NLP Hypnosis And The Art of Poker

NLP Hypnosis And The Art of Poker

Every now and then I get a question about using hypnosis to improve poker playing. It usually comes from someone who has heard about conversational hypnosis or slight of mouth techniques and wants to know if they might be useful in getting the winning edge with Texas hold em.

No Mind Control
Before getting to the answer I first need to shed a little light on conversational hypnosis and slight of mouth. These are both techniques used to persuade others in the normal course of daily interaction. Proponents of both of these methods often bill them as ways to control others. That definition may be good for selling books, CDs and courses but it has very little truth to it.

I will say this though, a player who believes another can control him is susceptible to almost any kind of manipulation. But he would be bringing that upon himself through false belief.

First, people need to give you permission to persuade them. It’s called rapport and without it there is no persuasion or control. As for using hypnosis for winning at poker, the answer is, yes. It can be useful, but you’ll have very little chance to psych out your opponent at the poker table. There might be ways to influence other poker players using certain techniques but they would probably draw a lot of attention and eventually the player using them would be shown the door.

So if you can’t directly influence a player at the poker table with hypnosis how might it be useful to get an advantage? You can use it on yourself to improve your game.

Overcome Tilt
Self-hypnosis is a wonderful means to build concentration, self-confidence, self-esteem, and to control emotions. These are all essential emotional elements to being successful at poker. One of the main issues poker players face it what they call the tilt. This might be described as the feeling of frustration coming about as a result of any number of troublesome situations at the poker table. Essentially, tilt refers to the loss of control of emotion and allowing that to influence a player’s game negatively.

So how can hypnosis help to eliminate tilt? Simple. But the player first has to be aware of what triggers the causes of his own particular brand of frustration before being able to discard them. Some players allow other players to get to them. Some begin to become unraveled by losing certain types of hands. Some become frustrated at their own inability to manage their bankroll.

Simple Self-Instruction Is Key
The ability to control tilt comes first in identifying the cause. Once recognized, the player can neutralize the causing factor by addressing the issue using self-hypnosis. It’s actually simple. Let’s say that a certain player has an unnerving way of behavior that makes another player begin to lose his cool.

All that player needs to do is repeat certain positive suggestions or statements while in a hypnotic state. The suggestion might be something as simple as this: I remain poised and confident during all playing situations. Or, I remain focused on my game without outside distractions during playing times.

Confidence and Concentration
Now these suggestions may not seem to be very powerful to the conscious ear but when such impressions make it to the subconscious mind and take hold, they become the law. But there’s more to hypnosis than just relieving the stress associated with the game. A player can develop more confidence and concentration as well by using similar statements. Whether you’re looking to overcome procrastination, develop more concentration, or ignore distractions, self-hypnosis might be just the thing you’ve been looking for.

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