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To study poker or not!
Goody_Ace
Member Posts: 206
in Poker Chat
I am the very definition of a recreation player. I play for fun first and if I win anything - it's a bonus.
I've never read a poker book or studied theory.
I have watched pro players that comment on what and why they are playing the way they do and enjoyed it.
But, their way is not my way.
In fact I have watched a certain pro build up a massive amount of money by grinding over 8 hours a day and becoming quite wealthy through it. I've also often seen him - when he loses a big hand or is kicked out of a tourament, lose his temper badly.
No, that's not for me.
But the point is. I don't do bad overall. (I'm probably a losing player in the long run due to the large learning curve)
I used to play in tournaments that were far to big for my skill level and be far too eager to chip up too early.
Recently, I have 'final tabled' quite a lot even winning last nights 18:05 £2.20 BH for about £50 odd quid (there were only 70 players last night) This without ever reading a book or studying anything - just experience and instinct.
Is it worth reading up or might that spoil what I have?
I've never read a poker book or studied theory.
I have watched pro players that comment on what and why they are playing the way they do and enjoyed it.
But, their way is not my way.
In fact I have watched a certain pro build up a massive amount of money by grinding over 8 hours a day and becoming quite wealthy through it. I've also often seen him - when he loses a big hand or is kicked out of a tourament, lose his temper badly.
No, that's not for me.
But the point is. I don't do bad overall. (I'm probably a losing player in the long run due to the large learning curve)
I used to play in tournaments that were far to big for my skill level and be far too eager to chip up too early.
Recently, I have 'final tabled' quite a lot even winning last nights 18:05 £2.20 BH for about £50 odd quid (there were only 70 players last night) This without ever reading a book or studying anything - just experience and instinct.
Is it worth reading up or might that spoil what I have?
Comments
There is no doubt if you study you will ‘get better’ at the game, but at what cost?
You say you play for fun, and that in itself is a good thing, zero expectations with a possible reward on the horizon.
Studying and taking the game ‘more seriously’ changes expectations, it’s human nature.
It is not just a question of study, or not study. There is a world in between.
You want to treat poker as an enjoyable hobby. Great. But that doesn't prevent you from studying at all.
I don't recommend treating it like anything other than a hobby. But, in its way, you are already studying. But not in a way that looks like work-it is part of your enjoyment.
You already have the right balance-you do a certain amount of work on your game. Without it detracting from your enjoyment. And without it seeming like "study".
Hope you keep enjoying it.
If you are enjoying it, you are already a winner. Most hobbies cost money, poker is no different.
Leave well alone I say.
It's beyond staggering how many poker players don't really enjoy poker, & get the curly lip out when they fail to win or take beat. Don't ever go there.
If you enjoy poker but don't enjoy studying then probably just enjoy the game... I just find it more fun when I make money from a game I already enjoy.... you don't get that with chess.
If you would like a free one on one lesson for 30 mins an hour drop me a message and we can arrange and you can see if you enjoy the teaching side of it without any cost.
^^^^ fantastic gesture by Danny @Itsover4u & it's not the first time he's offered free coaching.
I never study personally and do ok. I just pay attention to the latest trends and counter them.
It will all depend on what life commitments you have eg family loved ones other hobbies study if pursuing a qualification work commitments etc.
does the level of poker study significantly impact on that?
A friend of my Dads thought that some intensive coaching might improve me to where by 16 or 17 years of age I could play off scratch and target the good amateur events with a view to maybe trying for a card for one of the lesser tours.
By the time I was 15 I was playing off 12 and by 16 I had binned the coaching and given up all hope of ever being even a scratch golfer and was off 14 and hated the game, giving it up for good in my mid 20s and playing between 16 and 20.
I hadn't played for over 30 years until I recently went along with a friend because he nagged me into making up a foursome. Their kit was all Gucci with carbon fibre this and titanium that. Their shoes didn't even have spikes.
My old kit was all steel shafts, wooden, woods, spiked shoes etc. I shot a 98 and loved every minute of it. Possibly even enough to get me back playing.
Over study and coaching spoilt both my game and the game. Playing it for fun, for that one great shot in a sea of mediocrity was brilliant.
If you love what you're doing leave it as it is. if your mindset alters you always have the option of study later.
I do alot of study in poker myself but the reason for that is I keep on trying to move up the limits. A £2.20 MTT has a totally different field to a £220 MTT.
If I was gonna stick to £2.20 MTTS for ever I would not do much study because I can play a face up game knowing those fields just think about their hand. But in a £220 MTT field the players are stronger give ranges, making it more important to study ranges, board dynamics and run outs.
When it comes to study itself it is easy to over study and put so many different ideas into your head, I do that alot. the issue with this is you make more mistakes that you did because you never sure about your actions. it's important to just study specific spots at a time and repeatedly.
Do i think i would need to study to improve, the answer to this is yes. and maybe i should spend some time on it. i guess i have found my level and i am making do with it.
But would it help, i don't know and others have suggested above that maybe it could complicate your thought process, can you teach a old dog new tricks. Its possibly more important at low states to know your opponent and what they are likely to do.
The one thing you do need to do is take @Itsover4u up on their offer, the insight offered may sway you to getting the study books out.
Whatever you chose, good luck.
At 12, I was a golf club junior and the club pro used to give me lessons.
He said he saw something in me and we would often do 9 holes at the end of the day until it got too dark. He was actually picked and played by Tony Jacklin in the 1969 Ryder cup.
But dedication became a problem. Coming of age in the 70's was full of great distractions and golf was not the glamour sport it is now. So me and Alex Caygill parted company.
And to the point of this ramble. I took golf up again in my 30's and over a year or too I brought my handicap down to 12 but I wanted to reach scratch. So I paid for lessons.
I took 6 lessons initially and it was torture. Everything I did naturally, I was told was wrong. As I was addressing the ball, the pro would move my head, kick my feet further apart, grab my back and so on until I thought I was doing robotics.
My handicap got a lot worse and he told me that it would improve when my muscle memory kicked in..... it never did and I returned to my old style - and most importantly, I was happy with that.
Someone said that a £2.20 is a world apart from a £220 comp and that struck a chord.
I once won £500 on't osses - a yankee with sky bet and played two £110 tourneys.
reasoning, I was playing with their money. My theory was 'bide your time until good spots - and be patient. Blinking 'eck, you don't get chance to be patient. There were madmen out there (or so I thought) Every single hand, if you wanted to play it meant putting a big chunk of your chips in just to see a card.
This discussion has made me think solidly about what I want from the game.
And... I want what I have got. A enjoyable steady game.
Thanks for the offer of lessons but I'll respectfully decline.