In chapter 31 of A-Game Poker, Elliot Roe guides the reader through a practical self-reflection exercise designed to uncover the subconscious programs that block high-level performance. He emphasizes that these barriers aren’t personality flaws but learned patterns that can be identified and changed.
Purpose of the Chapter
Roe’s goal is to help readers:
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Recognize the gap between what they know they should do and what they actually do
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Trace resistance back to the subconscious programs that created it
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Begin dismantling those programs through awareness and reframing
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Take immediate action toward becoming an A-Game Player
This chapter is structured as an interactive process rather than a passive lesson.
Identifying What Holds You Back
Step 1: Revisit the Fundamental Performance Question
Readers are instructed to list behaviors and routines that top players consistently follow but they themselves do not. Examples include:
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Establishing structured schedules
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Maintaining fitness and nutrition
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Studying consistently and effectively
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Handling in-game emotions
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Approaching poker like a professional athlete
The list should be thorough and honest.
Step 2: Choose the Most Charged Item
After creating the list, readers highlight the action that feels most difficult or emotionally charged. Roe emphasizes focusing on:
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Anxiety
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Physical tension
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Avoidance
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A sense of invisible resistance
These sensations signal the presence of a deeper subconscious program.
Tracing the Feeling Backward
Step 3: Connect the Feeling to Past Experiences
Roe encourages readers to identify when they’ve felt similar resistance earlier in life. Patterns often repeat across:
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School experiences
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Family dynamics
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Early messages about success, money, ability, or worthiness
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Bullying or peer interactions
Noticing that the same emotional pattern shows up in multiple contexts reveals that the struggle isn’t about poker—it’s an old program resurfacing.
Step 4: Locate the Origin Memory
Readers visualize the earliest memory associated with that emotional pattern. Common sources include:
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Critical teachers
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Parents projecting their own limitations
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Harmful beliefs about money or success
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Childhood experiences that created fear, shame, or self-doubt
The origin point is rarely dramatic; even small moments can create long-lasting subconscious rules.
Reframing the Memory
Step 5: View the Memory Through Adult Eyes
Roe guides readers to reinterpret the memory with mature understanding:
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A teacher’s hurtful comment was likely about their own stress
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A bully was acting out their own insecurity
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Family beliefs about wealth may have reflected coping mechanisms rather than truth
This reframing weakens the emotional charge and shows that the subconscious program was built on misunderstanding or misinterpretation.
Understanding the Program’s True Nature
Step 6: Recognize That the Program Isn’t “You”
Roe reinforces that detrimental programs are:
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Learned responses
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Attempts at self-protection
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Outdated coping mechanisms
Examples include:
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Learning anxiety
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Learning to tilt
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Learning to avoid effort out of fear
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Learning to fear success or visibility
Once recognized, these patterns lose power.
Taking Immediate Action
Step 7: Remove One Item From the List—Today
Roe ends the exercise with a call for decisive action:
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Pick one avoided task
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Take a concrete step toward completing it
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Use the momentum to begin shedding the “weighted vest” of limiting programs
This initiates a shift from passive awareness to active change.
Key Takeaways
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Subconscious programs are powerful but not permanent.
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Awareness dramatically reduces their influence.
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Most performance blocks are learned—not inherent traits.
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Reframing origin memories is a major step in dissolving resistance.
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Immediate action creates psychological momentum and aligns you with your goals.