How to Survive the Holidays-or JUST DO IT

Every year I dread the days between Christmas and New Years. I have the most dysfunctional family and if there were an Olympic competition, we would win the gold medal. So in keeping with the team spirit I decided to treat this year as if I was playing the WSOP Main Event. Yes, I said it, so family, friends, co-workers, neighbors and just about anybody that I come in contact with during the 8 days from Christmas to New years, put your game face on. If you are staying with me, celebrating with me, or expecting a gift from me, bring your “A” game or for that matter “BRING IT.”

• Day 1A
This day usually consists of the five or six core family members that push my buttons all day while I wait on them hand and foot. This day is the most difficult day and if you survive day one, most pros say the percentages go up in terms of running deep in the tournament. I’d like to say that I find this day nearly impossible. There are a ton of amateurs who are impossible to read and end up playing like complete donks and suck out on you. However my strategy this year is different. I’ve decided that no matter what I will remain in a state of grace. For those of you who are not spiritually inclined that means being calm, and in the favor, and love of God. It also means moral strength. I spent the entire first half of this year studying this very concept and you know what…… it works. So I am very confident I will make it to day two with a ton of chips.

• Day 2,3,4
This is where it gets tough. I do my due diligence prior to day two. The cast of characters I’m about to play are friends, friends of friends and at times even strangers who are easier to read as I have nothing emotionally invested in them. I look up their stats and many of them think that just by getting past day one, they have what it takes to get to the next level. I’m still surrounded by the original button pushers who have settled into their new self-entitled life style of me waiting on them hand and foot, but I actually have the upper hand. This is where I change gears I three bet, re-raise, bluff a lot and overall push them around. I’m getting them back without them knowing it. They start arguing amongst themselves over things like who gets my housekeeper to do their laundry first! They start questioning my actions like why did I only get them a fifty dollar I-tunes gift card instead of an I-pad. TIME TO BULLY!!!!!!!!!!

• Day 5,6,7
At this point in the tournament everyone just wants to make the money so they’re playing scared. They are tilted over previous hands lost and hide their fear by resorting to verbal attacks like “your husband is a big Hollywood Producer, you don’t need this.” This is where I get more aggressive by exploiting their weaknesses and leaks in their game. I play every hand in order to deliberately outplay them after the flop. I become a BEAST. Aunt Susie says “How come there’s no soy milk? I say go out and get it yourself. My mother in law wants to go visit her lifelong friends in the nursing home-I just plain out ignore her. I know now, we are at the home stretch and we are approaching the bubble.

• Day 8
I like to compare this day to New Years eve. I am usually overly dressed at a mediocre restaurant, party or concert and it’s ultimately a big let down. The best part as, you know, is the New Years kiss. I’m still a romantic. In real life he finds it nerve racking to watch me play tournament poker. Heck I have to watch his movies and pretend I like them, but I do love spending New Years with him. OK, I am feeling really confident now on to the final table.

• Final Table
In preparation for the final table I teach my students the proper mind set to balance themselves for the grueling fight they have ahead of them. ………… but not on this day because this final table is the day when everyone leaves and I am left with all the chips, the bracelet and the accolades. As I am dropping them off at the airport and being told what a great hostess I am a little tear comes to my eye. I actually am finally enjoying the Holidays cause they’re behind me.

Happy Holidays from Beth “Betyamama” Gains

“Love yourself so you can do what you love”

And I won’t see you at the final table because I already won.

Have a Happy New Year

There is a big difference between moderation and deprivation-it’s called BALANCE

“I didn’t have to really show up for my life, because I always had an excuse why this or that wasn’t an option for me. In hiding behind you, I didn’t have to face my fear of being skinny and beautiful and really participating in life”

Marianne Williamson
“A Course in Weight Loss”

This past year I took a hard look at what I was teaching my students about nutrition and the fact is my information was old, stale and a bit outdated. I came across a new course several months ago called Integrated Nutrition. This course is a two year accredited course in nutrition where Dr Andrew Weil as well as other notable experts in the field were all in agreement with a new philosophy for successful weight loss. This philosophy stated that if you were not mentally, physically and spiritually balanced you would probably not be successful at keeping yourself at healthy weight. OMG, finally a group of well-known nutritionists were figuring out what most spiritually fit people already knew.

