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Question of the day...

Sky_PokerSky_Poker Member Posts: 2,715
edited November 2013 in Poker Chat

Inspired by a discussion in the Sky Poker office - if you were given the job of coaching a player to become a winning online poker player...
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Comments

  • Sky_PokerSky_Poker Member Posts: 2,715
    edited November 2013

    Feel free to explain your reasoning.
  • Sky_DaveSky_Dave Member Posts: 3,288
    edited November 2013
    I'd say it's roughly the same but *slightly* easier to teach someone from scratch. Why? Because old habits die hard and to change the way you've been playing (badly) for a while takes a lot of self discipline.

    The disadvantage the new player has is that they don't have the 'points of reference' from their poker experience.
  • GELDYGELDY Member Posts: 5,203
    edited November 2013
    as in

    build a new house or
    fix the leak in the roof of an old one?

    would need to be a pretty big leak to make the former option easier - but if it isn't fixable........

  • peter27peter27 Member Posts: 1,637
    edited November 2013
    Teaching a losing player because you wouldn't have to spend time teaching them the basics such as the hand rankings.

    Often a losing player only needs one tweak to become a winning player - you would just need to find where they are going wrong. Having said that, I'm still learning myself so I'm probably not the right person to be teaching poker just yet xD
  • Tikay10Tikay10 Member, Administrator, Moderator Posts: 174,811
    edited November 2013

    Teaching a losing player is MUCH more of a challenge, but an enjoyable one.

    Many of them blame other problems for their results. The challenging part is getting them to accept that they need to look at themselves, their own game, & not worry about what other people do, bad luck, outdraws, etc.

    Teaching a new player to play, assuming they have the ability to listen, & learn, is one of THE most satisfying things ever. They learn, then off they go, & you know they will have, literally, a lifetime of fun ahead of them, at little or no cost. Very satisfying. 

    In fact, both options are intensely satisfying. What is not to like about helping others, or at least trying to?   
  • patwalshhpatwalshh Member Posts: 772
    edited November 2013
    Probably exactly what Tikay said above.
  • MAXALLYMAXALLY Member Posts: 17,666
    edited November 2013


    Still looking for the options to...

    Teach your Grandma to suck eggs or teach an old dog new tricks!

    However, I would go with teaching a losing playing rather than a new player as they have the fundamentals in place already.

    Or....whatever Tikay is saying in the office, I will go with the opposite!
  • GELDYGELDY Member Posts: 5,203
    edited November 2013
    but isn't that apples and oranges Tikay

    surely we have to assume both "have the ability to listen, & learn" otherwise it isn't much of a question

  • DUNMIDOSHDUNMIDOSH Member Posts: 1,473
    edited November 2013
    iT SHOULDN'T MATTER WHETHER THE PLAYER IS NEW OR LOSING.
    wHAT MATTERS IS WHETHER THE PLAYER HAS A POSITIVE MENTAL ATTITUDE AND WANTS TO LEARN!

    EGOS ARE THE HARDEST THING TO CHANGE
  • DOHHHHHHHDOHHHHHHH Member Posts: 17,929
    edited November 2013
    In Response to Re: Question of the day...:
    iT SHOULDN'T MATTER WHETHER THE PLAYER IS NEW OR LOSING. wHAT MATTERS IS WHETHER THE PLAYER HAS A POSITIVE MENTAL ATTITUDE AND WANTS TO LEARN! EGOS ARE THE HARDEST THING TO CHANGE
    Posted by DUNMIDOSH

    This. 

    Helping a poor player with a good mental game/attitude become a break even or small winning player has to be very easy.

    Helping a good player with a lot of ability but a poor attitude is nigh on impossible.

    Unless you're a psychologist maybe.

    Even they'd struggle with Don!
  • Sky_PokerSky_Poker Member Posts: 2,715
    edited November 2013

    Agreed but lets assume they both had those traits in equal measures, would it still be equally difficult (or easy!) to teach them.
  • Lambert180Lambert180 Member Posts: 12,197
    edited November 2013
    Does depend on attitude, willingness to learn etc but I think it'd much easier to teach someone from scratch. Some people who have played for a long time just have a lot of flaws in the thinking process (for instance... wanting to bet bigger to avoid getting outdrawn when betting smaller may get called wider and will be more +EV in the longterm but does increase our chances of being outdrawn) and it can be really hard to wipe them from their mind.

    Definitely rather start with a fresh slate
  • DOHHHHHHHDOHHHHHHH Member Posts: 17,929
    edited November 2013
    In Response to Re: Question of the day...:
    Does depend on attitude, willingness to learn etc but I think it'd much easier to teach someone from scratch. Some people who have played for a long time just have a lot of flaws in the thinking process (for instance... wanting to bet bigger to avoid getting outdrawn when betting smaller may get called wider and will be more +EV in the longterm but does increase our chances of being outdrawn) and it can be really hard to wipe them from their mind. Definitely rather start with a fresh slate
    Posted by Lambert180

    Start afresh/clean slate.

    Donism :D
  • Lambert180Lambert180 Member Posts: 12,197
    edited November 2013
    In Response to Re: Question of the day...:
    In Response to Re: Question of the day... : Start afresh/clean slate. Donism :D
    Posted by DOHHHHHHH
    Sigh, you're right, what's happened to my brain
  • a00rocka00rock Member Posts: 832
    edited November 2013
    Defo a new broom sweeps clean someone with no preconceptions would be easier to instruct.
  • DAVEYZZDAVEYZZ Member Posts: 1,651
    edited November 2013
    Don't do it!.....I taught a cocky young guy how to be a winning player at the poker league I run on a Friday..
    Now he owns me most weeks!

    Edit...every week.
  • SlipwaterSlipwater Member Posts: 3,708
    edited November 2013
    In Response to Re: Question of the day...:
    Teaching a losing player because you wouldn't have to spend time teaching them the basics such as the hand rankings. Posted by peter27
    Well, perhaps that is why they are.
  • shakinacesshakinaces Member Posts: 1,590
    edited November 2013
    Where does someone sign-up for said teachings anyway? :)

    I'd imagine the new to game person would be easier, because they wouldn't have any plays ingrained on their poker brain, things which have become instinctive and they would frequently still do in-game (with minimal thinking time) even though they would recognise the error / sub-optimal play when watching their session back and discussing small errors.

    Assuming that that the new to game person has the enthusiasm for it... I've tried getting some mates into poker so we can get to a decent number for a home game, but they just don't get the buzz.  I guess that may also be the case if you teach a newbie the game, they miss the more 'fun' (degen) element associated with diving in at the deep end without any study!
  • SlipwaterSlipwater Member Posts: 3,708
    edited November 2013
    I can't imagine that teaching my mum how to play (who knows nothing about poker) could possibly be easier than 'rebooting' any losing player in the world!
  • tomo_efctomo_efc Member Posts: 716
    edited November 2013
    In Response to Re: Question of the day...:
    Don't do it!.....I taught a cocky young guy how to be a winning player at the poker league I run on a Friday.. Now he owns me most weeks! Edit...every week.
    Posted by DAVEYZZ
    THANKS DAVE...
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