Whatever happened to "practice, practice, practice"?

[crazyweasel]

Point systems, VPIP's, databases, poker goggles... Whatever happend to just learning the game by practicing? Do all these things really work if you're just starting out? They're nice if you're good and trying to fine-tune your game, sure. But if you don't understand why the rule makes sense in the first place, can you really put it to good use?

[HopeydaFish]

It depends on the person. Some people can use all the tools and are intelligent enough, and mathematically inclined enough that everything makes sense to them on a theoretically level. Other people need the practical experience before they undertand the theory.

The way I learned is by learning the basic rules, buying in and play for a bit, promptly losing my initial investment, reading a few books and exclaiming repeatedly "So THAT'S why I lost my money!", and then going back to the tables. Only then did the advanced tools, 2+2 forums, Advanced theory books, etc... come into play.

[ QUOTE ]
Point systems, VPIP's, databases, poker goggles... Whatever happend to just learning the game by practicing? Do all these things really work if you're just starting out? They're nice if you're good and trying to fine-tune your game, sure. But if you don't understand why the rule makes sense in the first place, can you really put it to good use?

[/ QUOTE ]

[DeuceKicker]

I play HoldEm all the time with crusty old guys who have been "practicing" for 30 years and don't need all those lousy books. They still cold-call with KJo and don't raise AQs because they're experience has told them that it isn't a made hand.

I think the tools you mention can help one slow/stop the bleeding while you figure out WHY the book says what it says.

[HopeydaFish]

Exactly. A lot of the mistakes that people make are not intuitive. Their actions "seem" right because they remember all of the times that they've won playing the way they do, and don't notice the small leaks in their game because they are over a protracted period. It's when you read the books and look at your PT stats that you notice things like how much money cold calling with KJo is costing you, and why always playing any two soooted cards is not a good idea.

[Bulbarainey]

thats what ive been doing with omaha... no books, and only a few hundred hands on PTO because it doesnt work correctly and I mostly play live, although I know I'm up and playing profitably, I don't know exact #'s like i did with hold em thanks to books/PT stats..... PT in HE helped in a lot of ways to tweak everything, and on top of that i like to know exactly what im making. it is nice to know based on hard stats that if [censored] hits the fan u can survive playing micro's in india

[Ironman]

Do you need to buy two different programs of Pokertracker? One for Hold 'Em and one for Omaha or are they the same program?

Thanks,

[mshalen]

The omaha version is currently in beta stage. I downloaded mine about a week ago at no cost. I have been data mining 4 tables about 6 hours a day.

[Bulbarainey]

[ QUOTE ]
The omaha version is currently in beta stage. I downloaded mine about a week ago at no cost. I have been data mining 4 tables about 6 hours a day.

[/ QUOTE ]

is there anyway to deal with the connection-lost hand histories and make them work? most of my big sessions I have at least one disconn somewhere in the game, and because of that it wont read the HH, and thus no good PTO stats for me to go by

[mshalen]

I don't know. Check pokertracker.com.