Why do seemingly good players loose?

[Friedrich888]

probably playing for entertainment or on tilt.

[CarlSpackler]

It seems like it doesn't get brought up nearly enough, but a lot of people play poker for the same reason people play craps, slots, roulette, etc. -- action. They just look at poker as general gambling, and treat it as such.

What fun is it to wait around for premium hands? They came to the casino to have fun. This is their mindset.

While many people enjoy the solitary action of playing video poker, others prefer the social dynamic of live poker. And a lot of these people are going to play as many hands as possible, because they want to be in the action, but that doesn't neccessarily mean they're absolutely horrible post flop (although most of them are).

Many novice poker players are decent-good preflop players, but horrible postflop. While the opposite of this player is not nearly as common, there are plenty of players out there who fit the profile as decent-good postflop players, but are horrible preflop.

[Philo]

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She did fold to heat after the flop many times but she played well over 80% of her hands to see the flop and never folded to a preflop raise with money already in.



[/ QUOTE ]

I disagree, seemingly good players are never that loose.

[Brad1970]

[ QUOTE ]
It seems like it doesn't get brought up nearly enough, but a lot of people play poker for the same reason people play craps, slots, roulette, etc. -- action. They just look at poker as general gambling, and treat it as such.

What fun is it to wait around for premium hands? They came to the casino to have fun. This is their mindset.

While many people enjoy the solitary action of playing video poker, others prefer the social dynamic of live poker. And a lot of these people are going to play as many hands as possible, because they want to be in the action, but that doesn't neccessarily mean they're absolutely horrible post flop (although most of them are).

Many novice poker players are decent-good preflop players, but horrible postflop. While the opposite of this player is not nearly as common, there are plenty of players out there who fit the profile as decent-good postflop players, but are horrible preflop.

[/ QUOTE ]

I agree with this & have 1 thing to add. When is the last time you sat down & watched televised poker & saw DN, the Grinder, or any other pros who have "flopitis" fold nearly every hand & wait on the premium ones?

Monkey see, monkey do.

[Ocho]

[ QUOTE ]
Character flaw...some people's life script are to be losers at life.


[/ QUOTE ]

True. There WAS a pretty regular 5-150 player at casino arizona who was a top-notch reader... one of the best readers i've seen at CA. However, he would call someone's hand, announce that he knew he was beat, and make a crying call almost every hand he was involved in.

I talked to him one day and asked why he continued to make calls on the river when he'd consistantly make correct reads.

His answer, in short, was that he has a self destructive personality. Even though he KNEW he was beat, he still "had to call." Being skilled at reading is only half of the equation of being a good poker player.

BTW - I haven't seen him around for a good 8 months. Go figure.

[binki]

thanks all. it occured to me while reading your posts that maybe she was just lonely and this gave her something to talk about or to do.

[pyedog]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
She did fold to heat after the flop many times but she played well over 80% of her hands to see the flop and never folded to a preflop raise with money already in.



[/ QUOTE ]

I disagree, seemingly good players are never that loose.

[/ QUOTE ]

Negreanu claimed to be playing (and raising) 75% of his hands at the WSOP ME last year. And he claimed his table was so soft that this was actually profitable, and I don't think this was on the bubble either.

I didn't believe him, and assumed he was either exaggerating, lying or being delusional, but he did make that claim several times in his blogs and ended up doing pretty well in the event.

[Frond]

I agree that a lot of people see a lot of pros on tv playing trash hands and try and emulate them which is a really bad idea(for me anyways). How many hands have you seen of HSP where there are 5 or more limpers before someone raises? Perhaps some who are good PF think they are just as good post and can't lay a hand down.

[SplawnDarts]

[ QUOTE ]

Negreanu claimed to be playing (and raising) 75% of his hands at the WSOP ME last year. And he claimed his table was so soft that this was actually profitable, and I don't think this was on the bubble either.

I didn't believe him, and assumed he was either exaggerating, lying or being delusional, but he did make that claim several times in his blogs and ended up doing pretty well in the event.

[/ QUOTE ]

I think it was literal truth.

DN, temporarily, got on a table with a bunch of sad sacks, scared money, and easy reads. Why not raise every hand against them in deepstack NL? How's someone who you can read like a book possibly going to do any serious damage to you in that format?

Later on, though, one decent player landed at his table and DN didn't adapt, and it ruined his day.

[bernie]

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I agree that a lot of people see a lot of pros on tv playing trash hands and try and emulate them which is a really bad idea

[/ QUOTE ]

Alot of those 'pros' on tv shouldn't be emulated simply because they suck.

b