[Cactus Jack]

Interesting thread. I was reading a thread yesterday by Major Kong, Mason Malmuth. He said micro-limit players don't crush small stakes games because they fold too much. A long thread in which confusion reigned. The advice appeared to be conflicting with the usual advice, but it showed up the conflicts that have to be sorted out in every poker player's mind. There are many.

Talent, sure, but isn't that pretty hard to define? What exactly is poker talent? Like porn, you know it when you see it? Probably. A person who has poker talent must be coldly calculating yet warm to the emotions of other people. He or she must be conservative, yet fearless. Love money, and care nothing at all about it. Want to win it and able to absorb losing it. The ability to play a gambling game with skill. That's an unusual package, to be sure.

First, you learn the basics. Then, you learn a little more and a little more, then learn what you didn't learn the first hundred times through. At some point, experience becomes more important. Some would say you have to have instinct. That's knowledge plus experience plus an intangible that some may say is talent. You also have to be absolutely fearless. And have a disregard for money. You have to want money, lots of money, but then not care at all about it. One of the many paradoxes.

Math is important, but more important than people skills? At $1/$2 limit, yes. At $109 SNGs? I'm not so sure.

Memory? You better have a damn good one. And the ability to forget.

Poker is a delicate balancing act. Maturity vs. youthful energy. Math skills and people skills. Desire vs. talent. Few can successfully maintain the balance. Probably somewhat like playing perfectly. Imperfect people playing with imperfect information. The player who makes the fewest mistakes while playing the most boldly wins. To be the best, you have to have a weird concoction of attributes that I'm not sure there's very many people in the world who have it. Like a novelist who must be extremely extroverted, yet able to spend hour after hour alone in a room. Rare is the person who has both of these abilities. I'd say the person who has all the conflicting qualities helpful (necessary?) to being a great poker player is even rarer.

Great poker players are probably the strangest people in the world who are fortunate to find something that fits their rather unusual set of abilities. Many, I think, find they are not as well equipped for anything else.

It takes a helluva person to play a helluva game. Everything else comes below it, esp stakes level. Play well at whatever level your bankroll allows, and the money takes care of itself.

If it's confusing, then I made the point. [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]

CJ