How can i become a much better poker player?

Scorpio274

Hi im a big poker nut (would never be able to just stop playing) so i thought i may aswell be good at it! problem is that i am a poor player. i have started play very small stakes in order to hopefully learn and build up slowly but im losing consistently (overall im level on my balance from what i started with due to my luck on the old roulete). Everytime i try to be aggresive i seemed to get called and lose and when im conservative everyone folds when i have a good hand. so my question is what is the best way for me to learn about poker and become a more profitable player?  Thanks

Talon

  A couple of things aotomatically come to mind in response to your post.


  Firstly do not make the mistake of considering results in whether or not you have played well. It is all too easy to play a hand perfectly and lose or badly and win.

 Secondly you should always think about everything you do in a hand and know your reasonings for doing it. Why are you betting/folding etc. If you do not have a reason for an action other than i might be good or i might get lucky then it is bad play.

 Thirdly you need to be aware of pot odds and bet sizing for when you do make any action in order to get your opponent to do what you want them to do.

  The best way to improve to begin with would be to play some low stake DYM's or even low stake deepstack tournies. These give you the chance to learn at less cost thean other ways.Also if there is something you are not sure of then post here in the clinic with either a specific question or a hand you want to be helped on.

 Hope this is of some help

ZedsDeadBa

Hello Scorpio,

I think it depends what kind of person you are, if you're the academic type then read books, get involved in the sky poker clinic, watch coaching videos, study poker forums and try to implement new ideas one at a time into your game.

On the other hand if youre anything like me then the more I study the more I lose, the less I study the more I Win. I play and learn by experience!

In fact it gets so bad that I'll only poke my nose in here maybe just one or two days a month for fear of destroying my bankroll, but of course thats just me! I think the majority of people are clever enough to put into practice that which they read.

Either way I would say the best way is patience and baby steps, dont try to learn everything immediately.

percival09

The key to success in poker?

Get rid of roulette.

liamboi11

In Response to Re: How can i become a much better poker player?:

The key to success in poker? Get rid of roulette.
Posted by percival09

red or black lol

BigMikeDBC

Definitely read books!!

Scorpio274

In Response to Re: How can i become a much better poker player?:

  A couple of things aotomatically come to mind in response to your post.   Firstly do not make the mistake of considering results in whether or not you have played well. It is all too easy to play a hand perfectly and lose or badly and win.  Secondly you should always think about everything you do in a hand and know your reasonings for doing it. Why are you betting/folding etc. If you do not have a reason for an action other than i might be good or i might get lucky then it is bad play.  Thirdly you need to be aware of pot odds and bet sizing for when you do make any action in order to get your opponent to do what you want them to do.   The best way to improve to begin with would be to play some low stake DYM's or even low stake deepstack tournies. These give you the chance to learn at less cost thean other ways.Also if there is something you are not sure of then post here in the clinic with either a specific question or a hand you want to be helped on.  Hope this is of some help
Posted by Talon

This was very helpful thank you. I think as i said i need to think more about what i want the other person to do and then work out how can i make them do it.

GELDY

In Response to Re: How can i become a much better poker player?:

The key to success in poker? Get rid of roulette.
Posted by percival09

this really is key, and applies to the poker as well. don't regard it as gambling, but as a strategy game, and never, ever, supplement the bankroll for one with winnings from the other.

you think you are playing ok - maybe your bet sizing is wrong - maybe you're not playing position well enough - who knows? So pick some hands where you thought you played really good, win or lose, and post them in the clinic. For sure there will be someone willing to comment on your play.

PS the comments may be very direct, and hence hurt a little, but are usually from peeps trying to help

gl on the tables

ajs4385

1) dont try and win
2) enjoy it
3) practise
4) play cash games

Glenelg

Hi Scorps,

Some good advice (esp from Talon)  I've been playing for about 18 months and realised very quickly that poker is a REALLY simple game to learn but a VERY difficult to master.  Also, the more you learn the more you realise you don't know!  ;-(

I'm a low stakes MTT & STT player who is definitely getting better so my advice would be get as much poker for your £ as possible.  There is a £1:10 deepstack at 7:45 every night where you can get 3 or 4 hours poker and learn a lot.  The next day review key hands in HH and any your not sure of, post in "The Clinic" for advice from the experts.  Read the other posts in the clinic.  Some can be very advanced but some pop up where you'll go " oh yeah I do that".  In addition to this there are quite a few sites with poker strategy documents from basic to advanced (Google is your friend).  Have a read of some of these.  I bought a couple of books and am in the process of re-reading these.  (Harrington on Hold'em 1 & 2)  There are others but after seeking advice from a few regs I decided these fitted my needs.  I also sometimes watch  the big tourneys on SKY e.g. I pick a player who usually runs deep and watch their table/play.  It's time consuming but it's very educational.  Hope this helps.. run good.

grantorino

Think about every single action you take and have a reason for every action

Read books

Read and post in forums

Play cash games if you want to develop your game imo, although they may not be the most profitable form of poker for you

MkeItRain

The best advice to offer has really already been said, playing, thinking and watching poker as it's being played is the single best way to improve. You said you are currently a poor poker player, there is absolutley nothing wrong with that, everyone who is a good poker player, at some point in their lives were a weak player. Poker's a great game, so many subtle nuances to it you could be playing for years before you could actually be a profitable player, it takes time, don't rush it, just play stakes you're comfortable to play and enjoy playing, it's a game afterall! You'll find yourself getting into learning about the game and excited about improving if you're loving playing, and not stressing out about winning or not.

The advice I give people when they ask me how to improve is to really think every move you make through, ask yourself these questions before you do anything,

"Why am I about to do X, Y or Z"

"What are my opponents thinking about my hand right now"

"What do I want them to do, how do I make them do it"

Question every decision you make, if you cant tell yourself why you did something, the chances are you've made a mistake in your thought process somewhere. 

Everything has to have a reason, if you make a call/fold/bet or anything just for the sake of doing it then it DOESN'T need doing.

To be a successful player you have to build yourself your own unique "Poker Personality" this will be the result of a combination of players you have spoken to, watched, video's you've seen, articles you've read that really clicked with you, everyone will have a method of learning and developing they prefer. Your interpretation of everything you've soaked up will define your poker personality, your own style and approach to the game and once this is developed the oppurtunity to learn and improve at a much faster rate will present itself.

It takes time, enjoy the process.

gl