I want to Poker Literally
Ok, so I've recently become obsessed with poker. I'm not exactly certain why, but I can point out a few reasons. Reason one, it's the biggest fad going right now. I try not to follow trends but what can ya do. Second, there's money involved and thirdly, I can do it in my underwear. Oh how I love to do things in my underwear! But this is different for me; I really genuinely love the game. I can hear all you reading this now. "Oh NO, this guy is done, he's going to gamble away his life". I've never really been a gambler, and I've only recently been to a real casino. Finding it a bit over done and can't bother with gay slots, BJ or any other weirdo games.
Yes poker is gambling. Or how I like to put it, poker is a bunch of small risks tied together into one BIG risk or gamble. Each small risk is determined through YOU and only you. You base your decisions on the data you collect. If you collect bad data, you make bad decisions. If you collect no data, you have no chance to make good decisions. If you're playing against someone who makes you make decisions, you're more likely to make bad ones then good. Small principles to observe here...
Due to various factors the amount of data out there now on poker is 100 fold what it was 10 years ago. This is why you see all these newbs in WSOP (world series of poker) making it to the final tables. There are copious amounts of books and articles on poker. I personally have read 2 already and on my third (Killer Poker/Killer Poker Online, by John Vorhanus and Psychology of Poker, by Alan N., Ph.D. Schoonmaker). Another more common phenomenon is online poker. Online poker is a very different game from the regular poker room games. Let's draw up a picture here. Say you want to play poker and you need to go to a casino to play. You first have to free up several hours of time, dress accordingly, have something to eat (no one plays good poker on an empty stomach), gas up the car and then drive there. Now you’re at the casino but still not playing poker yet. You have to sign up for a table and wait for that perfect table. Can you see all the steps one must go through to prepare for a poker game? Not only that, but when you’re at the casino you’re surrounded by poker people, attitudes, dealers, money, chips, and cards, all of which mentally prepare you weather your willing or not.
At home you can jump into any online game at any level at the click of a button. Preparation = ZERO. So let me ask you how many online players are really mentally prepared to play poker? The stakes that you play at will also determine how focused players are. There are many other factors that make the home player at risk. Distractions like radio, msn, email, T.V, phone, kids, laundry, dishes...the list never ends. Other factors that I've come to realize about online poker is the reality of it or the lack there of. You become very disconnected from the poker atmosphere you receive at the B&M rooms (Brick and Mortar). This leads to very loose, players that chase pairs, trips, straights draws and classic cally wallies. They seem to lose touch with that little counter that reads how much money they have. Once these players start to get beat up, the disconnection becomes like a vortex, spining so fast before they know it their money vanished. The catalyst of this vortex is the speed of online poker. It's has to be at least 2-3 times faster then real poker. This means your bad decision-making is amplified with online play. You have no time to recover from a ball call, bad raise or a check. Before you know it, the next hand is staring you in the face. For these reasons I believe there is money to be made here. If you’re a disciplined, focused player that knows the pitfalls of online play, you can develop quite the bankroll. It also pays to know all the edges of online play. You may think how can there be any...you can't even see the person. Well there are many and exploiting them is a must for successful winnings. Another extremely different and useful tool is the data you can collect from online play.
1. Access to every hand you ever-played
2. % Of flops played on BB, SM, Button, out of position
3. Pots won on showdown, won without showdown
4. Chat function (to annoy, distract, and manipulate other players)
5. Ability to watch and monitor other players These are all fantastic ways to improve your play.
First things first, you must document your own play. Be honest with yourself about poker. Why do you play? Before you sit down each time this question should run through you mind. Be honest about your wins/losses. Accept the fact that you can lose. Not only accept, it but also have the ability to learn from it.
Lastly I would like to point out the 5th method of data collection. Let me repeat it "Ability to watch and monitor other players". This is the path to consistent winnings. If you want to win, you have to play against weaker players. How do you find weaker players? You go to tables, watch and make a notebook of weak, average and strong players. Once you've established a decent book, you're ready to enter the online poker room. Enter the registry and find those fish that are so willing to throw away their money. If you come across a shark GET OUT! There is no reason you should stay there with him. He/she is better than you, accept it and move on. This is very hard for some players. They can't accept defeat, for some reason they feel they must win back that money, this is the worst decision a weaker player can make. That shark will make quick work of your bankroll. There is always a better game somewhere else. That's the beauty of online...click click and you're on another table. Let me say this one more time.
