How to get better?

#1 08-23-2005, 09:37 AM

I have been trying hard to improve my poker game for about a year now. I started as the tastiest fish imaginable and have read, discussed and played my way into being a fairly decent player. I went through a period where every time I played I learned something new. My learning curve was very steep and each new book or concept I eagerly adapted to my game. I feel like I have reached a bit of a plateau recently. I feel like I have the basics down (starting hands, pot odds, when to laydown, making reads etc) and I have had a fair amount of success, but not quite ready to quit my day job either. How do I go about improving my game from this point. Am I at a point where there is no teacher left but experience. Doyle Brunson says he is still learning the game. I know that I dont know everything there is to know (?). Has anyone been at this point and found the answer? Do I have to play against some tougher competition to "raise the level of my game"? Let me know.

mudbuddha · #2 08-23-2005, 10:27 AM

post on forums and discuss hands that people post, you will be able to see if your opinion and knowledge are correct, alot of smart ppl on these forums also some that are not.. but you'll improve hte more you read/discuss and hte more you play

benkahuna · #3 08-24-2005, 10:22 AM

There's always more info out there. Read every book that seems to have value. Check out other poker strategy sites. Play the game. Consult the best minds in the game. Consider getting a tutorial session with a pro. I know Amir Vahidi, Annie Duke, David Sklansky, Barry Greenstein, Mike Caro, and Men the Master have all done some teaching/mentoring. Or maybe you can play in the main event and get adopted like David Williams did.

#4 08-24-2005, 11:20 AM

You are on the right track. Keep pressing yourself into tougher games / higher limits. Focus on what the other winning players do at the higher levels. If you get beat up move back down and work on the game. One thing you will find is that the higher levels start to show the tendency of the literature. The games will start to look and feel a little more like the books in print.

What level are you playing now?

#5 08-24-2005, 02:07 PM

Read this book immediately!

[img]http://rds.yahoo.com/S=96062883/K=play+poker+like+the+pros/v=2/SID=e/TID=I046_85/l=IVI/SIG=12qf8qmts/EXP=1124993129/*-http%3A//playwinningpokeronline.com/image-files/playpokerlikethepros.jpg[/img]

mudbuddha · #6 08-24-2005, 02:11 PM

i hope ur kidding?

#7 08-25-2005, 10:23 AM

funny thing is that was actually the first book I read. maybe could account for the donations early on in my career.

benkahuna · #8 08-25-2005, 11:32 AM

I know a guy that does really well and that's the only book he's read. I don't think it's terrible, but it is shallow in coverage of many topics and I do think Phil held back a bit.

nomadtla · #9 08-25-2005, 04:15 PM

don't worry man it was the first book I read. Now I don't know what I'd do without Sklansky and the 2+2 cats. This site will increase your game imeasurably if you stay and interact. I was at that same point when i came here. Then I started interacting mostly in the micro forum and my game has increased by that huge curve more. You get to see a lot of different experiences here and think them through without the presure of a timmer. Experience makes experts but there's a lot of experienced players here and most are very helpful. Keep reading, books and here. And keep playing and post situations that gave you questions here so that you don't just skim over that good experience of that situation but really think it through and hear what others think.

Welcome to the forums
(as an ex-Hellmuthian I want to say - "It's gonna be OK")

#10 08-28-2005, 08:19 AM

[ QUOTE ]
This site will increase your game imeasurably if you stay and interact. I was at that same point when i came here. Then I started interacting mostly in the micro forum and my game has increased by that huge curve more. You get to see a lot of different experiences here and think them through without the presure of a timmer. Experience makes experts but there's a lot of experienced players here and most are very helpful. Keep reading, books and here. And keep playing and post situations that gave you questions here so that you don't just skim over that good experience of that situation but really think it through and hear what others think.

Welcome to the forums
(as an ex-Hellmuthian I want to say - "It's gonna be OK")

[/ QUOTE ]
I can say that already in the brief time I have been reading and posting here I have picked up tips or fixed leaks on a few different things. Thanks to posters such as yourself, AaronBrown , Benkuhana and others for the insight