Many of you have probably seen the disclaimer at the top of some posts which says "grunch." For those of you who don't know what this means, it is simply a way to say that the poster is responding to the original thread topic, without having looked at the other responses given. I forget where the name came from, but I'm sure someone will pipe up about it in this thread.

I think that this is a very useful "tool," but I'll admit that I haven't done it often...well, pretty much never, except when I'm the first to respond. I'd like to change that, because I find that instead of concentrating on the HH and forming my own opinions about what to do, I often acquiesce to the popular opinion in the thread before adding my two cents. I think grunching forces us to think about the situation in more depth than we do by just reading the other responses.

So, every day for the next week, I commit to grunching the first five (new to me) hand histories on the page, regardless of whether the hand actually interests me or not. This will be the first thing I do when I log on. Additionally, after grunching, I will read all comments on that thread.

I urge others to participate in a similar fashion. Not only will it help you, but it will help the OP and perhaps get some discussions going that might not have otherwise been started. One note: if you don't give a "why" you suggest doing something, it doesn't count. No "fold pre. /thread" type posts.

Now, off to my five for today, Saturday, Feb 4th.

Great idea, I will join you and do the same. Also...

In a lot of posts I often find 50% of the population says "this is an easy fold", and the other 50% say "this is a easy call".

Obviously 50% of the population is completely wrong and 50% is completely right, both can't be right. So who is the OP supposed to listen to. I don't think a thread should be finished until the majority ~75% of the population agrees to a single correct play.

Day 1 has been successful, already....although I still have one more to do. I posted on one thread which I would have skipped previously, found that I made a fallible assessment and was corrected.

I like this idea. I don't have the time for 5 grunch / day, but I will grunch one.

Also, concerning this: I disagree: 100% of the population is mostly wrong, since a split opinion indicates that the decision isn't easy (at least for the OP).

sign me in

Cool. I suggest picking the one at the top of the list, so you don't cherry pick the easy ones.

or a random don't-pay-attention-to-the-title one would work, as well. That way we don't get the top five being bumped endlessly.

Gotta admit, I already do this most times. If I find myself lost in the hand and without a viable opinion, I just read the other posts and lurk.

I agree it doesn't help our games at all to read the responses. Grunching is the only way we develop.

Grunch
Bounty Hunter

Join Date: Aug 2004
Posts: 11,646

he rarely read responses when replying to threads and it became known as grunching

Saying "reading the responses doesn't help at all" is definitely wrong.
The only time it doesn't help is when you just mindlessly agree with the responses without analyzing them.

Grunch, I typically try to do this but will make even better efffort

I wasn't clear....this was my point. Or, letting the consensus form your opinion before you make up your mind.

ZqZeek has grunched again! I do appreciate this challenge. A question for those of you posting in this thread: What do you take to be your strengths and weaknesses, not at the poker table, but in the discussion forums?

I don't know anyone in here personally, and as I read now, I'm trying to learn who I think like, who I play like, who I would want to emulate in thinking and style.

My answer: I don't have a lot of experience at the table, but I think I can contribute meaningfully here by asking lots of questions. Most especially, I read a HH looking for what information the OP has left out that might be relevant to a given situation. So, when I grunch I'll give my thinking on a hand, but that will often be replicated by others. I less often find others asking the same questions as I do.

asking questions that get the op to possibly think about the situation in a different way is certainly helpful.

Setsy does this a lot.

Sorry guys, I've been sick the last couple days and didn't feel up to spending a lot of time on here.

Back on it tonight, though, and got my five grunches in.

Curious as to why you date your grucnhes when posts have a time stamp?
hehe ^_^