what's so wrong about playing on auto-pilot?

i just read a post about theory vs. practice and there seems to be a notion that playing on autopilot is a negative. What is exactly wrong with this? If you know all the angles and have played each situation so many times, you can play on autopilot. In a way, you don't have to overthink each play, making the right instinctual play because it just feels "right". Or is this not what playing on auto pilot is?

[BigEndian]

There are planty of games you can beat handily playing on auto-pilot (what I refer to as the manner of play 4+ MTers have to resort to to keep up with the action). As you move up, you'll beat the games less and less playing on auto-pilot.

It can often be spoken of negatively because it's believed to stymie the learning process (I believe so at any rate).

But, if you're making money at the limit you play at and are not driven to learn every nook and cranny of the game, who cares what people think? Play your game, make money and have fun.

- Jim

[ QUOTE ]
There are planty of games you can beat handily playing on auto-pilot (what I refer to as the manner of play 4+ MTers have to resort to to keep up with the action). As you move up, you'll beat the games less and less playing on auto-pilot.

It can often be spoken of negatively because it's believed to stymie the learning process (I believe so at any rate).

But, if you're making money at the limit you play at and are not driven to learn every nook and cranny of the game, who cares what people think? Play your game, make money and have fun.

- Jim

[/ QUOTE ]

Well I guess when you move up you have to adjust and learn new things pertaining to that limit. Eventually as you build your skills, you will then attain that level of auto pilot when you multi table at that level. It just seems to me autopiloting is like reaching mastery in that level and you just plug along instinctually based on all that experience you've acquired. So I guess if you want to be challenged, you'll have to play off auto pilot since you're trying to learn new things.

[Alex/Mugaaz]

Unfortunately there is never a point where there is no trade off between your winrate paying attention and playing on auto pilot. Though I disagree that it hampers your learning ability to any meaningful degree.

[elindauer]

[ QUOTE ]
i just read a post about theory vs. practice and there seems to be a notion that playing on autopilot is a negative. What is exactly wrong with this? If you know all the angles and have played each situation so many times, you can play on autopilot. In a way, you don't have to overthink each play, making the right instinctual play because it just feels "right". Or is this not what playing on auto pilot is?

[/ QUOTE ]

There's nothing wrong with it, it can be very profitable, and the limits of a typical player's attention span require playing on autopilot sometimes.

It's just that if you pay attention to exactly who you're playing, you're more likely to spot unusual situations and eek out a little more money.

good luck.
eric

[flair1239]

[ QUOTE ]
i just read a post about theory vs. practice and there seems to be a notion that playing on autopilot is a negative. What is exactly wrong with this? If you know all the angles and have played each situation so many times, you can play on autopilot. In a way, you don't have to overthink each play, making the right instinctual play because it just feels "right". Or is this not what playing on auto pilot is?

[/ QUOTE ]

Autopilot means different things to different people.

My definition of autopilot is making standard plays with little regard to the type of opponents you are facing.

Typically the higher you play, the less your edge... so chances to make or save an extra bet can be the difference between a very moderate winner (read: .4-.75 BB/100) and a decent/healthy winrate.

For other players autopilot simply means they are not playing their A-game.

[ErrantNight]

the implication of autopilot is that you treat every card situation precisely the same regardless of the table and the players at it. autopilot implies that you've switched your brain off and are not paying attention to how players are responding to you.

when you've played a lot, it means that a lot of decisions become easy... that you've seen situations or similar situations so many times that you're able to process necessary information many times faster because you can incorporate details that previously you might have gotten hung up on. basically, you're having to strain less to come to the same decisions you conceivably could have recognized before.

being on autopilot means that you've stopped thinking. that you've acquired some idea of what the "standard" play is and you always play it. you, for example, always raise every street with a set, regardless of additional information that might lead you to believe you're behind. now, frequently, if you're good enough to be able to play strictly on autopilot, some of these mistakes are not major in and of themselves, but they add up. and worse (?), it means you've stopped growing and learning as a poker player, stagnating your development.

well i guess i don't want to be playing on autopilot..how can you play poker without adjusting your play according to a player's style. i guess it's too much work for some people to just study people's playing styles and jot notes? just seems like you're mostly playing your cards and not your opponents

[I am fish]

Autopilot shouldn't stunt your learning. It will reduce your winrate at that particular table. But you make up for this usually by playing multiple tables and increasing your hourly rate. The real learning, at least for me, comes from analyzing my hands away fromt the table.