A Challenge To All Micros Posters (This Means YOU)

[Grunch]

How can you improve your game? What's the secret of success? You say you have been running forever with a winrate that is either flat or negative, and you just don't know why?

I know one reason why. It's becasue you haven't taken from these forums everything you could have.

Here's a common scenario. Someone posts a hand. You open the thread, and find a situation you aren't 100% certian you know how to deal with. Your'e smart and ambitious - that's why your'e here in the first place. You want to learn how to deal with this situation.

So you read the replies from the pooh-bahs that you respect. There are many to pick from, and maybe you got lucky and several of your favorite posters posted thier advice. You read thier advice and you think to yourself, "yeah, he's right. That's the right way to play that hand." You then move on to the next hand.

You have just learned exactly nothing. There's no way you can passively read the deluge of posts and recall every situation you've read about in the heat of battle.

So here's my challenge to you.

I challenge you to respond to 5 hand posts per day without reading any responses first. Just read the original post and then post a response. Then, and only then, look at the other replies. Resize the browser window so you can't see the first response, or even who the poster is. Click reply and start typing.

I guarantee - guarantee - that after 1 week of doing 5 threads per day, your game will improve noticably.

Now get out there and contribute. This goes for everyone.

Good luck.

[Gregatron]

I like this idea. I think many of the newer guys are doing this already, and have (as strange as this sounds) benefitted from being wrong.

[AlmightyJay]

I like this challenge. I can attest to the fact that everything Grunch Can said was true. My game improved a lot more after a few weeks of replying to threads than it did in months of reading them. Part of is the fact that you're actually thinking through things on your own, rather than just reading other people's thoughts. Then you're having your own thoughts commented on.

I'm going to take you up on this challenge!

[Token]

I accept.

BTW, is that a money-back guarantee? [img]/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img]

[jaxUp]

I agree with greg j on this one.


(Irony reply. I'm hilarious.)

[FreakDaddy]

I've thought that myself several times. Good to hear you say it. I'ts also important to look at the hand (not read any other posters) and state how you'd play the hand and why. Then if you want you can compare your answer to more experienced players. I've of course found that I've learned the most on answers that I've "screwed" up on. Oh, also challenging pooh-bahs that you think are wrong and stating why is another great way to learn! You'll probably learn you were wrong, BUT you'll fully grasp why you were wrong. Mucho imporante.

[rafct]

Actually I have been doing something more like this: first read the post with the hand, then realize what would be my play in all streets, and only after this take a look at the different replies. I dont feel like posting without seeing other stuff because I dont want to give a reply that is almost same as others, or I fear giving bad advice..

[Firefly]

I agree for shizzle mate. I just posted a hand and it's probally my 3rd in 2 weeks. I learn much more by just reading. Generally though, when the horse has been beaten i don't bother replying. Being an active poster has really helped my game, so it would follow that it should help others

[Zoelef]

[ QUOTE ]
[Usually] I dont feel like posting without seeing other stuff because I dont want to give a reply that is almost same as others, or I fear giving bad advice.

[/ QUOTE ]

What happens with me is I read the hand, then think "okay, I would do [what] differently because of [why] on [when]." Then I flat/show-all, and if it someone else already said it, why waste bandwidth unless I have something to add?

[davelin]

Ni han