There is ALWAYS a better game somewhere else! Be patient and find it.
GG -Jospi
Yes poker is gambling. Or how I like to put it, poker is a bunch of small risks tied together into one BIG risk or gamble. Each small risk is determined through YOU and only you. You base your decisions on the data you collect. If you collect bad data, you make bad decisions. If you collect no data, you have no chance to make good decisions. If you're playing against someone who makes you make decisions, you're more likely to make bad ones then good. Small principles to observe here...
Due to various factors the amount of data out there now on poker is 100 fold what it was 10 years ago. This is why you see all these newbs in WSOP (world series of poker) making it to the final tables. There are copious amounts of books and articles on poker. I personally have read 2 already and on my third (Killer Poker/Killer Poker Online, by John Vorhanus and Psychology of Poker, by Alan N., Ph.D. Schoonmaker). Another more common phenomenon is online poker. Online poker is a very different game from the regular poker room games. Let's draw up a picture here. Say you want to play poker and you need to go to a casino to play. You first have to free up several hours of time, dress accordingly, have something to eat (no one plays good poker on an empty stomach), gas up the car and then drive there. Now you’re at the casino but still not playing poker yet. You have to sign up for a table and wait for that perfect table. Can you see all the steps one must go through to prepare for a poker game? Not only that, but when you’re at the casino you’re surrounded by poker people, attitudes, dealers, money, chips, and cards, all of which mentally prepare you weather your willing or not.
At home you can jump into any online game at any level at the click of a button. Preparation = ZERO. So let me ask you how many online players are really mentally prepared to play poker? The stakes that you play at will also determine how focused players are. There are many other factors that make the home player at risk. Distractions like radio, msn, email, T.V, phone, kids, laundry, dishes...the list never ends. Other factors that I've come to realize about online poker is the reality of it or the lack there of. You become very disconnected from the poker atmosphere you receive at the B&M rooms (Brick and Mortar). This leads to very loose, players that chase pairs, trips, straights draws and classic cally wallies. They seem to lose touch with that little counter that reads how much money they have. Once these players start to get beat up, the disconnection becomes like a vortex, spining so fast before they know it their money vanished. The catalyst of this vortex is the speed of online poker. It's has to be at least 2-3 times faster then real poker. This means your bad decision-making is amplified with online play. You have no time to recover from a ball call, bad raise or a check. Before you know it, the next hand is staring you in the face. For these reasons I believe there is money to be made here. If you’re a disciplined, focused player that knows the pitfalls of online play, you can develop quite the bankroll. It also pays to know all the edges of online play. You may think how can there be any...you can't even see the person. Well there are many and exploiting them is a must for successful winnings. Another extremely different and useful tool is the data you can collect from online play.
1. Access to every hand you ever-played
2. % Of flops played on BB, SM, Button, out of position
3. Pots won on showdown, won without showdown
4. Chat function (to annoy, distract, and manipulate other players)
5. Ability to watch and monitor other players These are all fantastic ways to improve your play.
First things first, you must document your own play. Be honest with yourself about poker. Why do you play? Before you sit down each time this question should run through you mind. Be honest about your wins/losses. Accept the fact that you can lose. Not only accept, it but also have the ability to learn from it.
Lastly I would like to point out the 5th method of data collection. Let me repeat it "Ability to watch and monitor other players". This is the path to consistent winnings. If you want to win, you have to play against weaker players. How do you find weaker players? You go to tables, watch and make a notebook of weak, average and strong players. Once you've established a decent book, you're ready to enter the online poker room. Enter the registry and find those fish that are so willing to throw away their money. If you come across a shark GET OUT! There is no reason you should stay there with him. He/she is better than you, accept it and move on. This is very hard for some players. They can't accept defeat, for some reason they feel they must win back that money, this is the worst decision a weaker player can make. That shark will make quick work of your bankroll. There is always a better game somewhere else. That's the beauty of online...click click and you're on another table. Let me say this one more time.
There is ALWAYS a better game somewhere else! Be patient and find it.
GG -Jospi
posted by Joseph at 12:31 PM
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