Intelligence and How it Rates (Comment on Ten Smartest)
 

I found David's post on the ten smartest interesting in a parlor game sort of way, but since I don't personally know any of the players he mentioned I saw no point in posting a reply. In my mind it takes a very specific skill set to be a strong poker player. What I am interested in is how on the money my "skill set" is and how important natural intelligence is in relation.

1. A full working knowledge of probabilites and strategic play.

1. An ability to accurately yet flexibly put opponents on a hand and thus choose the best option.

Obviously those two go together like peanut butter and jelly and are the most important skills a player can have.

2. Ability to make proper decisions at a rapid pace and under varying degrees of mental strain.

3. A disciplined nature that allows you to exploit positive situations like a machine stamping out bottle caps.

What I would be interested in hearing is if David has any general opinions on what level of intelligence is required at the various levels and formats.

Could someone with a 110 IQ learn to beat 200/400 mixed game in LV?

How about 30/60 HE only?

Would someone with a 190 IQ be a huge favorite to go from novice to WCP and crush the big game if he focused his entire life on the pursuit?

Could David devise a poker IQ test or does he feel that a standard IQ test would be the best judge of a players chance of success as he moves up?

Re: Intelligence and How it Rates (Comment on Ten Smartest)
 

IQ, intelligence, experience, expert board reading and player reading, etc does not preclude plain old adverse turns and rivers.

It is still gambling. Or like Garry Marshall said in "Lost in America": It's called Las Vegas, Gambling, Las Vegas. Our meeting is over."

[img]/images/graemlins/wink.gif[/img]

Re: Intelligence and How it Rates (Comment on Ten Smartest)
 

A players poker IQ is not related to how often
you get sucked out on, although non-tilting should
be a form of 'poker IQ'. Even though it is psycology.

Re: Intelligence and How it Rates (Comment on Ten Smartest)
 

[ QUOTE ]

Would someone with a 190 IQ be a huge favorite to go from novice to WCP and crush the big game if he focused his entire life on the pursuit?


[/ QUOTE ]

Yes I think someone with a huge talent for ordering geometric symbols and numbers in order surely has got to be an excellent people's person and superior at reading people's minds.

Re: Intelligence and How it Rates (Comment on Ten Smartest)
 

[ QUOTE ]
A players poker IQ is not related to how often
you get sucked out on, although non-tilting should
be a form of 'poker IQ'. Even though it is psycology.

[/ QUOTE ]


Everyone over time gets sucked out on about the same amount ... everyone has sucked out on others, everyone has been sucked out on ... it all factors out.

Barron Vangor Toth
www.BarronVangorToth.com

Re: Intelligence and How it Rates (Comment on Ten Smartest)
 

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]

Would someone with a 190 IQ be a huge favorite to go from novice to WCP and crush the big game if he focused his entire life on the pursuit?


[/ QUOTE ]

Yes I think someone with a huge talent for ordering geometric symbols and numbers in order surely has got to be an excellent people's person and superior at reading people's minds.

[/ QUOTE ]

I think that the key here is use of logic. I think intelligence testing rewards logic, and I think that logical thinking is critical in poker. The concepts of reading people and reading hands require logical thought and thinking through the logical outcomes based on your actions.

I think that this may be the reason that a number of successful players come from computer or mathematical backgrounds. They understand how to logically think about the data presented.

I also think that the "pure feel" players do the same thing, but since they may not be from that type of background, they don't present their thinking in the same way and instead we perceive it as somewhat mystical.

Re: Intelligence and How it Rates (Comment on Ten Smartest)
 

I think nerve is underestimated. An intelligent person can know odds, probability, and strategy backwards and forwards, but especially at NL, if you are too timid to pull the trigger, the knowledge does you little good.

With any kind of stake that matters (and that might be pennies, or it might be thousands), it is hard to go all-in, or call a big raise, even if you conceptually know those plays are correct. The top players can do it with ease.

Frank

Re: Intelligence and How it Rates (Comment on Ten Smartest)
 

[ QUOTE ]

1. A full working knowledge of probabilites and strategic play.

1. An ability to accurately yet flexibly put opponents on a hand and thus choose the best option.


[/ QUOTE ]

Finer math skills are required, but counting is important too.

'sorry to be an ass. I couldn't resist myself.

- Jason

Re: Intelligence and How it Rates (Comment on Ten Smartest)
 

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
A players poker IQ is not related to how often
you get sucked out on, although non-tilting should
be a form of 'poker IQ'. Even though it is psycology.

[/ QUOTE ]


Everyone over time gets sucked out on about the same amount ... everyone has sucked out on others, everyone has been sucked out on ... it all factors out.

Barron Vangor Toth
www.BarronVangorToth.com

[/ QUOTE ]

That's not true at all. Sure, everyone has sucked out at times. But if you get your money in with the best hand a significant majority of the time, you are going to get sucked out on many more times than you will do it to others.