moment that brings each of the players to the Painless Poker Clinic. Every poker player probably has that sort of moment in their experience, one they instantly think about..

I'm glad to hear that.. in fact, everyone does have their own 'beam-in' story. Here's a trailer for the book that tells three of the beam-in stories:

And that really is the purpose of the beam-in story concept — that it's relatable. It seems like every poker player has their own moment of greatest pain they remember.

* * * * *

An excerpt from Painless Poker:

My next big blind I got ace-king again. Three players folded and the action was on Mick. Mic

Mechanics

Talking

Money Makers

Mental Health

At the Showdown

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Painless Poker Review