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The Joy of Poker: Win More, Be Happy
Get the highest rated poker and sports psychology book of 2025
For decades, the “experts” in sports psychology and mindset coaching have tried to help poker players perform better, win more, and experience less stress away from the game.
They failed.
Their emphasis on structure, discipline, and "reframing" uncomfortable emotions has led to more stress, burnout, and impostor syndrome in poker than ever before.
On the surface, their systems sound good.
The only problem?
They don't work.
All their focus on doing it “the right way” makes you rigid—preventing you from playing freely while robbing you of the joy that made you fall in love with the game in the first place.
Once you've lost your spark?
You can't execute your plan.
And eventually, you break under the constant pressure of needing to be perfect—replaying your losses endlessly, blaming yourself for every poor outcome, and getting so fixated on “what’s next” that you can’t enjoy what you have.
The truth is, If you
◆ Choking under pressure
◆ Constantly second-guessing and regretting your decisions
◆ Unable to enjoy your wins, while every bad loss forces you to question all the choices you’ve made in life
◆ Always burning out—where no matter what you do, it's never enough
◆ Having your emotions from the game carry into your personal life, hurting the people you love and care about the most
You won't solve these problems by working harder—you already tried that.
To bring out your best and sustain it?
You need to be present.
Tapped into your love and passion for the game, playing the game on your terms—trusting yourself in big moments, playing freely, then sleeping well each night knowing you did it exactly how you wanted.
That's what the contents inside The Joy of Poker have given to Jason Su's readers and clients over the years to the tune of tens of millions of dollars and countless World Series of Poker championships.
And it's all available to you now.
Inside The Joy of Poker, you'll
★ The painfully expensive habit that Michael Jordan and every miserable poker player has in common (p.131)
★ Why you can't afford to trust what the top players are saying when it comes to the mental game—because what they say to do and what they actually do are completely different (p. 21)
★ The process Jason used to help one client restore his lost confidence, then multiply his income by 5x in a single conversation (p. 149)
★ An "inner game" trick which you can use to get even your toughest opponents overthinking, overanalyzing, and completely out of their comfort zone (p.
For decades, the “experts” in sports psychology and mindset coaching have tried to help poker players perform better, win more, and experience less stress away from the game.
They failed.
Their emphasis on structure, discipline, and "reframing" uncomfortable emotions has led to more stress, burnout, and impostor syndrome in poker than ever before.
On the surface, their systems sound good.
The only problem?
They don't work.
All their focus on doing it “the right way” makes you rigid—preventing you from playing freely while robbing you of the joy that made you fall in love with the game in the first place.
Once you've lost your spark?
You can't execute your plan.
And eventually, you break under the constant pressure of needing to be perfect—replaying your losses endlessly, blaming yourself for every poor outcome, and getting so fixated on “what’s next” that you can’t enjoy what you have.
The truth is, If you
◆ Choking under pressure
◆ Constantly second-guessing and regretting your decisions
◆ Unable to enjoy your wins, while every bad loss forces you to question all the choices you’ve made in life
◆ Always burning out—where no matter what you do, it's never enough
◆ Having your emotions from the game carry into your personal life, hurting the people you love and care about the most
You won't solve these problems by working harder—you already tried that.
To bring out your best and sustain it?
You need to be present.
Tapped into your love and passion for the game, playing the game on your terms—trusting yourself in big moments, playing freely, then sleeping well each night knowing you did it exactly how you wanted.
That's what the contents inside The Joy of Poker have given to Jason Su's readers and clients over the years to the tune of tens of millions of dollars and countless World Series of Poker championships.
And it's all available to you now.
Inside The Joy of Poker, you'll
★ The painfully expensive habit that Michael Jordan and every miserable poker player has in common (p.131)
★ Why you can't afford to trust what the top players are saying when it comes to the mental game—because what they say to do and what they actually do are completely different (p. 21)
★ The process Jason used to help one client restore his lost confidence, then multiply his income by 5x in a single conversation (p. 149)
★ An "inner game" trick which you can use to get even your toughest opponents overthinking, overanalyzing, and completely out of their comfort zone (p.
200 pages, Kindle Edition
Published May 7, 2025
22 people are currently reading
22 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
June 5, 2025
I am not a poker player, but the wife of one. I decided to read this book hoping to find ways to support my husband and better understand what he is going through. However, the book truly surprised me and exceeded my expectations — not only did I find the aspects I was looking for, but I also discovered several methods and insights that will help me in both my professional and personal life! Highly recommended!
