[Dazarath]

[ QUOTE ]
Hi Josh,

While I, and i'm sure others, appreciated what you took the time to write, you aren't exploring new territory here. In fact, the only reason you're getting such a volume of responses is the brash and condescending manner in which you presented it. No offense intended.

I enjoy reading your posts, especially the ones I disagree with, as you at least take the time to include a "why" with your "what".

Ultimately, however, your post boils down to two often tred topics.

#1. Success in poker comes not from our own skill, but from the difference in skill between us and our opponents. Granted there are different kinds of skills, and different skills serve different purposes on every betting street. To assume, however, that beating a bunch of "17/10 nits" is easy, is foolish. If these players have the discipline to play that solid, against standard oppositon, it won't take them to long to asses your style of play, and adapt accordingly. Nobody with the discipline to play winning 17/10 poker lacks the intution required to make such adjustments. Doing so, however, requires attention to every detail of the opponentes game. Why bother? They can just as easily ignore you, or go to a game with 6 other 38/14 monkeys and play 600 hands an hour with out thinking. Don't assume just because these people choose not to try outwit that they are incapable of doing so. To make that assumption would be a huge mistake.

#2. Success in poker is realized by recognizing that difference in skill, and exploiting it. Tommy wrote a wonderful post on "making a difference" that explained this, albeit using a vagueness that only Tommy has mastered. I suggest you search it.

I look forward to another one of your poker epiphanys, hopefully the next one will be slightly better received, and much more original.

lf

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I think the assumption that someone who has the discipline to play 17/10 also has the ability to adapt to changing game conditions is too strong. It takes a minute to learn 17/10 preflop play, but it takes years to learn correct postflop play. I've seen plenty of preflop "TAGs" whose WtSD is way too high because they refuse to lay down their preflop "powerhouse" hands.

As for the post itself, I enjoyed it. Is it something revolutionary? No. I already knew most of the points made in the post. What is it good for then? For the best players on this forum, maybe they have absolutely nothing to gain from it. But this forum also has regulars who are intermediate players (like myself) and small stakes lurkers. The rest of us do have something to gain from it. Sometimes, we need a post like this to sort of slap us over the head and remind us that ABC-play can be limiting. It's a lot like that post J_V made. Even though he got criticism from the better players on this forum, I (and I'm sure others as well) gained from it. And I appreciate it when people do make posts that remind us that we should be learning to get better at poker, not to hone our ABC skills.