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The Mental Game of Poker 2: Proven Strategies for Improving Poker Skill, Increasing Mental Endurance, and Playing in the Zone Consistently
Imagine how dominant you would be if you consistently played poker in the zone. You make all the right decisions, know instinctively when to bluff, and are unfazed by a losing hand. You re locked in and feel unbeatable.
It's shocking how many poker players stumble into this elusive state of mind. As quickly as that euphoric feeling of invincibility arrives, it's gone. And no matter how hard they try, they can't get it back. Until now.
In The Mental Game of Poker 2, author and renowned poker mental game coach Jared Tendler breaks down the zone and delivers actionable steps to help players get there consistently. He demystifies the zone, and for the first time, brings logic and order to this previously misunderstood concept. Above all, Tendler's straightforward, client-tested approach will have you playing at higher levels than you ever thought possible.
This book provides proven strategies to:
*Consistently play in the zone.
*Play poker longer and across more online tables.
*Improve decision making.
*Learn faster.
*Eliminate C-game mistakes.
*Increase focus and discipline.
Poker is constantly evolving and is as cutthroat as ever. Whether you re at the top of the game or just starting out, you should be looking for new and better ways to keep up and outpace your opponents. The Mental Game of Poker 2 arms you with the tools to thrive in today's increasingly competitive environment. It expands on the psychological strategies and theories from Tendler's groundbreaking book, The Mental Game of Poker, which cracked the code on managing tilt and has helped thousands of players eliminate mental leaks from their games. Like the first book, The Mental Game of Poker 2 is a must have resource for every poker player who is serious about improving their game.
It's shocking how many poker players stumble into this elusive state of mind. As quickly as that euphoric feeling of invincibility arrives, it's gone. And no matter how hard they try, they can't get it back. Until now.
In The Mental Game of Poker 2, author and renowned poker mental game coach Jared Tendler breaks down the zone and delivers actionable steps to help players get there consistently. He demystifies the zone, and for the first time, brings logic and order to this previously misunderstood concept. Above all, Tendler's straightforward, client-tested approach will have you playing at higher levels than you ever thought possible.
This book provides proven strategies to:
*Consistently play in the zone.
*Play poker longer and across more online tables.
*Improve decision making.
*Learn faster.
*Eliminate C-game mistakes.
*Increase focus and discipline.
Poker is constantly evolving and is as cutthroat as ever. Whether you re at the top of the game or just starting out, you should be looking for new and better ways to keep up and outpace your opponents. The Mental Game of Poker 2 arms you with the tools to thrive in today's increasingly competitive environment. It expands on the psychological strategies and theories from Tendler's groundbreaking book, The Mental Game of Poker, which cracked the code on managing tilt and has helped thousands of players eliminate mental leaks from their games. Like the first book, The Mental Game of Poker 2 is a must have resource for every poker player who is serious about improving their game.
204 pages, Kindle Edition
First published April 21, 2013
70 people are currently reading
456 people want to read
About the author
Jared Tendler
15 books57 followersJared Tendler, MS, LMHC, is a leading expert in how your mental game impacts performance. His clients include world champion poker players, the #1 ranked pool player in the world, professional golfers and financial traders. Jared holds a master’s degree in Counseling Psychology and attained a license as a mental health counselor. With over 16 years of experience coaching people from around the world and in multiple arenas, his straightforward and logical approach has been proven to help people solve their mental game problems and perform at their highest levels.
He is the author of two highly acclaimed books, The Mental Game of Poker 1 & 2 and just released his newest book The Mental Game of Trading. He is also the host of the popular podcast The Mental Game and previously served as Head of Sport Psychology for for the esport organization Team Liquid. Jared’s diverse experience and proven techniques make him among the best mental coaches in the world.
He is the author of two highly acclaimed books, The Mental Game of Poker 1 & 2 and just released his newest book The Mental Game of Trading. He is also the host of the popular podcast The Mental Game and previously served as Head of Sport Psychology for for the esport organization Team Liquid. Jared’s diverse experience and proven techniques make him among the best mental coaches in the world.
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
May 4, 2013
Um... wow. Maybe that's 1.5*.
I've never read such drivel written with such conviction in all my life. I couldn't bear to finish it. I can't get over how people are reading this book & blindly giving it such high praise!
The book basically tells the reader to define playing in "The Zone." What that looks like to you, how you experienced it in the past, what it should look like in the future. If you make enough lists, fine tune them enough, you can recreate "The Zone" on demand. It will no longer be a random occurrence. Hmm. Riiight.
He also suggests preparing to play in "The Zone," as if you are an actual athlete and do a warm up and a cool down of some kind. Now, in some ways, this could have some merit. Getting your mind in gear beforehand, & bringing yourself down afterward.
Early on, Tendler lists poker myths. One of which says that it's a myth that you need confidence to play poker. (It doesn't take long before he contradicts himself multiple times throughout the book.) I couldn't help myself. I absolutely guffawed!!! A myth?!?!?! Confidence is absolutely KEY to play any sport, especially poker!! Put a timid player versus a confident player, & the confident player will win every time!!
Speaking of confidence... He speaks with such conviction about the "bloated brain" aka bogging your brain down with too much emotion, knowledge, data, fatigue, etc. What scientific paper, journal, professor came up with this concept? Your brain is a muscle. It's designed to be exercised, to be stretched, for the synapses to create new pathways!! It's not a lump on a log!
