[RichSaneSwindler]

Barron,

Thanks, again, great comments. Keep em coming, guys like you make this post great to read and even greater to post to.

Now, I will make an observation. Spending money at a big table to learn is a positive EV play. Playing at Party is not because you can't expect to ever make real money. How do you know Doyle Brunson isn't sitting across from you at PP $200? Because why on earth would he when he can play at UB 25/50 and make 10K?

Poker players always think in terms of positive EV, not results, and I tell you that playing at the biggest table you can afford is positive EV ... if some conditions are met. This is where it gets interesting:

1. You have to be capable of learning from your mistakes. When I lose a big pot I *assume* I played it poorly and try to figure out what happened. The only exceptions to this are when I get it all in on the flop when I am way ahead and catch a bad car (which has happened to me oh so many times).

2. You have to believe you are going to get better while assuming in the short run you are going to lose. You cannot tilt (I never tilt or steam) and cannot get depressed by the losses. You have to take them like a man. Like I tell my wife: if I were taking piano lessons or flying lessons or any other lessons, it would cost thousands and I would not get back a dime. EVER. With poker, I'm paying thousands in lessons, but they are getting cheaper and I am eventually going to get it all back.

3. You have to be willing to work, which by the way everyone on this forum seems to do commendably. Thinking about hands, thinking about situations.

Now, why do I, a mere amateur, preach about learning poker? Let's just say that I know what I am talking about. Whether I will get good at poker, well, only time will tell.

By the way, how good are the people on this forum? Everyone seems to know *so* much about poker, I would assuming they are all killing it. No?