Poker News

John Carlisle, MA, NCC

In my counseling practice, I often advise those who are habitually angry or stressed to replace their current CD stash with more calm, relaxing selections. You see, there is an undeniable psychological link in between music and our larger consciousness. Music can trigger memories. Many of us have a certain song that willtake us to a specific moment when heard. You might have an old love song that conjures up images of your wedding day or your senior prom, or you might be jolted by hearing a pumping rock song that was playing when you had a car accident. Music can help trigger emotions and moods. This is the basic principle that leads many romantic evenings to be headlined by a Barry White CD. The person pressing play on the CD player hopes that the swooning music will help elicit a positive emotional reaction from their partner. Athletes often use thumping beats to get themselves “pumpedup” before a contest. Music is also used as a means of self-expression. Throngs of angst-filled teenagers express frustration and anger by listening to, and singing along with, hard metal and hard-core rap songs. In all, music is often a self-prescribed “medication” designed to address or promote reactions to console, to energize, to relax, to express love, to express hate, and more.

Ipods and portable music players are a norm at the poker tables nowadays. I always make it a point to ask players with those earbuds inserted about their listening habits. I always casually inquire what they’re listening to in order to get a slight insight into their current thought processing. This question is very unthreatening and unsuspicious, so most players will be open to the question. I often try to follow-upby inquiring about what other selections they have saved. Their response can be combined with my perceptions of their play, their appearance, their demeanor, and their speech to provide a great personality profile. A guy listening to Metallica and AC/DC often has a much different mindset than one listening to Beethoven’s classics. That piece of information can be a helper in identifying your opposition.

My Ipod is filled with an amazing assortment of genres. With a touch of the button, I could switch from listening to a smooth Jazz song to uncensored 50 cent lyrics. Many players at the table have a similar impressive possible range in their playlist. With so many to choose from, it is clear that there must be a psychological reason compelling the decision on which of these songs to choose.

The really powerful information comes from identifying why the player is listening to his chosen music. Is he listening to soothing music because he’s in a relaxed mood already, or is he listening to the slow tunes because he’s attempting to combat raging anger and tilt? Is he listening to bass-filled tunes because he is already angry, or because he is trying to stay awake and focus? Is he listening to calming music because he is over-confident and excited, or because he is intimidated and scared? Answering these questions involves reading the other cues that your opponent’s body language and demeanor exude. When looking to catch a read on your opposition, the music that they’re bopping to may be an excellent starting point.

Now go make it happen.

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