I quickly signed up for the course after asking several mentors of mine “does this sound credible?’ and each one gave me the ok. Some of them even went so far as to ask me to keep them updated on my progress. I have been taking this class for three months and during that time my friend and mentor Marianne Williamson released her new book “A Course in Weight Loss” “21 spiritual lessons for surrendering your weight forever” I will say that the content is enlightening and should become a weight loss manifesto for men and women of all ages.

What she teaches in her book is while you’re letting go of weight your also letting go of the part of your personality for which eating excessively and self destructively has felt natural. Your losing weight is not just the removal of excess weight from your body it is “the removal of unwanted dynamics from your mind.” This process leaves you no longer at the mercy of your out of control habits and makes your journey away from food and compulsion a spiritual awakening. Brilliant, a must read for all people suffering from food addiction.

I have also learned from my integrated nutrition course that balance cannot be achieved by diet alone. There are many other factors to take into consideration when trying to balance your life, health and mood swings.

• PHYSICAL

Physical activity is a huge factor as it not only revs up the metabolism to create faster weight loss but studies show that the endorphins released during strenuous physical activity actually helps people get rid of mood swings and helps prevent depression. It can also help brain function and memory loss. Studies now show that without physical activity you will not be successful in keeping the weight off. Physical activity has to become a part of your lifestyle.

• MENTAL

Mentally we are always hearing that little voice inside that promotes character defects such as self-hatred, fear, panic and anxiety. These are triggers for people to reach for food. Just as we exercise physically we must exercise mentally by repetitive affirmations and contrary actions. In situations where sever obesity exists the person needs a weight loss coach or overeating group, otherwise they will fail.

• SPIRITUAL

Spiritually we are often bankrupt. We need to constantly make deposits through prayer and meditation. If praying to God is not in your belief system then meditation is mandatory. For example, I have three meditations I use during a tournament. I also have several meditations I use to help my students let go of fear and limiting beliefs. I call them my letting go meditations I believe these same meditations can be used for weight loss by just substituting the word poker for weight. I use meditation at my seminars and when done in a group it is extremely powerful.

If you want to be successful in a healthy way of life than you must go “ALL IN” There are no shortcuts, sorry. Follow the guidelines above and you will see immediate results in your mind body and spirit. There is no such thing as moderation or deprivation. There is only balance.

So from now on when I say TID think of your waistline

Beth “Betyamama” Gains

“Love yourself so you can do what you love”

The Poker Mindset

Beth "Betyamama" Gains

By Beth “Betyamama” Gains, Founder of Eat, Play, Love™ Seminars

“The unexamined life is not worth living…” –Socrates

I would like to make this month’s article very simple and straightforward. Ask yourself the question “Is there a fast and easy way to get better at poker?” Well, like Tina Turner used to say “I never, ever, ever, do anything nice and easy.” And neither do I. So, I am going to ask your permission to allow me to shift your consciousness to a place where you will find all the answers to the weaknesses in your poker game. This is a place that has no room for your ego or the limiting beliefs about yourself. This is the poker mind set.

Okay, are you ready? Don’t be scared. This is going to be way more interesting than watching reruns of High Stakes Poker. For this exercise to really work, you are going to need:

• A three ring binder
• A package of dividers (or two)
• College-ruled lined paper

Don’t worry; I won’t be checking your homework next month. However, in order for you to see professional results you have to be professional about this. That means you have to be super diligent, almost to a fault, to get the most out of each one of your poker sessions online.

Before you start playing poker for the day, make a list of all the weaknesses in your poker game. You need to be brutally honest. Part of being a professional poker player is being self-honest, and without that you cannot move on to become the player you want to be. The list should not be ranked in order of greatest to least; it doesn’t matter, as you will see. For example your list could include:

• Tilting
• Heads-up play
• End-game
• 3-Betting
• Pre-flop play
• Post-flop play
• Playing out of position
• Dealing with aggressive players

These are just some of the examples. Now take the package of dividers and label each one with a weakness. Leave one extra one and call it “Wins,”–I will explain later.