May 28, 2025
This book provides great truths not only about poker, but also about humanity. While the vast majority of top poker coaches advocate the use of intellect/thought/logic in the form of mantras, against our feelings, as if thought were the owner of our being and could change what happens inside us or our feelings simply with phrases like "you put your money well", "in the long run you will win", "keep playing your A game regardless of the results" etc, making us feel miserable. This book by Jason Su relates truths about the human being, that we are our feelings, that it is not wrong to feel certain ways, on the contrary, and very skillfully takes us back to the beginning of our journey in poker in this example, making us remember how we felt for the first time, that excitement and happiness of simply playing a game we love, and that at some point we changed course thinking that pure logic and control would lead us or make us better players, when it is quite the opposite, it only generates suffering and contradiction in ourselves. This book, I believe, will penetrate deep into the minds and hearts of players who are honest with themselves, and want to feel and enjoy sitting at a table playing poker again, and understand that this will not make them worse players, it will simply integrate them again and connect with the passion of the game, making them understand that thought as control and boss of our being has no place, and is just another tool. Using simple and effective tools to stay and go back to our presence state, that state that has a fresh and "new" fragance, as when we played the game for the first time. Great insights will occur if you put your heart and sincerity into listening to what the book has to say, understanding that the so-called "mental coaches" only destroy peace of mind and enjoyment of the game we love, using strategies that go against human beings and only contribute to more misery, anxiety and sadness, without exaggerating.
Wholeheartedly recommend it to any poker player who wants to play again feeling like the first time, all the time, with presence
Wholeheartedly recommend it to any poker player who wants to play again feeling like the first time, all the time, with presence
June 11, 2025
I've been following Jason's practice for several years now. From newsletters and his previous book Poker with Presence. While these books are tailored towards poker, if you do any individual sports, I find them to translate as well. They have definitely made an impact when I play golf.
I have read countless self-help books, and books about modern psychology. What Jason does uniquely from my perspective, is not labeling feelings and observations, where most book tells you if X happens to Z. Jason is more about finding your own ways for to digest whatever input you are facing from the world, being one with your feelings. Something that can be useful in every facet of life.
If you are a poker player, there is just no other book that will describe the emotions you are going through better, while helping you realize on your own what is happening mentally at the tables. Finding true presence and the sought-after A-Game gets displayed from a new angle.
Instead of doing more, find a way to do less.
I can't really find enough praise for this man, and in my opinion, this is a no brainer for any poker player that is trying to reach a new level. Not only to understand yourself, but also to understand your opponent's better.
To sum it up, Jason Su is the piosolver for the brain!
I have read countless self-help books, and books about modern psychology. What Jason does uniquely from my perspective, is not labeling feelings and observations, where most book tells you if X happens to Z. Jason is more about finding your own ways for to digest whatever input you are facing from the world, being one with your feelings. Something that can be useful in every facet of life.
If you are a poker player, there is just no other book that will describe the emotions you are going through better, while helping you realize on your own what is happening mentally at the tables. Finding true presence and the sought-after A-Game gets displayed from a new angle.
Instead of doing more, find a way to do less.
I can't really find enough praise for this man, and in my opinion, this is a no brainer for any poker player that is trying to reach a new level. Not only to understand yourself, but also to understand your opponent's better.
To sum it up, Jason Su is the piosolver for the brain!
June 1, 2025
The last 3 weeks (since starting to read The Joy of Poker) I've:
*Had one of the first light hearted talks of my life with my father (warmth in my chest)
*Had two scary talks with my spouse, discussing economy as well as intimacy (starting with a pounding chest, heavy shoulders and tense jaws, developing into curiosity, possibility and a warm buzzing feeling in my chest).
*Been present in the middle of morning routine/getting my daughter to preschool. Seeing the stress I've brought in to the situation and changing lane from irritation into connection (from tunnel view, pounding chest and tensed jaws to a releasing laughter and chest pumping with love instead).
*Played the most relaxed, creative and joyful games of poker as well as of my main sport (a big smile on my face, eyes glowing). Being present trough winning and losing to the point that I've enjoyed the nice plays from both myself and the opponents!
Celebrating every part of it, getting ready for round 2❤️
*Had one of the first light hearted talks of my life with my father (warmth in my chest)
*Had two scary talks with my spouse, discussing economy as well as intimacy (starting with a pounding chest, heavy shoulders and tense jaws, developing into curiosity, possibility and a warm buzzing feeling in my chest).
*Been present in the middle of morning routine/getting my daughter to preschool. Seeing the stress I've brought in to the situation and changing lane from irritation into connection (from tunnel view, pounding chest and tensed jaws to a releasing laughter and chest pumping with love instead).
*Played the most relaxed, creative and joyful games of poker as well as of my main sport (a big smile on my face, eyes glowing). Being present trough winning and losing to the point that I've enjoyed the nice plays from both myself and the opponents!
Celebrating every part of it, getting ready for round 2❤️
September 21, 2025
This book is truly a steal, as Jason distills lessons with his high stakes clients in this book, which costs you a fraction of what even one session would. He gives a lot of non obvious advice, and digs into cliches that are easy to say but hard to execute like "Don't Be Results Oriented."
