Tale of a fish
 

So I was a fish. As fishy as a tuna casserole. I was brimming over with piscinicity*. In fact, I wasn't even a fish, I was fish food. I was playing micro limits and getting creamed. I rapidly discovered that what works for Chris Moneymaker in a no-limit tournament on TV** doesn't work for fish food and maybe it was time for a reality check as losing even at micro stakes is no fun.

So I did a little reading and discovered I was seeing waaaay too many flops so started playing a lot tighter. I was still seeing maybe 40% of the flops but that was way better than the 80% it was before. Tightening up a little made me just about break even on play, losing mainly the rake so I read some more and decided to purchase both that fine book by Mr Lee, Winning Low Limit Hold'em, and also the Holy Bible of low limit by Messrs Miller,Sklansky, and Malmuth (you all know the book to which I refer).

Now, I understand the concepts contained therein but am only at a level where I can apply the most basic of them to my play. The rest will come with time but for now it's the simple stuff. Even those, however, have enabled me to tighten up my game to a somewhat more appropriate level and my bankroll is growing slowly but steadily.

This leads to the question this thread is about, are people really that dumb? Reading most poker forums you'd have to believe that almost everyone in the world is a poker God but experience says this isn't so. The basics are easy, I've discovered that so why doesn't everyone else? I'm no poker genius (I think this thread has pretty much established that) but I don't undserstand how so many people can be worse than me when I know next to nothing and they can learn the same in a week.

Answers on a postcard please.

* May or may not be a real word. Terms and conditions apply.

** Yes I know, he knows all about EV/pot odds etc and I didn't but high level NL tournament strategy still doesn't map well to limit micro stakes.

Re: Tale of a fish
 

It's not that difficult to change your oil, yet Jiffy Lube thrives.

For a lot of the people you're talking about, they still cling to the notion that poker is a game of sheer luck, perhaps augmented in live games by reading skills. They keep coming back because in the short term, they are basically right; they'll hit that hot streak, win a bunch of money, and feel pretty good. When the cards even things out and they end up way down, they just shrug it off to Lady Luck. It's much the same mentality as the little old ladies playing Bingo--they might spend $2,000 to win a $1,500 jackpot, but they have fun doing it. It passes the time.

Re: Tale of a fish
 

many people play to have fun. They GAMBOOOL

Re: Tale of a fish
 

Most people don't like to read. A whole book on poker is just a ton of work. And poker is about fun.

Re: Tale of a fish
 

Yeah suggested books to many fish, and got alot laughs from their responces! But rest assured they all find their own reasons why a books too much hard work!

Re: Tale of a fish
 

[ QUOTE ]
Yeah suggested books to many fish, and got alot laughs from their responces! But rest assured they all find their own reasons why a books too much hard work!

[/ QUOTE ]
Don't tell me you're one of those table coaches who tells anyone who sucks out how to get better. If so, please stop imediately.

Re: Tale of a fish
 

Poker is a game of discipline quiet often, how many people do you know in your life you'd describe as disciplined?

Poker is also insanely fun. Your average player loses, but really doesn't care, because he only loses a little and the enjoyment he gets from playing makes up for the loss.

Much akin to how people will go into a casino and shoot low stakes craps and play blackjack for hours and realize at the end of hte night they are down like $80. $80 to them is worth it. They would have spent that much going out to a fancy club with a cover charge and buying overpriced drinks all night. Luckily people take the same approach to poker.

About 8 months ago all my friends and I really started getting into poker, we all sucked of course, but I began reading and studying and trying to improve my game. I offerd to let them borrow my books and do you know what one of my good friends said, "Playing how a book told me to play would be no fun, it wouldn't feel like a game any more, it'd just be like work or a test"

THAT is how alot of "fish" think. They know they could get better, but it's more "fun" flying by the seat of their pants.

A book would simply tell them that chasing their 2 outter in a small pot is bad... they don't want that, it's so FUN to chase, because hitting it makes you so thrilled you forget the 19 other times during the night you missed it.

Re: Tale of a fish
 

[ QUOTE ]
Much akin to how people will go into a casino and shoot low stakes craps and play blackjack for hours and realize at the end of hte night they are down like $80.

[/ QUOTE ]

I remember playing craps for the first time during a bachelor party in AC about a year & a half ago. At the end of the night, I was actually proud to say that I'd only lost $5. Shortly after that, I took up online poker. [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]

Re: Tale of a fish
 

Na i aint no table coach but iv joined conversations between fish who were talking about how good or bad their play was and told them what i thought. Which of course was regected whole heartly as books suck big time [img]/images/graemlins/cool.gif[/img]. Iv learn my lesson anyway and dont even speak to fish anymore.

Re: Tale of a fish
 

Theres a significant group of people who have read a few online articles and think they know everything their is to know but still play horribly. These are the people who are most frequently coaching other people on the table and getting annoyed at bad beats. The ones that stick around doubtless atribute their losing streak to bad luck and keep coming back with more money.

Interesting really that from the POV of an experienced player the development of a new (learning) player is not liniar. Instead they first become much easier to beat before they become difficult to take down.