Upon completion of a day of poker, pull out your notebook and write about the day. It could be about a hand, a play that made you go on tilt, a bad beat, or any part of your game that you wish you had played differently. PokerStars has a feature under the Requests toolbar that will send all hand histories, tournament histories, and your statistics from playing sessions to your email. Take that information and categorize your play based on your weaknesses sections. The purpose of this exercise is to be able to take inventory of your weaknesses and then focus on changing them. Realistically knowing what your competency levels are for the different areas of the game will allow you to target your weakest points first, and you will see the results sooner.

Okay, so is the objective to find a fast and easy way to get better at poker? NO!!!! C’mon, you know it’s impossible to get better at anything quickly. It takes commitment, hard work, practice and time. “Poker takes a minute to learn but a lifetime to master.” – Doyle Brunson

The objective of this article is for you to identify the weakest points of your game. This will then get you into the mind set to take the steps to start to change instead of believing catchy self help articles that are meant to confuse you.

The daily logging in your binder of the situations where you could have played less like a donk and more like a pro is the right way to progress as a poker player. Identifying and working through trouble areas is a good start toward poker serenity. You, in fact, are the best poker coach you could ever have. If you apply this exercise properly, you will achieve poker nirvana and the inner stability necessary to take down the big tournaments.

Don’t be left behind like the players with the big egos who think their game is perfect or beyond repair. Knowing your weaknesses is a sign of strength and the first step toward correcting them. I am always learning; I watch TV, I read books, I read the online forums, and yes… I have weaknesses that I am constantly working on.

Oh, one more thing to remember: I told you to save one label for the wins. Well, after you put your binder together, you can immediately write in the divider that says “wins,” “I am a winner.” This is a good place to capture and note your accomplishments and celebrations throughout the week, or month, or year. Remember, by doing this – it makes you the biggest winner of all!

Can’t wait to share more with you on this topic and other topics in the future . . . I love this game!

Remember…Love yourself so that you can do what you love.

Don’t play small, play big

Beth "Betyamama" Gains

by Beth ‘betyamama’ Gains, founder of Eat, Play, Love™ Seminars
“Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate… our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, and fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking.”
- Marianne Williamson, A Return to Love

My name is Beth Gains and I am a life-long believer in the importance of a healthy mindset. I am a self-taught poker player and I have been graciously asked by PokerStars Women to share my concepts with you–to help improve your life and your poker. I am excited to teach you how to fix what you think may be broken or under-utilized in your game.

Poker is much more than a card game. I teach women to overcome their fears by using my metaphysical techniques to change their approach and mindset. I have a unique way of teaching people to achieve poker Nirvana. I begin by separating the leaks in your game into individual topic headings: Eat, Play, and Love.

Eat: This section deals with the effect that food and exercise have on the body and mind. We all know how important it is not to skip meals, as well as to avoid smoking, caffeine, and other stimulants. It’s also important to get enough sleep and maintain regular sleep times. Healthy eating and adequate sleep fuels your mind and body to prepare it to deal with stress. Good luck trying to fight stress while playing poker! Throughout the grueling hours of tournament poker, I suggest that during all breaks, except for dinner, healthy food should be eaten in small quantities. Eating large meals always makes me feel lethargic. I will discuss this in greater detail in future articles.

Play: This section deals with leaks that are caused by an unhealthy mindset. The first step is to get rid of your limiting beliefs such as, “I can’t calculate pot odds,” “I don’t know the math,” or “These pros are better than me.” The key point here is to recognize that we can change. And if you are willing to change your game, it’s also time to change the inherent beliefs you have about yourself that aren’t true. I ask my students to have patience, because often if a person is not open to metaphysical techniques, it can take a little time.

