Hi Tikay, Just wanted to say that i appreciate the changes to the tournaments . Prefer the £1000 gtd tournaments against the rebuys. Hopefully, £1000 velocity will return soon! keep up the good work! Enjoying myself.
Hi, Thanks for the response, although the man himself dint speak!!lol ... I’ve looked on you tube and there are some good videos of multi tabling on there, But is it right in saying the guys who are muti tabling aren’t really playing proper poker are they...??? All the tips/books/advice that you give on sky poker may as well be thrown out the window cuz this ant how poker should be played....thats me anyhow!!There are just 2 many tables to know what’s going on. You can’t possibly get reads/tellsoff players when playing like this...all the big boys in sky poker are doing this is not the kind of poker I want to be playing and for that reason I have cashed out and gone elsewhere(for now). Enjoyed my time learning with sky as this was my first site but now off to pastures new...thanks..
In Response to Re: Ask Tikay? : Poker bots are actually computer programmes written to play poker. They do not calculate anything related to Random Number Generators but work using algorithms written to try to produce near optimal play. They vary in sophistication but are largely predictable (and hence exploitable by good players) due to their nature. Poker sites routinely monitor action to make sure that these types of programs are not used. Some inexperienced players claim that their use is much more widespread than it actually is because they cannot understand how a human being can play so many concurrent tables. However, if you look on a well known video hosting site, you will be able to find many videos of people playing staggering numbers of tables. You can rest assured that the players who seriously multi-table on Sky Poker are real human beings. You can even meet some of them if you turn up at a Sky Poker Tour event. Posted by MereNovice
Hi, Thanks for the response, although the man himself dint speak!!lol ... I’ve looked on you tube and there are some good videos of multi tabling on there, But is it right in saying the guys who are muti tabling aren’t really playing proper poker are they...??? All the tips/books/advice that you give on sky poker may as well be thrown out the window cuz this ant how poker should be played....thats me anyhow!!There are just 2 many tables to know what’s going on. You can’t possibly get reads/tells off players when playing like this...all the big boys in sky poker are doing this is not the kind of poker I want to be playing and for that reason I have cashed out and gone elsewhere(for now). Enjoyed my time learning with sky as this was my first site but now off to pastures new...thanks.. Benny In Response to Re: Ask Tikay? : Posted by benny4560
You're welcome. I believe that Tikay is offline until at least Tuesday so it you don't mind, I'll see if I can answer a few of your points.
Firstly, I'm very sorry to hear that you are thinking of playing elsewhere. I think that you'll find that a lot of players multi-table on any site that you join. It's just the way that online poker works. Generally they play higher stakes than us social players. If, like me, you play poker for fun you will find lots of games on Sky Poker where people are just playing to relax and have a good time. Some of these games are advertised in the forum and are good fun. In my experience no other site comes near Sky Poker for a friendly game.
With regard to how these players play poker - you're right they can't play optimally once they play on a huge number of tables. However, they are generally very experienced and very good at what they do. It works for them because they can make more money playing 12 tables well than by playing 2 tables perfectly. In theory, this is a good thing for the rest of us because you can look on it as them giving us a chance.
MENTOR IDEA - Might get slagged off something rotten with this idea, but I'm fairly new to poker and the sky community so take it easy on me. I've won a tournament with over 50 people in and come in the top 50 quite a few times with starting numbers of 300-500, but have had an idea where you, Tikay, or one of the well known players (Gliterbabe, Gibb etc....I don't know many) could become a mentor of mine and then we can see if I improve over the coming months.
Would just involve the mentor having my table open so they can see my plays now and again and advise where I went wrong and how I could improve my play. Would be very interesting if I started finishing higher in the tournaments. Sky Poker could follow my improvement...or plateau.
Would be like Obi Wan Kenobe and Luke Skywalker....as long as I don't end up finding out that Tikay is my father.
Any thoughts or takers? ...Come on Tikay, show the world you can train an apprentice up and pass on the your skills.
MENTOR IDEA - Might get slagged off something rotten with this idea, but I'm fairly new to poker and the sky community so take it easy on me. I've won a tournament with over 50 people in and come in the top 50 quite a few times with starting numbers of 300-500, but have had an idea where you, Tikay, or one of the well known players (Gliterbabe, Gibb etc....I don't know many) could become a mentor of mine and then we can see if I improve over the coming months. Would just involve the mentor having my table open so they can see my plays now and again and advise where I went wrong and how I could improve my play. Would be very interesting if I started finishing higher in the tournaments. Sky Poker could follow my improvement...or plateau. Would be like Obi Wan Kenobe and Luke Skywalker....as long as I don't end up finding out that Tikay is my father. Any thoughts or takers? ...Come on Tikay, show the world you can train an apprentice up and pass on the your skills. Posted by haddockman
Hi Haddock,
Firstly, you asked not to be flamed, but as you saw from the other thread, there's a wealth of negativity amongst poker players. Just ignore it.
As an idea for a Show, not likely in the near term.
We did a "Total Player", & as as you saw on th other thread, plenty peeps knocked it. But it was our first attempt at something very innovative, other Sites have not even attempted it, & to be honest, while far from perfect, it ticked all the boxes it was designed to tick, was a commercial & Community success, & produced a decent winner. In fact, the top three were nigh inseparable, & have all shown themselves to be very decent players - DanTB10, Nutter5932, & Sparcey. Poker is full of people who "knock", "you shoulda done this that or the other", but talking is easy, "doing" is not.
We have plans to do it again, & if so, it will be improved. However, I feel VERY strongly that, ideally, the Mentors should be "ours", drawn from our Community, & I think there is a good selection of potential & perfectly competent Mentors playing here these days. There is only so much room & Budget in the free-to-air Channel 865, so I doubt a parallel Promotion is do-able in the near future.
Now, to Mentoring you.
It sot of depends where you are in Poker, as to ability & experience, & where you want to get. From what I can see, you mainly play £5 Tourneys here.
So, here's the criteria.
1) I'm assuming you are a newbie to Poker, & relatively inexperienced.
2) I assume you just want to enjoy your Poker, & have no unrealistic illusions as to making a living at it.
3) I'm assuming you are receptive to new ideas, willing to learn, & able to learn new things. The phrasing of your Post suggests you will be just fine.
4) I'm assuming you will ignore all the 5 bet nonsense & "Level 5" stuff. We are talking £5 & £10 Tourneys, & at that Level, you don't need or want those, err, "skills". Poker is a very simple game, & you just need to have certain basics drilled into you.
If alll those assumptions are correct, I can & will improve your game dramatically, such that you do not lose money at poker. There is no fee. We need to agree where to do it, or whether it can be done "remotely". (Quite possible).
You'll have to pardon the mini-chirp, & I don't discuss these things often, but I have provided this "Mentoring " service to scores, possibly hundreds, of "Level 1 Newbies" down the years, many of them here at Sky Poker. Every single one of them benefited instantly via improved Results, & none lose money at poker any more. I never charged any of them a penny, the pleasure is in helping others. You ain't gonna become a Tom Dwan or a Sam Trickett, but you'll enjoy poker for years, & never lose a penny piece over time.
Where do you live, as a matter of interest? Drop me a PM, & we'll sort something.
In Response to Re: Ask Tikay? : Hi Haddock, Firstly, you asked not to be flamed, but as you saw from the other thread, there's a wealth of negativity amongst poker players. Just ignore it. As an idea for a Show, not likely in the near term. We did a "Total Player", & as as you saw on th other thread, plenty peeps knocked it. But it was our first attempt at something very innovative, other Sites have not even attempted it, & to be honest, while far from perfect, it ticked all the boxes it was designed to tick, was a commercial & Community success, & produced a decent winner. In fact, the top three were nigh inseparable, & have all shown themselves to be very decent players - DanTB10, Nutter5932, & Sparcey. Poker is full of people who "knock", "you shoulda done this that or the other", but talking is easy, "doing" is not. We have plans to do it again, & if so, it will be improved. However, I feel VERY strongly that, ideally, the Mentors should be "ours", drawn from our Community, & I think there is a good selection of potential & perfectly competent Mentors playing here these days. There is only so much room & Budget in the free-to-air Channel 865, so I doubt a parallel Promotion is do-able in the near future. Now, to Mentoring you. It sot of depends where you are in Poker, as to ability & experience, & where you want to get. From what I can see, you mainly play £5 Tourneys here. So, here's the criteria. 1) I'm assuming you are a newbie to Poker, & relatively inexperienced. 2) I assume you just want to enjoy your Poker, & have no unrealistic illusions as to making a living at it. 3) I'm assuming you are receptive to new ideas, willing to learn, & able to learn new things. The phrasing of your Post suggests you will be just fine. 4) I'm assuming you will ignore all the 5 bet nonsense & "Level 5" stuff. We are talking £5 & £10 Tourneys, & at that Level, you don't need or want those, err, "skills". Poker is a very simple game, & you just need to have certain basics drilled into you. If alll those assumptions are correct, I can & will improve your game dramatically, such that you do not lose money at poker. There is no fee. We need to agree where to do it, or whether it can be done "remotely". (Quite possible). You'll have to pardon the mini-chirp, & I don't discuss these things often, but I have provided this "Mentoring " service to scores, possibly hundreds, of "Level 1 Newbies" down the years, many of them here at Sky Poker. Every single one of them benefited instantly via improved Results, & none lose money at poker any more. I never charged any of them a penny, the pleasure is in helping others. You ain't gonna become a Tom Dwan or a Sam Trickett, but you'll enjoy poker for years, & never lose a penny piece over time. Where do you live, as a matter of interest? Drop me a PM, & we'll sort something. Take care now. Posted by tikay1
People were just being realistic. Why would one of the top players want to spend time improving another players game for no reward? And maybe for that player to one day be playing against them and take their money. Makes no sense. Clearly you have more money then sense or just alot of time on your hands to tutor him for nothing. I take my hat off to you sir.
In Response to Re: Ask Tikay? : People were just being realistic. Why would one of the top players want to spend time improving another players game for no reward? And maybe for that player to one day be playing against them and take their money. Makes no sense. Clearly you have more money then sense or just alot of time on your hands to tutor him for nothing. I take my hat off to you sir. Posted by 5toneFace
You could not be more wrong, & I'm very sad to hear you say that. Do you never consider helping others for no financial reason other than a feel-good vibe? I was very disappointed in the general tone of that thread last night, to be honest, but I recognize that we are all different.
The guy is a recreational player. He's not there to bust anyone, it's just his hobby ffs! Jeeez, you boys......
I am not, of course, a "top player", but I'll guarantee you this - if it helps, I WILL get a top player to help in this matter, & he'll do it at "no fee", & because he wants to. Want a wager on that?
In Response to Re: Ask Tikay? : You could not be more wrong, & I'm very sad to hear you say that. Do you never consider helping others for no financial reason other than a feel-good vibe? I was very disappointed in the general tone of that thread last night, to be honest, but I recognize that we are all different. The guy is a recreational player. He's not there to bust anyone, it's just his hobby ffs! Jeeez, you boys...... I am not, of course, a "top player", but I'll guarantee you this - if it helps, I WILL get a top player to help in this matter, & he'll do it at "no fee", & because he wants to. Want a wager on that? PS - You have a PM. xx Posted by Tikay10
this is why i play here, even if it is badly at times - your respnse Tikay that is thank you for your response on my thread Tikay. mentoring sounds interesting, but i doubt anyone has the time to get improvements into this thick skull! and no comments about welsh please!!!
Well IMO people in the thread were just being realistic. I often get asked advice on poker from players in the sky community and from other poker backgrounds. I'll always give them advice......for free. But I wouldnt spend time and potential loss of me winning, from not playing, to watch over them play for a few hours. I was once a recreational player aswell. I learnt the game from different sources. Now I play Fulltime. If I can, why cant anyone else? And as I said, fair play if you are willing to tutor people for free. Your one in a million. There arent many who would do that. Thats all I got to say. GL Yourself and Haddockman
Well IMO people in the thread were just being realistic. I often get asked advice on poker from players in the sky community and from other poker backgrounds. I'll always give them advice......for free. But I wouldnt spend time and potential loss of me winning, from not playing, to watch over them play for a few hours. I was once a recreational player aswell. I learnt the game from different sources. Now I play Fulltime. If I can, why cant anyone else? And as I said, fair play if you are willing to tutor people for free. Your one in a million. There arent many who would do that. Thats all I got to say. GL Yourself and Haddockman Posted by 5toneFace
I would also love to benefit from coaching but do understand the gist of the post on the forum. I am not surprised that the view of a winning player taking time out from winning money to help someone else doesn't really appeal.
How about as an idea in the future, having a label attached to a players name showing they would LIKE to receive constructive(?) critisism? (this could be in place of location for instance?).
Also have a few "good" (how u would measure this I have no idea, my only clue is I dont qualify) volunteers labelled as constructive critisers {is that a word?}.
I would personally love for someone more experienced to point out where I am going wrong, leaking chips etc. (any buyers? lol)
Sorry to ramble but I find "educational" stuff is very difficult to put into place - not because of the content but what to do in between. All TV Poker is guilty of this (865 included) ie it shows "interesting hands" ie where 2/3 people hit the flop big time etc - I can understand this as its watched mainly for entertainment value, but lets face it, this isnt going to help you understand how to grind your £20 up to £50 for instance.
I'm a bit tied up right now, lot of stuff going down tonight, but I'll reply in the morning if I may.
For now, though, there is much merit in your Post, though, so "watch this space".
Also, you/we all need to remember something. Poker players think institutionally, they see things others write & they just accept it, sort of peer pressure.
So, I say this. The notion that we, any of us, should not lend a helping hand along the way to others "because they might become a pro & take our money" is tosh & nonsense.
I'll prove that by throwing you a few questions, with some clues as to the answers. All hypothetical numbers, of course.
Q1. How many players do you think are Registered as Sky Poker players? Clue - well into 5 figures.
Q2. How many players on this Site are genuine Pros, who make a living at poker? Clue. Think in dozens.
Q3. So what % of players who seek a little help are likely to be a threat to the Pros? Clue. Think in hundredths of one per cent.
So the chances of it harming us by giving a little advice is almost zero.
How long does it take to turn a complete newcomer into a player who will never lose (or make much) money at poker? An hour, tops, maybe half an evening.
Anyways, I'll reply to the thrust of your Post tomorrow. I guess you are really saying, some players might, in effect, want to wear an "L-Plate", so as to seek advice, helps, & hints. That, I like.
I've been inundated by PM's from "top players" wanting to help, by the way. It's all good.
GREAT question Ploppy. I'm a bit tied up right now, lot of stuff going down tonight, but I'll reply in the morning if I may. For now, though, there is much merit in your Post, though, so "watch this space". Also, you/we all need to remember something. Poker players think institutionally, they see things others write & they just accept it, sort of peer pressure. So, I say this. The notion that we, any of us, should not lend a helping hand along the way to others "because they might become a pro & take our money" is tosh & nonsense. I'll prove that by throwing you a few questions, with some clues as to the answers. All hypothetical numbers, of course. Q1. How many players do you think are Registered as Sky Poker players? Clue - well into 5 figures. Q2. How many players on this Site are genuine Pros, who make a living at poker? Clue. Think in dozens. Q3. So what % of players who seek a little help are likely to be a threat to the Pros? Clue. Think in hundredths of one per cent. So the chances of it harming us by giving a little advice is almost zero. How long does it take to turn a complete newcomer into a player who will never lose (or make much) money at poker? An hour, tops, maybe half an evening. Anyways, I'll reply to the thrust of your Post tomorrow. I guess you are really saying, some players might, in effect, want to wear an "L-Plate", so as to seek advice, helps, & hints. That, I like. I've been inundated by PM's from "top players" wanting to help, by the way. It's all good. Posted by Tikay10
I look forward to your reply
The "L-Plate" - sumed up what I was ramblng on about in 1 1/2 words - what a star
tikay i think this is a great thing you doing for haddock.
I agree that helping players is the only way to improve the game, and introduce more people. I owe alot to a few players for where i am today, ok i still donk off loads when i tilt, but i know if i need help with that their just an IM/PM away. Theyve let me barage abuse at them and had a go when ive appoligied because it wasnt there fault the guy rivered his striaght/flush/low outer. One player who i hold as a dear friend took it extremely badly off me one night, h was watching the table as i got runner runnered (1 outer to get a 1 outer), I went crazy at him, he said take a break mate (advice i should have taken may i add).
When i lose it all these people now are still there, its like a family. We all play different levels but we all support eachother, offer eachother advice and it works, but as it happens i wouldnt be half the player i am now.
Ok so im still at the bottom level, but thats because i need to work persoanlly on my mental state and my BRM, which is a point lJAMESl made last night.
However i ask these players who say taking time out to teach someone is bad for "business". Once that player you trained comes up the levels someone comes and takes their place at the lower stake, then maybe the player you trained brings a friend, maybe that friend gets lucky in a tournament, or maybe they just have money, they sit down at a cash table opposite you, who pays your wages guys ?
I read 'that' thread with a bit tongue last night and have now read your reply on here. Thank you.
I understand you are busy tonight and also probably very busy making the teas in moving week, but if you get the chance tomorrow, could you possibly take another look at the 'boot camp' thread in announcements?
I fully understand your work commitments and the time you need to set aside to manage TSP but I personally feel the ideas on there would encapsulate some of your ideas and also assist some players who are seeking advice/help in their game. It could even, with a bit of tweaking and agreement from a member or a few of the TSP team, be combined to promote Sky Poker.
Its just a thought which may or may not see anything come of it but I, as you well know, will always try to encourage/help the 'smaller' BR players out and would really hope some of the 'bigger boys' would possibly see the benefits of this with your input.
Adam (Haddock), Ploppy, Alan, Don, etc, bear with me please, I'll reply to everyone soonest, but it won't be this evening. However, lots of things are moving along nicely.....
Just to put in my 5p's worth I play mainly on the live circuit and I have found that most pro players are more than happy to talk about hands and help other players review their game. Paul Jackson runs free mentoring sessions to those who know him - I'm going to one next weekend and he's not asking for a penny - he just loves teaching and helping.
Whats in it for him? He's a nice bloke and enjoys the game. He makes an exceptional living from it - check out the youtube video of him and Phil Ivey heads up in the Monte Carlo Millions - but he still has time to help and mentor others.
Cynics may say that he keeps people playing because they improve and feel they are doing better and it brings money into the game - nothing wrong with that imo - as long as we are enjoying it.
I sat next to Paul in a game in Luton once and his mentoring kept me in the game to third place and £30k. He was delighted that he had helped towards it. I've offered to give him money in the past and he has always said no.
I guess there is never something for nothing - so Paul told me that by helping others he reviews his play more and verbalises what it is he is thinking and doing and that helps him - and he is a pro player and admits he still needs to review his game. Peoples questions can throw a new light on a hand that he hadn't thought about before and he learns from that.
He's a nice bloke, great player, great mentor to the poker community and has probably won more than all of us put together (well maybe!). I think we can learn from that?
Comments
Hi Tikay,
Just wanted to say that i appreciate the changes to the tournaments . Prefer the £1000 gtd tournaments against the rebuys. Hopefully, £1000 velocity will return soon! keep up the good work! Enjoying myself.
Hi, Thanks for the response, although the man himself dint speak!!lol ... I’ve looked on you tube and there are some good videos of multi tabling on there, But is it right in saying the guys who are muti tabling aren’t really playing proper poker are they...??? All the tips/books/advice that you give on sky poker may as well be thrown out the window cuz this ant how poker should be played....thats me anyhow!!There are just 2 many tables to know what’s going on. You can’t possibly get reads/tells off players when playing like this...all the big boys in sky poker are doing this is not the kind of poker I want to be playing and for that reason I have cashed out and gone elsewhere(for now). Enjoyed my time learning with sky as this was my first site but now off to pastures new...thanks..
Benny
In Response to Re: Ask Tikay?:Firstly, I'm very sorry to hear that you are thinking of playing elsewhere. I think that you'll find that a lot of players multi-table on any site that you join. It's just the way that online poker works. Generally they play higher stakes than us social players. If, like me, you play poker for fun you will find lots of games on Sky Poker where people are just playing to relax and have a good time. Some of these games are advertised in the forum and are good fun. In my experience no other site comes near Sky Poker for a friendly game.
With regard to how these players play poker - you're right they can't play optimally once they play on a huge number of tables. However, they are generally very experienced and very good at what they do. It works for them because they can make more money playing 12 tables well than by playing 2 tables perfectly. In theory, this is a good thing for the rest of us because you can look on it as them giving us a chance.
Here endeth the commercial.
Would just involve the mentor having my table open so they can see my plays now and again and advise where I went wrong and how I could improve my play. Would be very interesting if I started finishing higher in the tournaments. Sky Poker could follow my improvement...or plateau.
Would be like Obi Wan Kenobe and Luke Skywalker....as long as I don't end up finding out that Tikay is my father.
Any thoughts or takers? ...Come on Tikay, show the world you can train an apprentice up and pass on the your skills.
I'll respond in the morrning, as I'm in a bunch of Tourneys right now, it's 8.23pm & I only just woke up. The first one started at 8pm......
Catch you in the morning, Mr Haddock.
Firstly, you asked not to be flamed, but as you saw from the other thread, there's a wealth of negativity amongst poker players. Just ignore it.
As an idea for a Show, not likely in the near term.
We did a "Total Player", & as as you saw on th other thread, plenty peeps knocked it. But it was our first attempt at something very innovative, other Sites have not even attempted it, & to be honest, while far from perfect, it ticked all the boxes it was designed to tick, was a commercial & Community success, & produced a decent winner. In fact, the top three were nigh inseparable, & have all shown themselves to be very decent players - DanTB10, Nutter5932, & Sparcey. Poker is full of people who "knock", "you shoulda done this that or the other", but talking is easy, "doing" is not.
We have plans to do it again, & if so, it will be improved. However, I feel VERY strongly that, ideally, the Mentors should be "ours", drawn from our Community, & I think there is a good selection of potential & perfectly competent Mentors playing here these days. There is only so much room & Budget in the free-to-air Channel 865, so I doubt a parallel Promotion is do-able in the near future.
Now, to Mentoring you.
It sot of depends where you are in Poker, as to ability & experience, & where you want to get. From what I can see, you mainly play £5 Tourneys here.
So, here's the criteria.
1) I'm assuming you are a newbie to Poker, & relatively inexperienced.
2) I assume you just want to enjoy your Poker, & have no unrealistic illusions as to making a living at it.
3) I'm assuming you are receptive to new ideas, willing to learn, & able to learn new things. The phrasing of your Post suggests you will be just fine.
4) I'm assuming you will ignore all the 5 bet nonsense & "Level 5" stuff. We are talking £5 & £10 Tourneys, & at that Level, you don't need or want those, err, "skills". Poker is a very simple game, & you just need to have certain basics drilled into you.
If alll those assumptions are correct, I can & will improve your game dramatically, such that you do not lose money at poker. There is no fee. We need to agree where to do it, or whether it can be done "remotely". (Quite possible).
You'll have to pardon the mini-chirp, & I don't discuss these things often, but I have provided this "Mentoring " service to scores, possibly hundreds, of "Level 1 Newbies" down the years, many of them here at Sky Poker. Every single one of them benefited instantly via improved Results, & none lose money at poker any more. I never charged any of them a penny, the pleasure is in helping others. You ain't gonna become a Tom Dwan or a Sam Trickett, but you'll enjoy poker for years, & never lose a penny piece over time.
Where do you live, as a matter of interest? Drop me a PM, & we'll sort something.
Take care now.
Clearly you have more money then sense or just alot of time on your hands to tutor him for nothing. I take my hat off to you sir.
The guy is a recreational player. He's not there to bust anyone, it's just his hobby ffs! Jeeez, you boys......
I am not, of course, a "top player", but I'll guarantee you this - if it helps, I WILL get a top player to help in this matter, & he'll do it at "no fee", & because he wants to. Want a wager on that?
PS - You have a PM.
xx
thank you for your response on my thread Tikay.
mentoring sounds interesting, but i doubt anyone has the time to get improvements into this thick skull!
and no comments about welsh please!!!
I was once a recreational player aswell. I learnt the game from different sources. Now I play Fulltime. If I can, why cant anyone else?
And as I said, fair play if you are willing to tutor people for free. Your one in a million. There arent many who would do that.
Thats all I got to say. GL Yourself and Haddockman
How about as an idea in the future, having a label attached to a players name showing they would LIKE to receive constructive(?) critisism? (this could be in place of location for instance?).
Also have a few "good" (how u would measure this I have no idea, my only clue is I dont qualify) volunteers labelled as constructive critisers {is that a word?}.
I would personally love for someone more experienced to point out where I am going wrong, leaking chips etc.
(any buyers? lol)
Sorry to ramble but I find "educational" stuff is very difficult to put into place - not because of the content but what to do in between. All TV Poker is guilty of this (865 included) ie it shows "interesting hands" ie where 2/3 people hit the flop big time etc - I can understand this as its watched mainly for entertainment value, but lets face it, this isnt going to help you understand how to grind your £20 up to £50 for instance.
GREAT question Ploppy.
I'm a bit tied up right now, lot of stuff going down tonight, but I'll reply in the morning if I may.
For now, though, there is much merit in your Post, though, so "watch this space".
Also, you/we all need to remember something. Poker players think institutionally, they see things others write & they just accept it, sort of peer pressure.
So, I say this. The notion that we, any of us, should not lend a helping hand along the way to others "because they might become a pro & take our money" is tosh & nonsense.
I'll prove that by throwing you a few questions, with some clues as to the answers. All hypothetical numbers, of course.
Q1. How many players do you think are Registered as Sky Poker players? Clue - well into 5 figures.
Q2. How many players on this Site are genuine Pros, who make a living at poker? Clue. Think in dozens.
Q3. So what % of players who seek a little help are likely to be a threat to the Pros? Clue. Think in hundredths of one per cent.
So the chances of it harming us by giving a little advice is almost zero.
How long does it take to turn a complete newcomer into a player who will never lose (or make much) money at poker? An hour, tops, maybe half an evening.
Anyways, I'll reply to the thrust of your Post tomorrow. I guess you are really saying, some players might, in effect, want to wear an "L-Plate", so as to seek advice, helps, & hints. That, I like.
I've been inundated by PM's from "top players" wanting to help, by the way. It's all good.
The "L-Plate" - sumed up what I was ramblng on about in 1 1/2 words - what a star
Hope all goes well at the tables tonight sir.
I agree that helping players is the only way to improve the game, and introduce more people. I owe alot to a few players for where i am today, ok i still donk off loads when i tilt, but i know if i need help with that their just an IM/PM away. Theyve let me barage abuse at them and had a go when ive appoligied because it wasnt there fault the guy rivered his striaght/flush/low outer. One player who i hold as a dear friend took it extremely badly off me one night, h was watching the table as i got runner runnered (1 outer to get a 1 outer), I went crazy at him, he said take a break mate (advice i should have taken may i add).
When i lose it all these people now are still there, its like a family. We all play different levels but we all support eachother, offer eachother advice and it works, but as it happens i wouldnt be half the player i am now.
Ok so im still at the bottom level, but thats because i need to work persoanlly on my mental state and my BRM, which is a point lJAMESl made last night.
However i ask these players who say taking time out to teach someone is bad for "business". Once that player you trained comes up the levels someone comes and takes their place at the lower stake, then maybe the player you trained brings a friend, maybe that friend gets lucky in a tournament, or maybe they just have money, they sit down at a cash table opposite you, who pays your wages guys ?
I read 'that' thread with a bit tongue last night and have now read your reply on here. Thank you.
I understand you are busy tonight and also probably very busy making the teas in moving week, but if you get the chance tomorrow, could you possibly take another look at the 'boot camp' thread in announcements?
I fully understand your work commitments and the time you need to set aside to manage TSP but I personally feel the ideas on there would encapsulate some of your ideas and also assist some players who are seeking advice/help in their game. It could even, with a bit of tweaking and agreement from a member or a few of the TSP team, be combined to promote Sky Poker.
Its just a thought which may or may not see anything come of it but I, as you well know, will always try to encourage/help the 'smaller' BR players out and would really hope some of the 'bigger boys' would possibly see the benefits of this with your input.
Regards,
Alan
Adam (Haddock), Ploppy, Alan, Don, etc, bear with me please, I'll reply to everyone soonest, but it won't be this evening. However, lots of things are moving along nicely.....
Whats in it for him? He's a nice bloke and enjoys the game. He makes an exceptional living from it - check out the youtube video of him and Phil Ivey heads up in the Monte Carlo Millions - but he still has time to help and mentor others.
Cynics may say that he keeps people playing because they improve and feel they are doing better and it brings money into the game - nothing wrong with that imo - as long as we are enjoying it.
I sat next to Paul in a game in Luton once and his mentoring kept me in the game to third place and £30k. He was delighted that he had helped towards it. I've offered to give him money in the past and he has always said no.
I guess there is never something for nothing - so Paul told me that by helping others he reviews his play more and verbalises what it is he is thinking and doing and that helps him - and he is a pro player and admits he still needs to review his game. Peoples questions can throw a new light on a hand that he hadn't thought about before and he learns from that.
He's a nice bloke, great player, great mentor to the poker community and has probably won more than all of us put together (well maybe!). I think we can learn from that?
Just my 5ps worth.