When we get right down to it the formulation of some specific methodology might not be the right answer to the original question. It might come down to simple desire.

If we believe:

1) Beating low stakes poker isnt monumentally hard.

and

2) Most people cant beat low stakes poker.

Then it must follow that the reason most people arent winners at low stakes is that either they dont want to do what it takes to be winners, or they dont want to do what it takes to be winners badly enough.

It sounds really simple and abstract and not very interesting, but it might be the best answer.

We all know all the resources u need are there (we dont need to name them all). The real question is are you willing to put in the blood, tears, and time? If u are eventually youll do well, if youre not, no well formed hypothesis is going to help you.

Q:
A:
Desire.

Do you want it badly enough?

Then you might ask yourself: Should you want it badly enough? But thats another thread.

@SeeThomasHowl

Come on man, it's obvious that most on this thread is looking for the simplest autopilot script to follow, and cashing 10bb/hr on a constant basis.

Why would I play poker if I have to work just as hard, if not harder, than a real job?

You are ruining the fun.

This I agree with 100%. The resources are there for anyone to become a winning player, you just need the time and effort to become one.

Sidequestion: At my casino, (and I'm sure this is applicable to everyone), there are tons of these old (50-70) year old guys, who you can tell aren't rich, but are frequent regs at the casino. They are super nits, and are super obvious to any half decent player that when they are raising, they aren't doing it as a bluff. Sure, sometimes they get paid off by some idiot, but for the most part they leave tons of value on the table. Assuming they just can't be winning players (I mean once I saw this guy, flop a set, minraise a c-bet of $15 to $30, then check it behind for 2 more streets, on pretty non-threatening boards), how can they afford to be at the casino so often? Almost all of these guys aren't on 2plus2 or anything, so their knowledge is probably really basic. Granted I've only been at my casino for 4 months now, so maybe these guys come in cycles when they finally go broke, but am I missing something here?

If they're there, why do you care?

I'm just curious.

I always thought about stuff like that myself. How do losing regs continue to be regs?

I always figured that those guys just have some hidden wealth from retirement savings or whatever. You really have no way of knowing how "rich" somebody is.

I mean, yeah I agre for the most part. The only reason why I say they aren't rich is that my area is not super wealthy, they don't dress particularly well, and it is pretty obvious why they are so scared of big bets, b/c that is real liferoll money that has a lot of value outside of poker.

Wealth isn't defined by how well you dress or where you live, those are misconception projected in the latest generation.

Plus they may be budgeting their daily spending, something that our latest generation also knows very little about.

This is why that book "Thr Secret" made so much money. Tons of struggling people out there looking for one easy answer to lifes problems.

Maybe if we put our heads together we could come up with our own LLSNL version of "The Secret" and sell it to players who cant beat 1/2. Then spend the rest of our lives trying not to feel like scumbags.

Some people play because they've nothing better to do, and, often for them, break-even is the desired result. After all "it's just a game" and if you won too much too often, then you'd have to change your perspective of life, which is too tough to do at that age; it's easier to try not to lose.

Lol, are you one of those older players? I don't mean to offend you, this is just an observation.

And, yes it is wrong to assume that everyone who is rich, dresses well and lives in a nice area. I'm just saying, having pokerstoved these characteristics, my assumptions are a favorite against the range of these players (haha). Maybe 1-2 of them are wealthier than they appear, but I would safely shove that >80% of this particularly group of nitregs are not that wealthy.

I am fairly young, although older comparing to most of you.

As you get older, but not significantly wealthier, you will realize that none of the perception of wealth matters.

It's better to have money in the bank than look like you have money in the bank.

This isn't my argument, and you're missing the point entirely. Sure maybe I am mis-stereotyping a few of them, but the majority of these group of players I have observed, I am almost positive are not rich.

When all your friends and family are dead, youre retired, have had a quadruple bypass, and are too old to drive or have sex, having an activity (pokerz?) to keep you occupied is a vital component in your daily struggle not to insta-die. These guys arent trying to win or lose, theyre just trying to exist. The funny thing is I see a lot of these guys at 1/2 and theyre proabably about b/e or so. Thats how badly people play in those games.

This probably is the right answer. I guess if you played super super tight, and allowed yourself to get bluffed all your marginal hands, but were still able to get paid off on your big hands, you could be breakeven, or a small loser over the long run. I mean its always mind boggling, when you see these Nits, limp-call, check-minraise, Bet turn, bet river, and have someone pay them off, meanwhile all you can think is (TP IS NO GOOD, PLEASE DON'T GIVE CHIPS TO THE GUY WHO WILL NEVER PAY ANYONE ELSE OFF).

This winter term, MIT offered its first course designed to teach students to beat and play poker. Wasn't a dig at what you said, just a reference to that

You have to be built for it, rolled for it, and put in the hours. Very few are built for it. even fewer are rolled for it.

This is all you need to know...you never need to read a book or a single word of poker strat. You will breakeven for 1000 hours straight at some point if ur durr level. if ur the goofy, watching the football game, ill have one beer, no schedule, tilty type it will be 2000 hours and thats if your a 5bb/hr winner!

First, I forgot who, but someone mentioned The Secret. The book, in it's most basic sense is simply about being positive and having a strong desire to succeed without letting anything hinder you, which could in a sense be applied to poker, and just about anything else in life. It's simply an optimistic approach to life, which a LOT of people need in the world. The POKER secret would be the same thing really...how bad do you want it?

All of this makes me think of a business book...Good to Great by Jim Collins which tracks businesses that made the leap from good businesses to great businesses. The same applies to poker I think. A large majority of poker players will simply settle for being GOOD players. That is, settling for break-even results, reading occasionally, talking about poker occasionally, so on. But to be a GREAT poker player requires a lot of similar things that flow in line with the business ideas presented in the book. That is, to be a GREAT player, you need to start with the right principles, get rid of your bad habits/leaks, then start slowly transforming.

It takes a large amount of small adjustments and perseverance to become great. You don't simply set out saying "i'm going to be great" but rather simply do what you know is best for your company (or your play in this case). Then before you know it you're becoming more and more profitable. Constant fine-tuning and the same practices of improvement keep you constantly honing your ability to become better and better and better.

I"m a little tired so I apologize if that's a little scattered.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WbS9jZOlQjc

All I have read is the OP post but this is my two cents...

To be successful live...

1. First and foremost you have to be at table where you KNOW you have an advantage (at least 75% of the table.) If you sit at a ten person table then you should know you're better than 7 of the players within the first half an hour to an hour. If you're are at a tough table, SWITCH TABLES, find the fishies.

2. While playing B&M be friendly, but constantly be thinking and analyzing what each player tendencies are and how the react. If you know someone is a NIT or Call-Station don't bluff them! If they're maniac or the gambley type or are call-stations value town them but know when you're beat. THINK WHILE YOU PLAY.

3. Know when to stop or take a break during a session. Me personally I can only sit for about 4 to 5 hours until i start feeling fatigued, hungry, or no longer have patience. Either stop take a half an hour break or go home and call it a night.

4. Last tip ... never show emotion when you're playing. Don't get too mad when you get donked on the river and never celebrate when you win. Just insist that you're are lucky and carry on.

After You Play ...

5. After you're done playing think about your session. Don't be result oriented. Discuss it with a good poker buddy if you can. Think what you could have done different to optimize your winnings. Post a hand on 2+2 if you have to. You get some great advice from people on how to play hands. People will give you different advice you just have to figure which one best fits you and the villain you would have been playing.

All these tips are about being successful rec. players or are above break even players.

Last tip:

The money you're playing with should be disposable income. If you're playing with your rent money or money you cant afford to lose DO NOT PLAY, it effects your decision making. If your playing full-time play within your stakes and look up a Bankroll Management forum.

Now if you want to become a pro that's a whole other story.

Quite funny. Thanks!

This is the most accurate post on this thread. GG.

Sorry to be so late to the party, but I just discovered this thread. Have to admit that I am slightly disappointed. There is tons of advice, but not really a pathway. Let me attempt to describe a pathway.

First. Learn Short Stack Strategy... I know most of you are cringing right now, but please be patient with me. There are many advantages for beginners using this strategy. The buyins are small; the strategy is simple; the number of hands played is small; and the disadvantage of being inexperienced is minimized. So basically a beginner can risk less, and learn the game playing a few hands.

The next step is to learn how to set mine. There will be a few times when, even with a short stack, set mining is appropriate. You become introduced to the concept of implied odds. As you get more comfortable, you can increase your stack size and these opportunities are more plentiful. At about this level you can try your hand at a squeeze play or two.

Using the same concept, you can add a few more chips and your stack will be large enough to play some suited connectors.

As your buy-in keeps getting larger, so does the number of hands you can play in specific situations. The whole time - starting from day one - you are learning aspects of the game... position, relative hand strength.

As you learn more post flop plays, you learn how important a deeper stack is to post flop play. You can learn the semi bluff and how important fold equity is. You can also learn how to isolate and take it down post flop using plays like the float.

Using this method, the more experienced and advanced you become, the more hands you end up playing. That is why I laugh when the advice I see is to simply play fewer hands. If you are backing down on your starting hand selection, you should be backing down on stack size too.

This

Be real with yourself.
Keep a detailed log of your sessions.
play straightforward. bum hunt.
Stay humble.
be friendly. don't talk poker lingo.
choose tables with loose passive chatty players.
Have a winning image. If you recently lost a lot of hands change tables start again.
Don't moan about how unlucky you are or berate bad players. You should actually mention how lucky you are and every time you end up bet folding or know someone sucked out on you act like you were bluffing.
Tell reverse bad beat stories of how lucky you got.
Have a stop-loss.
Discuss hands with poker playing friends, read and actively post on the forums, study, subscribe to podcast and videos.
Splash around or appear to be splashing around.
Don't play tired, sick, or drunk.
Be real with yourself.