Here are some techniques that I picked up from Deepak Chopra. The first step to getting rid of limiting beliefs is to realize that most beliefs are lies. He says, “When you look at the word ‘belief,’ it says ‘lie’ in the middle of it.” Most beliefs are lies. I find it difficult myself, because the definition of belief is something we are certain of. In order to create a healthy mindset, you must be aware of, and able to adjust to what is true and what is not true about you and your poker game. Then and only then can you move past these limiting beliefs. How do we do this? Chopra suggests we try to think about some beliefs about ourselves that we once had and discovered were not true. If this is done correctly, it can be a meaningful lesson and beautiful experience. You will need to identify your limiting beliefs, accept that they are lies, and move past them.

A lot of life coaches also believe in the following exercise, and I find it helpful. See if it works for you. On a 3″x5” card, write down the positive beliefs about yourself and your poker game that you feel are true. Look at them and study them until they become second nature to you. This is very empowering. These exercises will give you the mental edge you need to get past difficult opponents in tournaments and cash games.

I also use Eat, Play, Love “silly bands,” which are an easy way to rid my mind of negative thoughts. Put the silly band around your wrist, and each time you have a negative thought during a poker session, pull back the rubber silly band and snap your wrist. Your mind will focus on the pain, and it will be a reminder that you are exactly who and where you are supposed to be: a tournament champion, one tournament away from being a superstar!

Love: You can’t always control what happens in life, or what happens in poker. But what you can learn to control is how it affects you, your game, and everything you love. Your environment is always unstable, but your mindset needs to always be healthy. So I like to balance poker and life by using positive affirmations. This is also an exercise in visualizing yourself to poker victory. Your final exercise should be an affirmation; my favorite is “Love yourself so you can do what you love.” I can’t tell you how many times I’ve looked in a mirror during a tournament and said this. It is very powerful.

If you loved what you’ve just read, know that I loved writing it more. This is part of how I’ve kept myself sane all these years while playing this crazy game of poker and life. I look forward to sharing more with you on these topics in the future.

Remember… Love yourself, so you can do what you love.

Beth ‘betyamama’ Gains
See you at the final table

 

this posting can also be viewed at the following link:

http://www.pokerstarsblog.com/2010/dont-play-small-play-big-074536.html

What’s it like to make a PokerStars Luxury Ladies Event final?

by Rebekah Mercer
As you may have gathered by seeing her name on the PokerStars Women news site, Beth Gains is a writer and creator of the Eat, Play, Love seminars.* But she’s also a very serious poker player. She has been playing professionally for several years and is on a quest to become a SuperNova player on PokerStars. No small potatoes there, my friend.

A few weeks ago she played in the EPT London Luxury Ladies Poker Event and made the final table, which is a huge accomplishment. Of course I couldn’t pass up the chance to ask her all about her experiences, and she had lots of interesting observations about the tournament, the players, and her approach to a relaxed, centered mindset during tournaments.

Keeping that in mind, I am going to share with you her answers to my questions and try not to ramble. So here goes.

How would you describe your experience level in poker?
I am a professional poker player, but I refuse to limit myself to a category, as that would probably be detrimental to my overall poker mindset. When I put myself into a category, then I am limiting myself.

How many ladies events have you played and where?
I have played a lot of Ladies Events. I am from LA and we are fortunate to have been able to host quite a few ladies events. I also play the Ladies Event at the WSOP every year and go to a lot of Ladies Events in Vegas because I live so close.

Was this your first PokerStars ladies event?
This was my second PokerStars tournament, and they sure know how to put together a great event! The goody bags are always amazing and rumor has it that I will be teaching at the Eat, Play, Love™ Beach Camp at the PCA (details to be announced). So, I suggest to anyone who wants to win a package to the PCA, go online to PokerStars and find out when the qualifiers are running.

Did the PokerStars event seem different from other ladies events you’ve played?
The PokerStars ladies events have a unique vibe because of the international appeal. I now have so many great new poker friends from around the world who share the same passion as I do!

Did you have a friendly table?
It was definitely friendly, but not overly so. I think that there is a certain amount of professionalism that needs to be taken into consideration when you’re competing. It can’t become a gabfest or it wouldn’t be a poker tournament.

