Poker in Print: Poker with presence: Unlocking the final 15% (2020)

Poker with presence

Some poker books that apply to strategy look at the specifics of your poker game and break them down bit by bit, building them up with stronger foundations. Either that or starting afresh, giving poker players new knowledge to fight with.

What about a poker strategy book, however, that presumes the poker player in question already has the first 85% of the game taken care of?

This week, Jason Su, the author of Poker with Presence: Unlocking the Final 15%, spoke on Twitter about the power of Fedor Holz’s magnetizing presence at the table and how it was the inspiration for him writing this book, published last May independently by the author himself.

The notion of having a presence at the poker table is, of course, both an elusive one and something that some might argue is counter-productive. Some of the best players fade into the felt but make millions. So why should a poker player want to have a magnetic table presence?

Well, the book goes a long way to explaining exactly this and can be used effectively as a guidebook to feeling comfortable at the poker table. Enjoying playing poker can benefit the player immensely and Su’s book is given some glowing references by a couple of really prominent voices in the industry.

Matt Berkey said of the author: “I’ve had the pleasure of working alongside Jason and I promise his wealth of knowledge on emotional intelligence and its application in a risk-based business is an untapped, hidden edge that few explore. Can’t recommend his work enough.”

He’s not the only player to throw his weight behind Su’s work. Tommy Angelo, who we spoke to about his YouTube series with Lee Jones, Poker Simple, as well as dissecting his own legendary poker book, Elements of Poker, was happy to recommend the book. Angelo said, “I would recommend this book to anyone who wants to improve at poker, and anything else.”

High praise indeed.

While Jason Su has been a successful poker player, this is his first published book, but it doesn’t read like it for a second. We were really impressed with the arguments put forward and anecdotal and evidentiary points that contribute to the volume.

There’s a lot more to come from Su in writing about poker, we’re sure, and for anyone considering how they can add that comfort and ‘X Factor’ to a successful poker game, this could be the perfect book to pick up and dive into whenever you need a pick-me-up.

Whether you want some quick advice on improving your own table presence or want to look deeper into mindfulness, exercises and concepts that you won’t read in your regular poker strategy book, you should take a look at buying Jason Su’s Poker with Presence right here.