Inside the Poker Mind

by John Feeney

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Reviewer: Wadofella

First a minor technical point: Inside The Poker Mind includes a reference to David Sklansky as “Strategy Consultant”, however, do not be misled into thinking this is co-authored by Sklansky. Although both Sklansky & Mason Malmuth are often referenced, this is solely a John Feeney book.

Feeney is quite unlike most poker authors and he has produced a book that is quite unlike most poker texts. Although he is now a poker professional and author, Feeney previously studied for and attained a degree in clinical psychology. In this book, Feeney uses his psychoanalytical expertise to explore a diverse range of poker-related topics. This is not a standard “how-to” poker guide: There are no opening hand guidelines here, no advice on how one should play the flop, turn or river. Instead, this book is arranged as a series of short essays, each one of which explores from a psychological perspective, some aspect of the game of poker.

Feeney’s intention is clearly to encourage the reader to think about their actions and the motives behind them, in order that they may improve their play. It is your poker mind that this book seeks to get inside. For example, rather than lay out a set of opening hand recommendations, Feeney addresses the subject of too-loose opening play by examining what causes a player to play too loosely (for example; they may overrate their abilities & mistakenly believe that their superior play on later streets permits them to play a wider range of opening hands). This type of approach is followed throughout the book.

Perhaps the best way to give a flavor of what this book is like is to list some of the essay titles. Here are a few examples that are typical of the book’s content:

Bad Plays Good Players Make

Bad Beat? Think Again

Why Learn to Beat Tougher Games?

Short-Handed Play: Don’t Miss Out

Beating the Beserko: Preflop Against a Maniac

On Into the Storm: Playing the Maniac After the Flop

Countering a Good Reader

Thinking About What They’re Thinking

On Tilt

The construction of this book means that although (of course) it may be read sequentially in its entirety, it’s also ideal to dip in and out of. Each topic is addressed in a single self-contained essay or series of essays. This format also lends itself perfectly to re-reading specific sections of interest.

Although this is nominally a fixed-limit Hold’em book (inasmuch as when it does discuss specific plays they are generally from fixed-limit Hold’em), it’s not really appropriate to describe the book in that way. Virtually everything discussed within could apply to any level or form of poker.

All in all this is really an excellent book. It’s hard to imagine any thinking poker player who wouldn’t benefit from reading this. It’s also one of the easiest to read and most enjoyable poker texts out there. Despite the (possibly daunting) approach of this book, this is by no means a tough “textbook-style” read. The essays are simple to read and digest, and, most importantly, they achieve their intention: to stimulate the readers’ thinking on their respective topics.

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