How can watching the pros on TV make a small stakes player better?

NYCNative · #1 07-20-2005, 01:17 PM

I play small stakes - online $11-22 SNGs and $100 NL cash tables and home tourneys with buy-ins that range from $10-$100 or NL cash games with $.25/.50 blinds.

What, if anything, can I learn watching the pros to help my game? I want to learn from the pros, not fall into a FPS trap. Is this possible?

Maulik · #2 07-20-2005, 01:22 PM

there are better ways to spend your time. pros write books. you can analyze your hands. pros may as well be worthless to you right now

benfranklin · #3 07-20-2005, 01:49 PM

For most players and most games, I think that the answer is no. For the most part, TV poker is preflop poker. The games that we commoners play in are generally decided postflop. Or should be.

The exception that I have found is in late play in SnGs, from the bubble to the end. I think that watching WSOP and WPT tapes has improved my short handed SnG game, particurly HU. I know from books that you have to loosen up your hand selection as the game gets fewer and fewer players, but watching it on TV really drives it home. I also really learned the importance of position in the short-handed game by watching TV. Again, you can read about over and over, but seeing it happen really shows how it works.

What is shown on TV is mostly short handed play at the end of a large tournament. (That is all that is shown on the WPT.) The way that they play here is not even correct for the greater part of the tournaments that they are playing in, let alone something like limit ring games. It is correct play for the final table of a tournament.

I think that a SnG is a large tournament in miniature. The first 3-4 levels correspond to the start of a big tournament, and should be played simialrly. The last 4-5 players are the final table, and correct play here is unlike that in any other game. Thankfully, most newbies, attracted by TV games, don't understand this.

augie00 · #4 07-20-2005, 01:54 PM

[ QUOTE ]
How can watching the pros on TV make a small stakes player better?

[/ QUOTE ]

It can't. Watch for entertainment value.

10-20Jerome · #5 07-20-2005, 04:37 PM

None [img]/images/graemlins/frown.gif[/img]

SNOWBALL138 · #6 07-20-2005, 04:41 PM

Sometimes I find that watching WPT carries over into the games I play directly after, but the long term effect isn't serious. Mostly, it has negative influences, but only when I make a direct imitation. There are, however principles that you can notice being applied.

I watch poker mainly for entertainment though.

cadillac1234 · #7 07-20-2005, 05:58 PM

You can learn the hand equity via percentages instead of ratios...

Rushmore · #8 07-20-2005, 06:06 PM

My honest opinion is that watching poker on television will actually HURT the average player's game. The hands are playerd in a vaccuum, and it's easy to forget that when you're watching the edited broadcasts.

Reading Harrington on Hold'em (esp. Vol. II), on the other hand, could never do anything but help, and help a LOT.

When you're done with it, you could always read it again, by the way.

AceHigh · #9 07-20-2005, 06:40 PM

You can learn not to move all-in with a small stack with 95o when the chip leader limps in early position.

Guthrie · #10 07-20-2005, 06:40 PM

Lots of people see poker on TV and rush right out to the casino or online and try to play small stakes limit the same way they see the final table played in a NL tourney.

I watch it and file away some lessons for later when I start dabbling in NL and tourneys, but I basically ignore it all when it comes to the small stakes limit games that I now play.