What did you observe about some of the pros you saw there?
I was fortunate to sit next to my friend, Team Poker Stars Pro Veronica Dabul for most of the tournament. She and I had the same stack size, so we kept out of each other’s way. I respect her game A LOT, and there was one hand where I had Q-Q in UTG +1, plus I also had position on her. She had raised UTG and I re-raised all-in (I had under 20 BBs left, and I did not want to see a flop and prayed she had a big decision to make. It was for most of her chips). I was right, and she folded. Later on at about the same moment I was leaning over to tell her what I had, she said, “Beth what did you have in that hand?” in that very sexy Argentine voice. I told her and she said, “Ahhh! I had A-Q!”

As it turned out, we both made the final table. Veronica went out 9th and I went out 8th. They only paid six, so it was close.

What advice could you give to a new player who has never sat down at a live event with pros?
Part of being in tune with the poker mindset is realizing that it is not healthy to feel intimidated. So a healthy dose of confidence is what is necessary. Remember that acting “as if” is sometimes all you need. I encourage my students to remain mentally relaxed and neutral, and I remind them not to let winning or losing affect their mood. There is nothing scarier than playing against a professional opponent who doesn’t smile when she wins a pot, just methodically adds winnings to her stack and rationally moves on to the next hand.

And finally, any examples of how you utilized some concepts from Eat, Play, Love?
Over the years, I’ve been able to train myself to take a more relaxed, mental approach to the game. I encourage all of my students to do the same. Remember that the more professional your approach to the game, the more you can expect to bring home in professional profits. I hope this tip causes you to be more aware of your emotions when you are playing and helps you to focus on staying mentally relaxed throughout your tournament play.

Love yourself so you can do what you love… See you at the final table, girls!

*For more information on Beth’s mindful approach to poker, see her Eat, Play, Love columns here on PokerStars Women every month.

this posting can also be viewed at the following link:

http://www.pokerstarsblog.com/2010/whats-it-like-to-make-a-pokerstars-luxur-074735.html

 

WCOOP

Beth "Betyamama" Gains

Last night was the last time I decided I would try to qualify for the main event on stars over 3600 hopefuls and me…….i was playing a cash game and the US Womens Poker League simultaneously I was holding my own.I really felt that after 3 hours went by
that i was in a zone i was above the chip average and it seemed as though iI knew what each one of my opponents were holding
until…………………..this nit called me all the way down with his flush draw he had the chips to do it and I would have played the hand the same way but I really really wanted to use someone elses money as my buy -in oh well next year…….by the way i cashed out in the league and ran up about $280 in the cash game…………there is always next year. i will be leaving this wednesday to go to London to play the ladies EPT event wish me luck…………..chk out my new website http://eatplaylove.us.com it has all the details
as to when my next seminars will be and other poker stuff…………
Betyamama
“Love yourself so you can do what you love”

 

this posting can also be viewed at the following link:

http://my.pokernews.com/Betyourmama/wcoop.htm?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+EatPlayLoveByBethGains+(EAT+PLAY+LOVE+By+Beth+Gains)&utm_content=FeedBurner

Mega Satellite at the Bike

Beth "Betyamama" Gains

I got crushed made it to level 6 went all-in against the table maniac and ran into Kings I had Queens of course.The stucture was very much like the Caesars Deepstack Turbo except you start out with less chips.I like this kind of MTT because the levels go up every 1/2 hour and the blinds also ,this suits aggressive players and if your not card dead you can change gears and have your opponents completely off balance.IM just goona use my bankroll the wpt is only 5k this year because they are expecting a low turnout.Good for me !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I got n]my $500 back after I busted out I played a cash game I was running all over the table because I was tilted and hungry…….
flopped a full house and got paid off…………the next hand nut flush and now Im home with the kids they came back from camp last nite…………OK go chk out my new blog on THe HHPT website its called EAT PLAY LOVE mindset and spirituality of poker
BetYaMama
Love yourself so you can do what you love
Beth Gains

 

this posting can also be viewed at the following link:

http://my.pokernews.com/Betyourmama/mega-satellite-at-the-bike.htm?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+EatPlayLoveByBethGains+(EAT+PLAY+LOVE+By+Beth+Gains)&utm_content=FeedBurner