Seeking Comments
First, let me thank all of you who have responded here to my posts and that of others. I have gained a lot from reading and pondering.
As is common for me, I spend a lot of my downtime pondering various aspects of Poker. I try to take what I have read in various locations and find important ideas. Many of the books cover various topics, but there are some ideas I am forming that haven't specifically been covered in books. So I am seeking comments about these thoughts in order that I might improve my game.
Observation #1) You have no control over the cards you get dealt. (Ignoring Draw Poker)
Observation #2) Though you might influence your opponents, the only person you can control is yourself.
Observation #3) Since you don't know what cards will be dealt to everyone in the future, you must rely upon probability theory to guide you.
Observation #4) Poker is a game of betting. Regardless of the type of game you are playing, betting is the primary action taken by players.
Observation #5) Even if you do everything correctly, you are not guaranteed to win the pot. Your goal must be correct decisions, not necessarily winning because of them.
Conclusions:
#1) Everything in Poker revolves around making the correct betting decision. Your sole advantage over your opponents is the ability to make better bets than your opponents.
#2) Making correct betting decisions involves three main factors:
a) Understanding the theory of betting and its implications
b) Understanding your opponents well enough to adjust your decisions accordingly and denying your opponents the same knowledge
c) Mastering sufficient control of yourself to avoid making poor decisions.
#3) The more you can master all 3 areas, the more successful you will be. If you don't understand the theory, you will make poor betting decisions. If you don't understand your opponents you will be unable to adjust your bets accordingly. If you bet too predictably your opponents will be able to make the correct decision regularly. (As a side note, thank you for the Fundamental Theorem Mr. Sklansky). If you don't control yourself, you will throw away money with poor bets.
Right now, I am working from these basic ideas. My goal is to improve in all 3 areas regularly and am curious what things I should add.
- Lex
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