There are several ideas, words, concepts that he seemed to just make up. Or at least they come across that way. Ack!! I have no idea where they came from. Yet, he talks so confidently it's hard to know what to believe and what to know is real and what's hogwash.
It almost seems to be treated like some kind of holy text!!
I've never read such drivel written with such conviction in all my life. I couldn't bear to finish it. I can't get over how people are reading this book & blindly giving it such high praise!
The book basically tells the reader to define playing in "The Zone." What that looks like to you, how you experienced it in the past, what it should look like in the future. If you make enough lists, fine tune them enough, you can recreate "The Zone" on demand. It will no longer be a random occurrence. Hmm. Riiight.
He also suggests preparing to play in "The Zone," as if you are an actual athlete and do a warm up and a cool down of some kind. Now, in some ways, this could have some merit. Getting your mind in gear beforehand, & bringing yourself down afterward.
Early on, Tendler lists poker myths. One of which says that it's a myth that you need confidence to play poker. (It doesn't take long before he contradicts himself multiple times throughout the book.) I couldn't help myself. I absolutely guffawed!!! A myth?!?!?! Confidence is absolutely KEY to play any sport, especially poker!! Put a timid player versus a confident player, & the confident player will win every time!!
Speaking of confidence... He speaks with such conviction about the "bloated brain" aka bogging your brain down with too much emotion, knowledge, data, fatigue, etc. What scientific paper, journal, professor came up with this concept? Your brain is a muscle. It's designed to be exercised, to be stretched, for the synapses to create new pathways!! It's not a lump on a log!
There are several ideas, words, concepts that he seemed to just make up. Or at least they come across that way. Ack!! I have no idea where they came from. Yet, he talks so confidently it's hard to know what to believe and what to know is real and what's hogwash.
It almost seems to be treated like some kind of holy text!!
December 27, 2013
I picked up this book from a general decision-making standpoint as opposed to specifically for poker (given that I'm not a poker player (yet)). I'm interested in decision-making applied in a variety of situations from sport to business to personal choices so this was simply another aspect. So please perhaps discount this review/rating if you are (as you most likely would be given the specific title) mostly interested in poker-playing advice.
I thought the author did a reasonably nice job of going through the common factors that usually affect decision-making. It was laid out in an easy-to-follow format and I personally already use a number of techniques mentioned in the book.
I think the book would be better if more of the questions were less direct and instead through a series of perhaps observational questions I was led to notice things about my behaviour/choices. This might then have helped me gain better insight into how to improve the way I do things.
For instance I may not be able to tell you what causes me to fall out of the "the zone" but if I were asked to notice/describe a number of specific scenarios, I may be able to figured out a couple of patterns.
The book sometimes has these questions but more often than not, the onus is on the reader to come up with ways to make these observations themselves.
But overall the principles seem sound, the writing is clear and there are lots of suggestions about how to put the theories into practice.
I thought the author did a reasonably nice job of going through the common factors that usually affect decision-making. It was laid out in an easy-to-follow format and I personally already use a number of techniques mentioned in the book.
I think the book would be better if more of the questions were less direct and instead through a series of perhaps observational questions I was led to notice things about my behaviour/choices. This might then have helped me gain better insight into how to improve the way I do things.
For instance I may not be able to tell you what causes me to fall out of the "the zone" but if I were asked to notice/describe a number of specific scenarios, I may be able to figured out a couple of patterns.
The book sometimes has these questions but more often than not, the onus is on the reader to come up with ways to make these observations themselves.
But overall the principles seem sound, the writing is clear and there are lots of suggestions about how to put the theories into practice.
May 10, 2019
I read this book before reading the first The Mental Game of Poker volume, and it still totally made sense. This book was well-written and actionable. I found the science behind sports psychology to be very interesting. Some of the things in this book are obvious after I thought about it, but I hadn't thought about it before. For example, noticing what times in your day are better suited to specific activities and scheduling your day based on efficiency rather than just priority alone. I'm finding my days are more productive in all aspects of life. Though this book is written for poker players, I imagine that its principles would work well for high stress jobs, busy stay at home moms, and students.
October 15, 2025
This book goes beyond basic tilt control and tackles the mental leaks that hold players back: motivation issues, fear of success, overconfidence, and decision fatigue. I like how Tendler gives you actual exercises to identify and fix your specific problems, not just theory. Like all things with Poker, what you learn here can apply to the outer world in surprising & fun ways.
November 13, 2025
This follow-up takes the mental side of poker deeper and sharper. I found the focus on getting into your A-game and staying there especially powerful. It’s not easy work, but the techniques are clear and they’ve genuinely changed how I approach sessions.
November 30, 2017
Great book
Great book hope to improve my game with Jared advice and skills love the way it is put together thanks Jared
Great book hope to improve my game with Jared advice and skills love the way it is put together thanks Jared
July 17, 2020
One of the most important books on trading and poker.
September 17, 2021
Interesting
May 11, 2023
Excellent book highlighting more getting in the 'peak' zone of performance, applies to more than just poker
July 28, 2023
Bardzo dobra książka będzie reread na 100%
December 31, 2021
Love this book- Really explains why theres a delay between studying poker and playing poker - and why we can have different levels of performance - The section about thinking about past and future was a lightbulb moment for my mental game leaks.
June 14, 2016
really awesome! wish I read this years ago. would recommend to any poker player
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews