Join Date: Sep 2011
Posts: 10
This is my first post. As such it serves as my intro. But its also my theory. You see, I've been playing for about 30 yrs. But to my humility I must admit only been able to beat the game for about 5. Despite being under the advise of a player who beats it for 15. First cutting my teeth in low limit stud and then progressing through all the games and their veriations. Never consistantly beating any.
Looking back. I always knew the game, how to play it, and how to read a table. All that was second nature. Every trick, every bluff, every play, all transparent. But because of my arrogance, being a non believer, chasing, over betting, but most off all, my "poker god" idea that everyone was inferior. I never at the end of the month pulled ahead. It wasn't til I turned knowledge to wisdom that I finally could. That was a simple realization. That poker and life were one in the same. Hense my poker theory.
It just hit me one day as I was sizing up tables waiting for my name to be called from the list. My definitions were all wrong. You know, chaser, over better, non believer, or just the general goof afflicted with all the haunts that unable one to have a chance. Even the dreaded "tilt". These are terms that describe afflictions. Not stages of learning. We all had these, mastered them, and graduated to some higher level of poker affliction. To despise that would be to despise ourselves.
But that wasn't the revelation that changed me to beating the game. It just made me understand that poker was no different than anything else in life. It can't be taught. You just have to live it, grow with it, and in time with experience, become good at it. You never stop growing so it hadno master. Just evolves to some other beast to learn.
What turned my knowledge to wisdom and allowed descipline to take over. Was the highest degree to achieve at poker U. That was there is no such thing as a poker god. That the only difference between that goof over there and myself is degrees of discipline. The arrogance that I knew more, had more insight, or for some other reason that I was a superior player. Is my infliction. Do you really thing you know more than that old man who can't told a hand? Played more hands? Have more experience? Of course you don't. Then why does he do it? Because it's his nature. We all mature at different rates and he is mearly slower. You wouldn't bash a child for the same actions.
For some reason. In this revelation. Everything made sense. My poker god delution faded. And quit trying to win hands by force of will and every trick at my disposal because "I" was the superior player. And just played. Not judging, taking advantage of the mistakes, and getting it in when I had the best. Bad players make hands and just because they're playing bad due to one affliction or another doesn't mean theyre not intitled to it.
Everyone thinks tilt and decline are the things to master. They're wrong. It's our arrogance.
