Is poker skill just intelligence?
 

Just read an article from card player magazine:
article

I thought the question was interesting and was wondering what others opinions might be. Do you think some people are naturally more inclined to play poker better than others? Has anyone hit a wall in terms of their learning?

I consider myself fairly intelligent, so I was able to learn the basics at a fairly quick pace, but I think my learning has hit a plateau as of late. Now that I'm focusing on more specific skills like betting in certain scenarios, as well as more of the intangibles associated with reading people, I've found that my learning has slowed. I find the psychology behind poker, and all things in general, interesting, so I don't mind spending more time. I would however, like to find something to bring my game up another notch.

So, anyone else have any ideas/opinions on this subject?

Re: Is poker skill just intelligence?
 

I think that's a really interesting post Chris. I believe that some of poker is intelligence, for example when it comes to calculating pot odds it helps to be good at math obviously. Also a good memory helps when it comes to recalling your opponents actions in similar hands. However, I believe that's as far as it goes. Once you get the basics down from reading books and experimenting w/ different tactics I think it's pretty much all up to you to determine how good your gonna get. By that I mean the more hands you play in poker the better you'll become. You'll just develop a knack for the game, because your understand what different cards mean in different situations. Also, your ability read opponents just becomes natural as you deal w/ the same type of opponents over and over again. Basically Poker skill definitely isn't just intelligence, but it helps to be more intelligent. Most of the best players out there like Jesus, Howard Lederer, and Barry Greenstein are extremely intelligent, but you've also got guys like Phil Ivey, Hellmuth and Daniel Negraneu who'd tell you that they definitely didn't graduate at the top of their class.

Re: Is poker skill just intelligence?
 

Teach one or more truly great students...this is the proven path to mastery in any discipline.

Re: Is poker skill just intelligence?
 

Read Barry Greenstein's book. It will kick you up a notch. Bam!!!!!

Re: Is poker skill just intelligence?
 

Everyone trying to learn a new skill eventually reaches a plateau, it's just part of the learning curve. What you do when you hit it is what divides the great and the mediocre.

Stick with it, the little things add up.

Re: Is poker skill just intelligence?
 

I'm one of those people that believe in general intelligence, " g ", whatever you want to call it, and believe that it impacts a helluvalot, and certainly success at a game like poker that has so many iffy intangibles.

Re: Is poker skill just intelligence?
 

Natural intelligence doesn't create a natural poker player, but the lack of it will keep anyone from being anything more than a novice. Doesn't anyone else have the dim-witted friend who's said, "Yeah!, I'll bet if I practiced enough I could get really good at poker!" And you agreed with him at the time, but in the back of your mind you knew they didn't have the problem solving capacity to be successfull?

Re: Is poker skill just intelligence?
 

There's a lot of stuff that doesn't exactly relate to intelligence in a traditional way.

-Focus

Some smart people can focus on some things but not on others.

-Discipline

-Killer instinct

How can you extract maximum value from a very weak player without a killer instinct?

-Quick thinking and thinking under pressure

This skill has less to do with intelligence than with keeping your cool, staying focused, and acting within the rhythm of the game

Show me a smart guy who is unfocused, undisciplined, and can't think under pressure, and wins at poker. Hah! You can't.

Re: Is poker skill just intelligence?
 

Good point. I just started a new thread related to teaching. I'd be interested to see if you have any more input on this subject.

Re: Is poker skill just intelligence?
 

I read somewhere that success is 15% intelligence and 85% character.

Some of the qualities of character that are important in being successful at poker over a long period of time include determination, patience, tolerance, flexibility, discipline, courage, perseverance and creativity.