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Introduction

In this article

• What is mental coaching?
  
• The difference between psychology and mental coaching
• Calling up your A-game
  

Imagine you're at the final table of the WSOP. A myriad of cameras are fixed on you. You hear the voices of the TV presenters and the murmurring of the audience. To your left Phil Hellmuth is listening to "Eye of the Tiger" on his iPod. Mike Matusow is opposite you, cursing your name because you called his bluff in the previous hand.

To your right, Phil Ivey is watching you with his intense stare, making you nervous. Your hands move shakily to the chip stack. You can smell the sweat on your brow and can still sense the now dry taste of coke in your mouth.

The dealer, the audience, the television; everyone is waiting for your decision. Ivey raises your raise. You've got AKo and have the choice between going all-in or folding again. If you go all-in, you might find yourself leaving that final table you've been preparing for for nearly 4 months, after only five minutes.

"The game is decided in your head" - Unknown

In difficult situations which require important decisions, such as the situation described above, there's a possibility that your emotions will block your common sense and so too your strategic skills.

It doesn't have to be the final table at the WSOP, it can happen in any hand. You can prevent this kind of mental block by working on your mental strength. The right mindset arms you with supremecy and the ability to stay cool and react appropriately in difficult situations.

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Next article: Mental Coaching (2) - Tilt : a Different Perspective