Quote:
Originally Posted by Shai Hulud
While I would agree nearly everyone starts out bad, this is a byproduct of their approach to learning the game initially by trial and error, and there are other ways to learn the game.
I have never been a losing player. I never played cards growing up. My introduction to poker was watching the WSOP on ESPN. I thought to myself, this doesn't look all that hard. I could probably make money at this with enough preparation.
And I read several dozen books (mostly pirated ebooks) before I ever played a hand. This was largely because I was a college student with no money. I could afford 50 dollars to deposit into PokerStars. I was immediately better than break even and never dropped below 42 dollars and after a month was into the thousands.
I'm no poker prodigy. But I was able to win immediately through immense preparation and analysis every day I played. It's possible, just like a smart person could study chess openings and puzzles without ever playing a match and do quite well against the general population of chess players.
I reject the premise everyone starts out bad.
Well now, this is turning into a more interesting conversation.
SH, let me start out by saying, just like nozar, I've been following you a bit on the forum and have nothing but respect for you, at least from what you write.
Just so you won't think I'm trying to be a contrarian.
Actually, you're both right.
I totally agree with what you both say. I don't understand why people don't sometimes realize, every truth is sometimes multi faceted.
You were obviously an exceptional talent so to speak.
You're a lawyer right? Well, do you think everyone can be a lawyer?
Of course not. Just like in poker, just about anybody can learn it, sure, but few can become really good at it. And just like nozar said, most of us need the practice, and lot's of it.
Heck, I was a winning player in the beginning too. I had a natural talent for the game as well. My advantage over most players when I started was that I'm a cautious person by nature. I also love to study things. I have a bout 200 books on my shelves. When I first started out, I read a few things like, don't play trouble hands, call with a stronger hand an early position raiser and all that early poker theory. Then, when I started playing on the internet,
I was raising with A K and people kept calling me with K 3 and i was just printing money. Only thing, I thought I knew it all and stopped learning.
I didn't have true poker friends or a mentor.
I started struggling later and just stopped taking poker seriously.
So,yeah. People play for many reasons. I'm guessing for a lot of people,It's just like nozar said. They're trying to improve by playing more. Only, of course. most of them don't study enough or study the right way or approach the game wrong and will never get better.
It's always astounding to me, in this day and age, how so many people who play poker, with all that information out there, are still so poker ignorant.