Mind Set Chauhan Takes Industry by Storm

Mindset coach to celebrities and professional athletes, and author of the best selling book Mindspower Unleashed, Sam Chauhan made his transition to poker in 2009 through the World Series of Poker Academy, a popular seminar and training program. In less than a year, Chauhan has become the most sought after mindset coach in the poker industry.

The master practitioner of neuro-linguistic programming, subliminal persuasive linguistics, unconscious suggestions, Ericksonian patterns, and physiological and muscle readings has been teaching mindset skills to poker players for only eight months. Yet, in that short time, he’s unleashed the ability of many to master their own powerful poker mindset. Conformable students avoid going on tilt, tend to deal better with bad beats, and are able to break through barriers to help them achieve their maximum potential. Even the most cynical critic can’t ignore the statistics. Chauhan has guided more than six prominent poker players - all considered masters of their craft - though seeking a resurgence in their careers.

Even the greatest poker players can become distracted and suffer swings. It’s how quickly those experiences are processed. Through Chauhan’s proven “Mindspower” techniques, full competitive potential may be attained in order to elevate one’s own game.

Antonio Esfandiari
Sam Chauhan and Antonio Esfandiari came to a six-month coaching agreement before the 2009 World Series of Poker. Sam was committed to do all he could to help Antonio - not in relation to his actual game skills, but by evaluating personal priorities.

“I had lost my hunger to win,” stated Esfandiari in his testimonial. “I had no drive to win. I wanted to win, but I really didn’t care. I was in a comfortable place in my life and was used to living that way.”

The first steps taken would encourage his new pupil to break distracting habits. The most obvious were those preventing Esfandiari from consistently applying his A-game. The regimen began with Esfandiari not being allowed to bring his cell phone to the poker tables. He also learned and applied techniques that would help him avoid all negative thoughts - no matter how bad the beats or uncontrollable the circumstances. Finally, he was not allowed to party between or during competitions.

The first tournament to which Esfiandiari applied his newly developed life-coaching techniques was the 2009 World Series of Poker $3,000 triple-chance no-limit hold’em event. With a wrist full of trademark rubber bands, he put Chauhan’s teachings into practice. By the end of Day 1, Esfandiari was near the top of the leader board. In a field of 854 players, he went on to finish 24th, and was clearly thrilled with the results.

The life-coach continued to focus on elevating his student’s best possible mental state before the WSOP main event. In turn, Esfandiari churned through 6,460 players over ten grueling days, combining game and life skills, eventually reaching one of three final tables. Because of his normally outgoing personality and entertaining antics, ESPN camera crew were anxious to feature him at a televised table. But fans and players witnessed a different “Antonio.” One who was unusually focused and less outwardly entertaining, but perceivably a better competitor. Esfandiari also placed 24th in poker’s most prestigious main event - an enormous achievement by any measure, and he credits the success to his newly adopted life skills.

“After working with Sam, I implemented the things he taught me. Now I want to win so bad that I can’t wait until the next tournament.”

Paul Wasicka
In 2006, Wasicka officially went pro, going deep in the high buy-in tournaments and nearly winning the World Series of Poker. By 2007, he was tearing up the poker circuit, placing twelfth at the Crown Aussie Millions Championship, taking fourth at the L.A. Poker Classic, and becoming an NBC National Heads-Up Poker Champion. He would also win another $115,000 by reaching World Poker Tour World and WSOP final tables. Though he would go on to cash in nine major events and earn more than $120,000 over the next 18 months, final tables would elude him.

Wasicka sought the services of Sam Chauhan. A few weeks into training, he plowed through 96 players at the Harrah’s Tunica WSOP $5,000 no-limit hold’em championship. Throughout the event he maintained a clear chip lead and entered the final table with the largest stack. He went on to win the event and $130,422. It was his biggest cash in two years. At the NBC National Heads-Up Championship in March, he battled 64 players, who most consider the finest culmination of poker players in the industry, to take 9th place.

During a recent interview, Waskicka stated, ““I want to give Sam credit. He’s done wonders for my game both on and off the felt.”

Gavin Smith
Between 2000 and 2008, Gavin Smith reached a record 17 final tables, winning the 2000 World Poker Finals limit seven-card stud high-low and back to back tables at the 2005 Mirage Poker Showdown. The seasoned pro was in popular demand, appearing on television, hosting video and radio shows, and posing for magazine covers. Over eight years, he’d cash in 50 major events, average six returns a year on his investment, and earn nearly $4 million in career winnings. But in 2009, though he went deep in two WSOP tournaments, the final table would elude him. Smith’s odds of cashing in a poker tournament had been reduced by 66 percent, earning less than $30,000 in 2009. By year’s end, Smith also had little to show for his career achievements.