Jason is a wonderful writer, making this a joyful and breezy read, which is very appropriate considering the title. I play both chess and poker and the points in this book are applicable to both games--and likely other fields too like debate or sports. As we get more knowledgeable and successful, it can be easy to lose sense of the "Play" that attracted us to games in the first place. This can create anxiety and a difficulty to reach the flow state. My awareness of these issues has improved since reading the book and speaking to Jason, and I've reached the flow state more often. I hope the same for you!
Jason is a wonderful writer, making this a joyful and breezy read, which is very appropriate considering the title. I play both chess and poker and the points in this book are applicable to both games--and likely other fields too like debate or sports. As we get more knowledgeable and successful, it can be easy to lose sense of the "Play" that attracted us to games in the first place. This can create anxiety and a difficulty to reach the flow state. My awareness of these issues has improved since reading the book and speaking to Jason, and I've reached the flow state more often. I hope the same for you!
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November 6, 2025"The Joy of Poker" offers an in-depth look at the world of this strategic and exciting game. This makes this book a must-read for any casino enthusiast. After reading it, you will be able to dive into the strategy and thinking. These are all essential components for success in poker. After all, this game combines skill and luck. Players love that this game is always accompanied by thrills. If you want to dive deeper into this world, check out https://casinosanalyzer.com/low-depos..., where you will find great options for casinos with a $20 deposit. This is a fairly safe way to start playing without taking too much risk. The site features reviews of the best low-deposit platforms, so you can choose here and enjoy your favorite games!
August 14, 2025
First poker book I’ve ever read and it’s awesome. No technical strategy, but more of a mindset strategy. Reading it I remembered how I felt when I first started getting into the game, and my approach to it when I was really crushing. Just being present, curious, and going with my instincts all while playing my own unique brand of poker. Can’t wait to get back to that.
May 28, 2025
First read done, second on the way. This book is one of a kind!
May 6, 2026
Maravilloso, instaGOAT, primera de varias lecturas. El mejor libro de póker de la historia, y uno de los mejores de mindfulness/espiritualidad/flow/performance que existan. Jason, que sé que es un gran fan, escribió "El Juego Interior del Tenis" de nuestra disciplina, ya que va a dirigido a jugadores pero cualquiera le puede sacar provecho. No se queda solamente como un manual para la mesa de póker; la presencia debe ser la mayor prioridad para una vida dichosa y fructífera.
Soy muy fan de los emails y videos del autor, considero que es la voz de la razón en un mundo lleno de consejos estúpidos de pseudo gurús broicistas con su "inyectar lógica", "esforzate más que los demás", "no te apegues a los resultados", "jugá como tu coach/solver", "ignorá tus emociones", y un largo etc. de consejos tóxicos que no generan ganancias y, para el porcentaje ínfimo que lo logra (aka Sesgo de supervivencia), lo hacen al invaluable coste de su bienestar, conexión, propósito y desarrollo espiritual.
Jason pone en palabras muchos de mis pensamientos para con el juego y la vida, y de hecho cada vez empiezo a ver más su filosofía en entrevistas de grandísimos jugadores (por decir: Davyjones, top #1 cash online, en la entrevista en Mentopoker; Nacho morón, élite de cash, también en Mentopoker; David Díaz, JMbigjoe...).
Parece que te habla directamente, toca los temas exactos. El combustible que venía usando no estaba del todo limpio... tengo que empezar a celebrar mis logros... y mucha más sabiduría.
a divertirse y ganar $$$
Soy muy fan de los emails y videos del autor, considero que es la voz de la razón en un mundo lleno de consejos estúpidos de pseudo gurús broicistas con su "inyectar lógica", "esforzate más que los demás", "no te apegues a los resultados", "jugá como tu coach/solver", "ignorá tus emociones", y un largo etc. de consejos tóxicos que no generan ganancias y, para el porcentaje ínfimo que lo logra (aka Sesgo de supervivencia), lo hacen al invaluable coste de su bienestar, conexión, propósito y desarrollo espiritual.
Jason pone en palabras muchos de mis pensamientos para con el juego y la vida, y de hecho cada vez empiezo a ver más su filosofía en entrevistas de grandísimos jugadores (por decir: Davyjones, top #1 cash online, en la entrevista en Mentopoker; Nacho morón, élite de cash, también en Mentopoker; David Díaz, JMbigjoe...).
Parece que te habla directamente, toca los temas exactos. El combustible que venía usando no estaba del todo limpio... tengo que empezar a celebrar mis logros... y mucha más sabiduría.
"Cuando escucho que alguien trata el póker como un NEGOCIO pienso en... el 80% de los negocios quiebran; cuando escucho que alguien trata el póker como un DEPORTE pienso en... que los atletas suelen ser las personas más miserables del mundo incluso los exitosos. Por qué querrías ser eso?".
a divertirse y ganar $$$
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews