Never give up!
May 25th, 2019, by Natasha Tatta
Every poker player must wonder at some point what they can do to improve their game, and of course, improving your game means working towards getting results. Poker is a game of high risk and high reward, something you can easily lose sight of but probably need to always keep in mind. It isn’t for the faint of heart!
I remember when I started playing, I once suggested we should play one of our home games without money. Just distribute stacks of chips to everyone and whoever would have the most at the end of the night would win, without anyone losing any money. Besides, we were just playing for fun, right? Sound weird? To a novice, as I was then, it sounded feasible, but to an avid player like my husband, among others, to whom I had suggested, it was a terrible idea that in fact, made no sense at all. It wasn’t long until I could understand why it wouldn’t work. Can you imagine playing for free, or with chips that have no value? Or how about playing with fake money through poker apps? Surely you wouldn’t play the same with real money at stake. The financial aspect of the game itself, as well as the betting part of the game, are crucial factors you need to fully understand and accept to play poker well and hopefully gain from long term.
Of course, this may not apply to recreational players who just play occasionally for fun. And that’s fine, there will always be such players, just as there may be players, who despite only play every once in a while, still seek to play well. Especially nowadays, there is so much available content that if you’re truly interested, you have easy access to so much free information, and even more if you are willing to invest in coaching material. In fact, most professional players I hear, all agree that the field has gotten much more difficult precisely for this reason. I remember a pro mentioning that today’s average amateur poker player is comparable to the skill level of an average good player of the 90s. And this rate will only improve, as the information continues to grow, and the players continue to learn. So, who is the professional poker player anyway?
A professional is one that engages in a pursuit or activity as a career, for a financial return. Someone engaged in a learned profession: a calling requiring specialized knowledge and often long and intensive academic preparation. A profession is a principal calling, vocation or employment. (Merriam-Webster Dictionary)
And “pro”, the shortened form of professional. I’m sure many will agree pro has that connotation of being an expert at something, which goes beyond the concept of simply a profession. So, a professional poker player after all, is not necessarily limited to one who simply earns a living from playing poker. Of course, there are many players earning a living from poker, and they are indeed professionals, but so are the numerous players who possibly have a side job, or a stable income, or perhaps neither of those and still play poker professionally. That is, with great expertise and extraordinary skills.
According to David Sklansky and Ed Miller’s No Limit Hold’em: Theory and Practice, the range of ability of poker players can be broken down into levels, more precisely, levels of thinking:
1st Level – What cards do I have?
2nd level – What do my opponents have?
3rd level – What do they think I have?
4th level – What do they think I think they have?
5th level – What do they think that I think they think I have? …
As the higher levels begin to get very complex, it is that sort of multiple-level-thinking that eventually becomes second nature for top-skilled players. The good news is that you can achieve this. Anyone willing to put in the effort, and the time, can achieve this. And you don’t need to be a pro who earns a living from poker. You can become a pro. Everyone has access to an excessive amount of top-player insights, and as the old saying goes… practice makes perfect!
Study when you’re not playing, by reading, by thinking over what mistakes you made or what you could have improved at your last session, through hand analysis with a poker calculator such as Flopzilla, and by listening to webinars and top-player podcasts. And take up every single opportunity that you have to put in the hours and play poker. You can study and read all you want, but it won’t mean much if you don’t play, and a get a feel for the game and a feel of your opponents. As Phil Ivey once mentioned “once you get to a certain level, it just boils down to living in the moment.” And I believe that you need to create those moments, they won’t come to you.
I’ve been on downswings where I just couldn’t afford to play more. Yet, it was never an excuse for me to stop playing. I would play more home games, or online micro games, or very low stake cash games and tournaments. Sometimes it means sticking to playing with rudimentary players, even if you would rather not (mostly because they gamble more than they actually play), but let’s face it, if you haven’t made yourself a bankroll to move up stakes, then you are most likely not ready to face a higher stake to begin with.
According to Ashley Adams from pokerology.com, “The fastest way to move up is to study a little, play a lot of poker, study a little, and play even more. At each level make sure to check your win rate or ROI – and if necessary, don’t be too proud to move down in limits.”
Another quote, from Nathan Williams at pokernews.com says “Many people make the mistake of thinking that if they just move up to higher limits where the regulars are better and “more predictable” that they will somehow be able to start winning. Sounds good in theory, but it is very inaccurate in reality.”
Therefore, use the hours of practice at the stake you can afford and concentrate on the game by blocking out what I call “the noise.” The noise can be a number of things when you’re playing: the smelly player sitting beside you, the low-class poker club you’re not so crazy about, the loud gambler player at the table, and so many other things that may highly bother you. Stop procrastinating, realize that you are there to play, to practice, to confront situations you want to be in a game. Stay concentrated on your game, block out the “noise” and just play, and play, until you have truly, honestly and comfortably out beaten your opponents and current stake.
Of course, this doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t take the plunge towards higher stakes whenever you do feel ready. But I think it’s important to keep in mind that to play poker successfully, like a pro, it requires never giving up! It takes emotional strength and stability to take in, to overcome and to grow from all the losses you will inevitably encounter. It takes self-motivation to realize that only you can make it happen, and the “noise” I have described will rarely ever be an issue, unless you stay concentrated, consistent, patient and disciplined by sticking to your plan, and never giving up! Such are the extraordinary skills of a professional poker player, and a winner.
“It’s hard to beat a person who never gives up” (Babe Ruth)