Almost there with Success and Failure (Long)

[lacky]

I would say the best way to practice reads without actually playing is pick a tourniment you are interested in, preferably one at about your buyin level, as people do play deferent at different levels. Pick a table, or maybe 2, and focus on every hand played. throughout the hand, try to put the players involved on hands. so, maybe it would be, early position limps (wide range) agressive mid position raises (well, probably decent hand, but he raises alot, could be alot of things. folds around to early limper, who reraises pretty big (hmm, he must be pretty strong to play that that way, maybe AKs or big pair) and mid raiser calls for a fair amount of his chips (hmm, he cant have AA or he would raise, so maybe hi pair, not AA, maybe AK) etc, etc.

you will often be wrong, but the more you do it the easier it gets.

[cougar62]

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That's the most enlightening and helpful thing I have ever read about poker.

Thank you, Gigabet.

Irieguy

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And there's nothing I could possibly add, so just keeping this on the front page because everyone who enters this forum should read this post. Awesome job Gigabet.

[The Yugoslavian]

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That's the most enlightening and helpful thing I have ever read about poker.

Thank you, Gigabet.

Irieguy

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And there's nothing I could possibly add, so just keeping this on the front page because everyone who enters this forum should read this post. Awesome job Gigabet.

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I still remember reading this at work like 5 minutes after it was posted...printing it out...reading it again. Letting my voice mail pick up client calls...reading it again...and then walking outside to a warm, sunny day and hearing the birds chirp and everything being right in the world.

Ahhhhh

Yugoslav
who isn't making this up

[w33ktight]

You have a gift to put something like that into words. Amazing. I am printing this and putting it on my wall above my computer.

[ThatsNotFunny]

That’s some love-fest from the follow-up posts. However, there’s a fundamental problem with it.

If all we’re talking about is blood, sweat, and tears, such as with playing football or similiar, then the argument holds up. However, many poker players have financial hardships resulting from their play, and continuing to play is sometimes not a mark of perseverance but of stupidity. Particularly when their livelihoods (or marriages) are at stake. This is where being a “quitter” is the best thing, rather than rationalizing oneself into financial and/or relationship oblivion.

[grasiu]

Hmm... I don't have thousands nor even hundredths of post like some of the OP followers. And I want to present a bit opposite oppinion than most of them, so it may turn out harsh, but I'll do it anyway.


I liked the first post. Quite much. But I don't feel like printing it and reading all over again. I don't feel it changes my life or I shall stop anwsering the phone and walk out to listen to the birds.


All I feel is that it is a nice, soul warming up post, but anyway with some flaws.

First: Failures exist. If someone keeps losing money (debts, family problems, etc depth) because he keeps saing "there is no failure when I lose", than... that IS a failure. And they exist even if you don't fall into debts or family problems. You shouldn't care about one session results.
You definately shouldn't feel bad or shamed when you lose. If you ever think how you would look among your poker friends, because you lose this is bad (this is a failure [img]/images/graemlins/wink.gif[/img]). And this is one thing that the OP put out very well btw. But anyway failure exist :/ I wish it hadn't.

Second: You can't put everone on exact hand while 8-tabling. Not to mention that putting smn on exact hand, not range is quite a mistake (reffering to HoH fe.). If you can do such thing while 8-tabling you are natural born poker killer and you don't need to read that forum anyway :P Again there is just a nice but obvious observation, that you should concentrate on your game *and opponents*, not watch TV or post on 2+2 (sic :P) while playing. But again that is nothing new.


As I said earlier I liked the oryginal post. But it doesn't blow me away. Am I the only one such ignorant? Anyway: don't care about short term results, care about long term ones, play your opponents not only your cards, don't ever get a feeling that you can't win, don't feel down and luck on the tables [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]


PS - "It's hard work. Gambling. Playing poker. Don't let anyone tell you different. Think about what it's like sitting at a poker table with people whose only goal is to cut your throat, take your money, and leave you out back talking to yourself about what went wrong inside. That probably sounds harsh. But that's the way it is at the poker table. If you don't believe me, then you're the lamb that's going off to the slaughter." - Stu Ungar