AC-Cobra
The Poker Forum disease
by AC-Cobra on 11/30/07
I haven't written any strategy posts so far and I don't intend to as I believe I need to work on my game a lot more than I need to give anyone advice. However, I've noticed a phenomenon (mainly because a while back it happened to me) that could be deluding people as to the quality of their game.
Poker forums like the ones here at tworags and over at 2+2 can be incredibly useful tools in improving ones game if used correctly. Posting hands, commenting on other peoples hands and discussing general strategy on these forums is great. This is especially true as the level of thinking is often higher than general poker discussion in real life.
The problem I've witnessed is that many people who consider themselves to "belong" in these forums automatically assume that they are therefore a good player. A stage up from this is those who do at least manage to post in the strategy forums but seem to get stuck in a very poor way of thinking. These people rarely do the correct math (if any math) in analysing their hands and usually make random comments like "you can wait for a better spot" (this is my personal favourite as its heard all the time and is hardly ever correct).
What these people dont understand (and what I only have understood in the last six months or so) is that unless you're a poker whiz kid being good and, more importantly, consistently good in poker requires a lot of effort the same way being good at an academic subject or a sport would be. Reading books, carefully analysing hands (and tournaments as a whole), engaging in strategy discussion and, of course, regular experience are all vital to improving someones game and should never be neglected if someone wishes to progress.
Ok, that's the poorly worded advice over. I had my return to online poker after 2 months off last night. I decided to keep it mostly to 2/3 tables rather than my normal 4/6 and really focus on what I had spent re reading in HOH I & II and Theory of Poker. I managed to final table a 4/180 and go pretty deep in the 4ET 8 dollar MTT before getting royally brought back to earth when my AK full house managed to run into AA (gg me). I also went deep in the $5 6 max before blundering out around 28th as I was probably enjoying the Packers-Cowboys game a little bit too much. I feel like I'm thinking a lot more than I used to when playing now and it feels good. Here's hoping my foray into smarter poker brings me joy soon.
Thanks for reading if you made it this far.
AC
Poker forums like the ones here at tworags and over at 2+2 can be incredibly useful tools in improving ones game if used correctly. Posting hands, commenting on other peoples hands and discussing general strategy on these forums is great. This is especially true as the level of thinking is often higher than general poker discussion in real life.
The problem I've witnessed is that many people who consider themselves to "belong" in these forums automatically assume that they are therefore a good player. A stage up from this is those who do at least manage to post in the strategy forums but seem to get stuck in a very poor way of thinking. These people rarely do the correct math (if any math) in analysing their hands and usually make random comments like "you can wait for a better spot" (this is my personal favourite as its heard all the time and is hardly ever correct).
What these people dont understand (and what I only have understood in the last six months or so) is that unless you're a poker whiz kid being good and, more importantly, consistently good in poker requires a lot of effort the same way being good at an academic subject or a sport would be. Reading books, carefully analysing hands (and tournaments as a whole), engaging in strategy discussion and, of course, regular experience are all vital to improving someones game and should never be neglected if someone wishes to progress.
Ok, that's the poorly worded advice over. I had my return to online poker after 2 months off last night. I decided to keep it mostly to 2/3 tables rather than my normal 4/6 and really focus on what I had spent re reading in HOH I & II and Theory of Poker. I managed to final table a 4/180 and go pretty deep in the 4ET 8 dollar MTT before getting royally brought back to earth when my AK full house managed to run into AA (gg me). I also went deep in the $5 6 max before blundering out around 28th as I was probably enjoying the Packers-Cowboys game a little bit too much. I feel like I'm thinking a lot more than I used to when playing now and it feels good. Here's hoping my foray into smarter poker brings me joy soon.
Thanks for reading if you made it this far.
AC
Comments
EdmondDantes says
QFT, AC. It takes time and conscious effort to be a good player. And no matter how good anyone thinks they are...at anything, for that matter...there's someone somewhere working on trying to kick his ass. Be the one doing the kicking!11/30/07
Doylestown says
Nice post AC. It's when you're not thinking about the game while playing that you know you aren't playing to your full potential. Sounds like your return to the tourney scene was a successful one. Keep it going and never stop thinking!-Doyle-
11/30/07
Mr_Taterhead says
If someone wants to get better at anything that have to continue to learn. It doesnt matter if you learn by reading forums or by playing more hands, but dont ever stop learning.Good post
11/30/07
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