Share your experience of getting someone else involved in poker.

[Reef]

took a friend from a $5 BR at .02/.04 to 2/4 in about 3 months. I think he ran good which helped.

[runout_mick]

A friend of mine (about a year ago) kept pestering me to teach him to play. I knew he wasn't really cut out for it, personality wise. He's got a fairly short temper, and I figured he'd be more prone to tilting.

After a few months of this, I got sick of hearing about it, so I figured I'd give him a crash course.

Over the course of a weekend, I supervised his online play. I explained situations as they arose. We went over all the basics (and the thinking behind the "basics") as they applied during his play.

He's quite argumentative and stubborn outside of poker, so you can guess what happened...


Maybe not...

He listened to, and understood, all I had to say. After the weekend he was playing winning low stakes nl hold'em. I pointed him to some books. He read and re-read them all, asking questions of anything he was vaguely unsure of.

Within a month he had rocketed to a very competitive level.

After a year, we usually travel to all the live events we play together, and split all profits. I'm not getting the bad end of that deal, as he's now at least as good as me even though we have developed different styles.


Long story short:

Teach him, you might be surprised.

Hope this helps...

[octop]

About ten of my friends have asked for help pretty much ignored it and swear online is rigged.

One of them has constanty asked me questions and Ive told him which books to read, helped him with bonus whoring and he is finally starting to be a decent player.
His attitude has completely changed from I cant belive the idiots I lose to bad beat stories to having intelligent discussions about poker and making sure he played the hand right rather than whether he got sucked out on. Im not saying Im a great player as I still have a lot to learn, but I think Ive definatly helped him a lot. I even have gotten him to stop doing his stupid sports betting parlays.

Finally another one of my friends basically talkeded me into trying poker becaue he knew of m y card counting background and figured I could learn poker even though he wasnt very experienced. Since then it has come full circle. I have gone pro and he is starting to play a ton of hours and has been very successful . I am still better than him, but since we play very different styles I have learned from watching him play.

[Dan BRIGHT]

ive been asked by a friend to teach him how to play, however he very likely lacks the discipline and desire to work at it and get good. He just wants quick money.

I treat poker as a sort of dark side jedi type thing. I dont want to train anybody that much unless im sure they wont fail the training, thus losing a bunch of their money and/or becoming a gambling addicted fish.

[Steven_Q_Erkel]

Getting friends/relatives seriously into poker is not a good idea, first, I wouldn't want to put anyone through a downswing...second, how much can you actually teach them? IMO "play tight" is the only useful advice you can give someone starting out, and bankroll management, the rest they need to learn through experience...and as the other guy said, people who come to you wanting to get into poker most likely see it as a get rich quick and aren't willing to put in the hours.

[12AX7]

I would not get someone else involved in poker. Unless I really, really, hated them.

LOL!

That being said. If they've *already* decided. Then I'd try to point them to the right books.

[belgianbeerlover]

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He's got a fairly short temper, and I figured he'd be more prone to tilting.


[/ QUOTE ]

[ QUOTE ]
He's quite argumentative and stubborn outside of poker

[/ QUOTE ]

Interesting, sounds exactly like my brother. Those attitudes, coupled with his addictive personality have made me reluctant. But Ive also felt that if he can reign those characteristics in and use them selectively- they could serve him very well.

[Big Bend]

I've tried to help 4 different people play winning poker. None has done it yet. My neighbor's wife hates me cause her husband has lost quite a bit. One of my best friends from highschool after 2 years still can't win consistently. I've given them books, lessons, played side-by-side online showing them what I've learned.. nothing seems to stick. Bottom line is that 90% of poker players are losers no matter what you try to teach them. Best to avoid getting involved.

L8r.. BB

[Aces McGee]

I've done this twice. Each time, my friends started watching poker on TV and, knowing I played, started talking with me about it. Once I saw that they seemed dead set on playing, I felt an obligation to them to help them out a bit; I'd have felt awfully guilty if my friends went broke and I didn't take any steps to prevent it.

One friend, who I met at work, did pretty well. I leant him TOP and advised him on some other books, and we discussed hands and concepts every once in a while. He mainly played no-limit sit 'n' gos, and I play neither no-limit nor sit 'n' gos, so I was of limited help, but I was able to explain concepts like value betting and things like that to him. He understood it pretty well, though ultimately stopped playing when he hit his first downswing, because it ceased being fun for him and as a new father, he didn't have a ton of time.

It hasn't worked as well with my second friend, a guy I've known since I was in eighth grade and who is a very close buddy. I gave him TOP as a present and told him I had other recommendations when he was finished, but he went and bought Helmuth's book on his own. He plays too big for his very limited bankroll, has busted out on a couple of occasions, and I know for a fact that poker has caused a rift in his very new marriage. I am not sure he is cut out for serious playing, and I very much wish he hadn't started, but I'm afraid that he's far too hooked now to stop.

-McGee