What do you think makes a good poker player.

[vicpanic]

...

[Entity]

Adaptability.

[dogmeat]

Patience - Understanding - Compassion - Humility - Devotion - Understanding - Passion - Ambition - Mental stability, alertness and toughness. Courage.

or

The three B's: Brains, balls and bankroll - not necessarily in that order.

When you understand how each of the words above fit best into a poker player's make-up, you will be not just a good, but a great player.

Honest /images/graemlins/wink.gif

Dogmeat /images/graemlins/spade.gif

[emonrad87]

Me. /images/graemlins/grin.gif

[Bob Moss]

Compasion???

Bob

[pfkaok]

Smart enough to understand the odds/theory

disciplined enough to learn and apply it

controlled enough to always play your best.

Humble enough to know that there are others who are better than you.

Objective enough to realize when you're playing with those others who are better than you, and realizing when you don't have the best of it

tranquil enough to not let the short run get you down when you're running bad, but rational enough to know when its not just bad luck making you lose.

Trusting that when you make less mistakes than your opponents you WILL win in the long run.

Knowing that the "long run" is realy, really F'ing long

[Shawn Keller]

Intelligently designed tight preflop strategy, over all tight aggressive poker. Furthermore player must have excellent game selection, be able to quickly evaluate opponents strategys, excellent hand reading abilities. Capacity to view chips as units of betting not as money. Minimal tilt susceptibility, or when they realize that they aren't playing there A game they stop on there blinds for till they regain there focus. Thats my short list off the top of my head . /images/graemlins/smile.gif

Best of Luck!

Shawn "Lightning" Keller

[Zetack]

Define good.

I suppose that a poker player who gave plenty to charities, and was kind and compassionate and helpful to others would be a good poker player. Wouldn't necessarily play well though...

--Zetack

[BusterStacks]

Hand reading.

[Gravy (Gravy Smoothie)]

Emotional stability. And brains.

[James282]

Playing the worst players for the biggest amount of money.
-James

[Stork]

A fairly large penis.

[Bill C]

He's gotta have at least some gamble in him. And the wisdom to balance it with good play so he doesn't just gamble off all his chips.

bill

[sublime]

my opponents being less skilled than i am

[Evan]

[ QUOTE ]

Playing the worst players for the biggest amount of money.

[/ QUOTE ]
...that they can afford. (seriously, that's just as important as anything else for a lot of people)

[Rah]

[ QUOTE ]
Define good.

I suppose that a poker player who gave plenty to charities, and was kind and compassionate and helpful to others would be a good poker player. Wouldn't necessarily play well though...

--Zetack

[/ QUOTE ]

I don't wanna be an ass, but if the author could define good in this context himself, he wouldn't post this thread.

[Bluffoon]

The abilty to process large amounts of information quickly, dinstinguish what is relevant and to make correct decisions based on this information.

[sweetjazz]

Skillz. /images/graemlins/grin.gif

Seriously, a lot of good answers in this thread -- I really like Bluffoon's response. But I think that understanding the issues of bankroll management is essential to being a successful player, and is often overlooked. It doesn't do much good to be an otherwise expert poker player if you don't have any money because your bankroll couldn't withstand the variance of the games you were playing.

[Leo Bello]

Discipline. Once u learn the skills, read and begin to play well, u need to have discipline, to keep at your best game, avoid tilt, marginal situations, play in bad conditions, learning when to leave a table, when to stop and when to push. Discipline to keep studying and learning, even tough u consider yourself a winning player. Discipline to manage your bankroll.

So, besides the basic skills every poker player needs, discipline is key.

[Emmitt2222]

I have always really thought about this. I look at someone like GuyOnTilt and I just am in awe at how he just seems so naturally good. What in the world makes him so good? He should write a book, Id buy it.
For the most part I think it requires patience [in terms of bankroll management and looking at the long term to avoid tilt] and then also math/hand reading. Being decisive helps too I think.

[theBruiser500]

"I have always really thought about this. I look at someone like GuyOnTilt and I just am in awe at how he just seems so naturally good."

This is how I looked at good players originally. But I've come to learn that good players aren't born being able to play like that, it comes with hard work and time.

[augie00]

Patience and cold blood.

[Kenrick]

WHen it comes down to it, over the long haul, any professional gambler who doesn't have discipline has nothing. They will disrespect their bankroll and overplay their abilities. And then they will lose and have nothing. I'd say a good player limits his weaknesses more than he pushes his strengths. If you want to be around for awhile, you need consistency.