If you’ve ever asked yourself why some skilled poker players always make it to the final round, while others rarely win a game, this book is for you. In Beyond Traps, respected psychotherapist and poker columnist James A. McKenna demonstrates why winning isn’t simply a matter of chance—it’s also about having a successful strategy that incorporates understanding your opponents’ strengths while skillfully preying on their weaknesses.

McKenna’s key to winning is to use his anatomy of poker players—a highly effective profiling technique that allows you to choose “different bait for different prey.” Strengthen your game by learning the art of categorizing opponents into one of several distinct personality types: Loner, System Player, Boss, High Roller, Party Hardy, and Hunch Player. Play more aggressively by using a full arsenal of traps, including Pigeon Traps, Fish Traps, Speed Traps, Net Traps, and Mixed Traps. Once you’ve determined which personality type your opponents fall into, you’ll know which trap to use and which to avoid so that you can win—and win big!

Packed with practical advice and insightful anecdotes, Beyond Traps is the essential guide for anyone who wants to learn not only how to play their cards but how to play their opponents—and win every time.

About the author
James A. McKenna has been a practicing individual and group therapist for over thirty-five years as well as a management consultant to Fortune 500 corporations. His column "Power Poker Psychology" appears regularly in Poker Player, Gambling Times, and Gambling Online magazines. He lives in Dardenne Prairie, Missouri.