Loading...How Not to Suck at Poker: Discuss the Game
By Sean Lind
Guess who's getting the better deal out of this exchange? The finale in our 10-part series for the beginner Texas Hold'em player, this article looks at talking about poker away from the table - one of the most profitable things you can ever do.
Anyone who has spent time playing sports will tell you this: they almost always perform best when playing against or with someone much better than themselves.
Unfortunately, it's hard to raise your own poker game simply by playing against better players.
Most of the decisions players make at the table are done privately. You can't emulate another player when you have no idea what they're doing and how they got to that decision.
The only way to get a glimpse into the mind of a better poker player is for that player to willingly share their thoughts and thought processes.
And a solid discussion with a better player about specific parts of the game can be more useful than any book or article.
The reason is simple: the exact questions you have are answered and there are no holes left lingering after the lesson.
Who to Look To
Although talking poker with anyone can be beneficial, certain people can offer much more insight and advice than others.
Negreanu discussing some numbers.
First, you want to be talking to someone who is stronger at the game or knows more than you. The discussion may be fun, but it's rare for you to pick up any useful advice from someone who knows far less than you.
Second, you need to consider the person's ability to communicate their thought process. Doing something really well, and being able to describe how you do it, are two very different things.
It's better to have a discussion with a strong $5/$10 NL player who can clearly explain his thoughts than with a tight-lipped Phil Ivey.
What to Discuss
The way the majority of humans learn best is through practice - trial and error, learning from our mistakes.
To learn from a mistake, you have to:
- Make a mistake
- Understand and admit it was a mistake
- Figure out what the correct choice would have been
- Figure out why that is the correct choice
- Apply it to your game.
This mistake formula is crucial to becoming a great poker player.
Technically, you can use it with great results by yourself, but discussing with a friend, peer or coach can greatly expedite the process and make it even more successful.
Some players will try to discuss poker whether you're interested or not.
Here's the key to discussing the game: the best discussions come from you bringing up a legitimate situation where you think you made a mistake.
Hypothetical situations and abstract poker theory can be good, but nailing down a specific situation you've encountered will, for most people, be much more helpful.
Take the situation with your mistake, describe it with as much detail as possible, and then discuss.
You'll be using everything you learned in the first nine steps of How Not to Suck at Poker as the building blocks of your discussion, from evaluating your hand selection to counting outs to paying attention when you're not involved in a hand.
The more mistakes you can fix using the above formula, the fewer holes you'll have in your game. And every mistake you eliminate will be one more step towards not sucking at poker.
More on how not to suck at poker:
- How Not to Suck at Poker: Play Fewer Hands
- How Not to Suck at Poker: Play in Position
- How Not to Suck at Poker: Count Your Outs
- How Not to Suck at Poker: Learn Basic Odds
- How Not to Suck at Poker: Pay Attention
- How Not to Suck at Poker: Have a Bankroll
- How Not to Suck at Poker: Stop Bluffing
- How Not to Suck at Poker: Keep Your Mouth Shut
- How Not to Suck at Poker: Keep Records
Related strategy articles:
Comment(s) on this article
TT Jun 12, 2009
Hey Sean, great series! Thank you very much!
YT,TT
Rray Jun 17, 2009
Hi Sean
Thanks for an excellent series of articles.
Following on from your last post, I would like to request that you write an article on playing A-x.
I've graduated from being like a deer in head lights upon seeing an ace in my hand some time ago, to almost dreading the little fellas. They seem to be overvalued a great deal online but do win their fair share of pots.
Your insight on playing A-x (2 to Q), suited and none, would be appreciated.
Sean Lind Jun 17, 2009
Rray, I like that idea. I'll see what I can do. Keep your eyes peeled for it.
FYI, if it happens it won't be for a couple of weeks, lots on the go during WSOP time.
tony Aug 1, 2009
a set of articales to inspire and assist the new player thankyou
tony c
rupert Aug 20, 2009
As a beginner, article one was immensley helpful, but i was under the impression that there was something of a gradutated system, so-as the closer one is to the button the more hands one bets. Is this untrue? The article on counting outs was very helpful as well.
Sean Lind Aug 20, 2009
Rupert,
The answer is both yes and no. The closer you are to the button, the more hands you can play, but you're still wanting to only stick to your legitimate starting hands. The button just allows you to make calls, or raises with hands you may have had to fold OOP.
TerryZ Sep 15, 2009
Do you know how many hands you have to play to build up a pot just to stay in the game? So if you don't bluff at least a couple times you will always fold or over bet. I just won a hand with a six and a duce. Go figure.
This game is not so much skill as much as luck and not so much as luck but more skill. So get something that is lucky and rub it and then try to play low ball a few times. Then play this game then play pool then play darts and if you win at all of those games save up a bank roll and play poker. I just bluffed with a five and a duce. This game is too much meaning, too much like fun and weird at the same time.
TerryZ Sep 15, 2009
Some tips work some don't. Like trying the top 15 hands rule for beginners. I have lost countless games online waiting for those top 15 hands. If you read it, found under hands to play, it reads that beginners should only play the top 15 hands, period. I follow that rule as a beginner but then I get dealt 6 hearts and a 2 of clubs, or seven and a jack or 9 of spades and a 3 of hearts. This goes on and on while waiting for a top hand. This game is a game of chance. So most hands either have to be bluffed, and I read here not to bluff, or you have to fold 100 times to get one good hand. Why bother?
TerryZ Sep 15, 2009
Now I will say that many of the tips do work. I learned so much from this site after only one day. Now I will try to play a while but at first glance I suck, and I mean bad. But after reading this web site I learned how not to suck soo bad. It is a trip to me how many duces and fours make it around the table compaired to Ace King or Ace Queen hands.
Leave a comment