What is the key to becoming a real top player?

the only way to be the best is to play as much as possible, it's all experience/how much time you put into it.

[Klepton]

at least seven 9's in your username

[Crooked Paul]

I also don't consider myself a "top player" -- I've only made it to the final table of a large MTT once, out of probably 20ish attempts. However, I regularly cash/win in three-table sit-n-gos, and my performance in ring games is in pretty good shape.

From what little you say in your post, I think you're concentrating too much on your cards, the odds, the math. You talk about playing only premium hands and making the mathmatically "correct" decisions in each hand. That's a great way to stop being a miserable fish and become a competent novice, but now it's time for you to take the next step.

The cold facts about your hand, the cards on the board, and your odds to finish with the best hand are really only a fraction of the information available to you at the table. You need to start reading other players' styles of play, figuring out what they hold and when you can get them off their hand -- whether or not you yourself hold anything of value.

You said you "never bluff." This is an enormous mistake. You're thinking "I can't lose what I don't put in the middle when I'm not sure I have the best hand," and there's something to be said for that attitude most of the time. But if you truly never bluff, a whole lot of your opponents are going to pick up on that, and if they have any brains at all they're going to stop paying you off when you value-bet. Ironically, you've decided not to lose your money by bluffing, but this means you're not winning as much with your bets when you do actually have the best hand.

You need to bluff sometimes when you sense weakness, and you need to advertise the occasional bluff (or get caught) in order to plant the seeds of doubt in your opponents' minds about all of your bets, which means when you bet for value you'll get paid off more often. Also, as another poster said, to stay alive in tournaments you must steal the blinds and take a few pots when you know you didn't make the best hand, otherwise you'll get blinded down to where you don't have enough chips to take a stand.

Again, I don't mean to sound condescending -- I'm no Phil Ivey -- but it sounds like you're a straightforward ABC player. To get to the next level you're going to have to develop your reads and mix up your game.


Crooked

Crooked Paul - Fantastic reply, I love that reply, I couldn't agree more and you raise some really good aspects of poker play.

I absolutely know and am aware of flaws to my poker game, I know there is so much still to learn and become a better player. I have done well out of poker overall - my first ever real tournament in person with people was at a casino with 77 people and I came second and won $1300 and the cost to enter was $30. People couldn't believe it was my first time I had ever played when I told them that. But even though I did that well I am aware that it was a lot of luck - I still have so much to learn.

I love poker I really do. I am very good at most games and think I can become really good at poker but I do need advice and guidance. So I do welcome your comments very much. Thank you. I will read over what you have said a few times and try and use them in my game.

Thanks everyone! I do appreciate it!

[Alex/Mugaaz]

Not that I disagree with anything you said, but most players start doing this way before they can even understand ABC, let alone XYZ.

[sfer]

You must choose one:

1. Running well at the right times
2. Having remarkable self control and discipline

patience, bankrolling, and talent. oh yes, and luck.

[Python49]

So if you're not bluffing... this means you're never raising when its folded to you with good position to steal blinds? I don't think a tournament can be won this way without a serious rush of cards.

[Piz0wn0reD!!!!!!]

IM A REAL TOP PLAYER!!!1

[bygmesterf]

[ QUOTE ]

My question is - for all you players who are really good and can expect to finish in the top prizes - did you ever find yourself where I currently am - i.e. seemingly the best I can do is come about 50th? Or have you just got the natural talent?

And for any top players - what is the key to your success? I mean I know my stuff - I play the hands as the books suggest you should do - but I see so many players playing hands that clearly a book says you shouldn't play. Is the key to your style of play - i.e. a tricky opponent, aggressive style, etc. Any advice would be greatly received, I love the game but I want to become so much better and I am not sure what I ought to do.


[/ QUOTE ]

Well, If I'm playing an MTT tournament, I expect to earn back my buy-in on average, and thats with *alot* of variance under human time spans. I don't expect to finish in the top prizes since realistically most players don't. So I'm not dissapointed when I don't finish in the top, and I'm not susprised when I do.

So I guess having a realisitic persepective on what you can achieve is very important to being a top player.

If you want to be a top player, you need to master things other worse players haven't. Basicly, you need to learn and practice self control so that you always play your best. Very very few players do this, because it's hard and not sexy. But if you want to be a top player, it's what you have to do.