Later that year, Smith committed himself to self improvement and Chauhan’s teachings. Two months later he competed in his homeland’s Canadian Poker Tour. Not only did he reach the final table of the Fallsview Poker Classic $5,000 no-limit hold’em Event #3, but won the $2,500 no-limit hold’em preliminary event.
Merely a month into 2010, Smith has multiplied his earnings seventy-seven times compared to 2009. Recently, he declared a further commitment to sobriety.

Lee Markholt
This former bull rider turned poker pro has cashed in a mind-boggling 61 tournaments since 1998, reaching 29 final tables and winning seven major events. This fierce competitor certainly didn’t need to improve his poker skills, but mindful of his overall well being, he began a life-coaching regimen with Chauhan. Two weeks later he placed fourth in the L.A. Poker Classic $25,000 High Roller event.

Josh Arieh
The consummate over-achiever, Josh Arieh cashed in 37 major events before his 40th birthday. He crashed into the poker scene in 1999 by winning a limit hold’em WSOP bracelet and $200,000. The next year he cashed in seven more events, reaching all but two final tables. Over the next eight years he would cash in 24 events, win two of them, and another WSOP bracelet. It’s hard to imagine a player like Arieh improving his game, but during the 2009 WSOP, he elected to subscribe to Chauhan’s teachings. Since then he’s final tabled every event in which he’s cashed, and nearly won the $15,000 World Poker Tour Doyle Brunson Classic Championship title. In addition, Arieh earned more than $1 million of his $5 million career winnings over those six months.

Phil Hellmuth
The most compelling example of Chauhan’s applied mindset techniques is evident by his latest pupil’s apparent personal improvement - world-renowned hold’em expert, World Series of Poker Champion, and eleven-time WSOP bracelet winner Phil Hellmuth. His poker achievements are so numerous, and cover such a long period, that the records of poker industry experts and statisticians are conflicted. Hellmuth has played that long, that many events, and that well.

From 1987 through 2000, Hellmuth averaged eight cashes per year. And taking into account the limited number of world-wide circuit events, it’s the highest recorded achievement of that era. As the number of circuit events increased so did his stats, cashing an average of 15 times per year from 2001 to 2006. But in 2007, his earnings began to decline. Over the past few years, he’s also developed a reputation for dramatic entrances, tardiness, sudden outbursts, and even tantrums. Today, fans, peers, and people within the industry affectionately refer to him as the “Poker Brat.”

Hellmuth was clearly becoming frustrated, publicly declaring that 2009 was his worst year on record. In February of 2010, he began working with Chauhan. One month later, Hellmuth reached the final table of a major tournament - the World Poker Tour Shooting Stars championship.

Maintaining a chip lead throughout the event, he went into the final day with the second largest stack. But it wasn’t his exceptional play of which press and fans twittered. It was his demeanor. Hellmuth had become more confident, more centered, and less emotional. Instead of lashing out after a bad beat, he quietly and internally processed situations that would normally have put him on “tilt.” His final table appearance was cut short when he went into a hand with a clear lead. But an unfortunate run of cards crippled his stack, and soon after he was eliminated. Hellmuth graciously exited the tournament, and contrary to expectations, later returned to autograph his opponent’s awarded bounty prize. For those who know Hellmuth, it was a pleasant and unexpected turnaround.

The proof is in the pudding and the facts cannot be denied. Chauhan’s influence has had a startling effect on both tournament performances and bottom lines of prominent players.

Sam Chauhan has dedicated his life to understanding the mind. He has a passion for teaching people how to deal with internal conflicts, breaking through barriers, dealing with uncertainty, and has an uncanny ability to understand the subconscious mind.

Chauhan will grace the cover of Bluff Magazine’s April issue. A web-based seminar at http://www.MindsetVT.com is currently in development that will allow others to benefit from his teachings. In addition, he recently launched ThePositiveReport.com, a universal feed of positive news and enlightening stories from around the world. His best selling book, “Minds Power Unleashed is available at Amazon.com and direct through Chauhan's website, ChangingYou.org. Two more of Chauhan’s writings, “Never Give Up,” and “The Prince That Will Never Come” are complete and currently awaiting representation and publication.

Related links:
ChangingYou.org
YouTube video
MindsetVT.com
The Positive Report