Who is the Best........

[Talking Poker]

And these are very important qualities in a poker player. JD has come a long, long way, but he's still behind everyone on that list with regards to #1, and I think he'd be the first to admit it.

No matter how good you are, you'll amount to nothing but a broke waste of talent if you don't have good bankroll management skills. That's just a fact.

[JDMcNugent7]

Very true. I really need to work on that still. Oh and #5 and 6 are pretty bad too - but i like to challenge myself and i think its made me better playing really good players, for wutever thats worth.

[PShabi]

See, that's where we differ. I get better by posting and reading here and elsewhere. I study my own play and the play of others. I've hired coaches, posted videos, even had TP railbird.

However, when I'm playing online, I'm a predator. I'm seeking the weakest of the weak and trying to squeeze as much out of them as I can before they dry up and wilt away.

If I didn't pay ANY attention to table, and more importantly, SEAT SELECTION, I think I'd be breakeven at best. I'm have abosolute nothing to prove to anyone.

JD, you're young, and you have a chip on your shoulder. I love that. However, in my situation, I don't need pride. I'm looking to maximize my hourly earn, end of story. I don't need to think/know I'm better than these players. That's not my goal. My goal is to win as much money as I POSSIBLY CAN during the time I spend at the table.

[JDMcNugent7]

Well ya so is mine. I think it could be argued that playing better players than me, and losing money for a short time, which would make me better in the long run... could actually increase the $ i win overtime.

but man, i reallized how bad my BR management sucks when just 2 weeks ago when i was running horrible, i decided to play a freakin $5,000.00 HU SNG to try and get back to even... luckily i pwned the fool lol - but it was still really really really really really really really really really really dumb of me.

[Zybomb]

[Talking Poker]

And I'm somewhere in between the two of you. I understand the value of preying on the weak, but I PREFER to play against better players than weaker ones (this is an intentionally vague statement - this depends on a LOT of things). I find they are more logical in their actions and thus much easier for me to figure out.

And let me tell you, it's pretty damn rewarding to sit down with the best in the world and not only know that you are hanging with them, but that you aren't even outclassed. No, that's not to say I am (even close to) as good as the best in the world. It just means that I can hang at that level, and I can be successful. I'd get KILLED in the Big Game, but I like my chances in any given WPT event nearly as much as those of any given "pro."

Back to my first point. You know the whole "Levels of a Poker Player" thing that I've mentioned a few times before? Well, I don't think it's possible for you to play more than 1 level above your opponent. So if I am a Level 4 poker player, the best scenario for me (IMO) would be for me to be playing against a Level 3 player, where I'm one step ahead of them. Playing a Level 5 player would obviously be bad for me, but if I'm playing a Level 1 player, I can only play at Level 2 anyway.

This is a good topic for a new thread (maybe I'll write it up sometime), but basically, if your opponent barely knows what HE has and has NO IDEA what you have, how in the wolrd are you going to know what he thinks you think he thinks you think he has? Obviously, 90% of your talent is going to waste. He doesn't even know what you have, let alone what you think he has (and so on and so forth).

[Zybomb]

Exactly -- refer to the Levels of Thinking (or Levels of Poker I forget what I called it) of the book -- good reading material -- mostly inspired from your posts on the subject

[Talking Poker]

Yes, I have noticed a number of things plagiarized borrowed from me. hehe.

[eejit101]

holy shit my dumbass isea has got some replies.

JD plays a $5k HU SNG, and wins, thats the HU world conquered. MTTs he bashing shit out of, NL cash hes dominating. Lets make JD a limit player for christmas. Nothing else left for him to do, except omaha/stud/variations.

The only problem is....this thread is always gonna go to JD as the rest of us cant do that. I reckon a all round poker thread would be interesting, but you cant compare the games


And id like to add me to the SnG dominators, thats basically what i was playing, along with $3/$6 NL, to get my big bankroll started. Then i got fired/moved house. I resent my fiancee

[PShabi]

So, let me get this straight? You're taking credit for "levels of thinking" much like the pot/kettle thing and "I made a funny?"

Seriously????

[PShabi]

I understand your point of view on this subject. However, I disagree with the basic logic you present.

I'm going to make A LOT more money @ 5/10, or beyond, playing against level 1/2 players. So what if I'm only able to play at "level 2" against the poorest players.

Let's say I'm a level 4 player. Even if I have to "drop" a few levels in my thinking against a level 1 player, I believe my edge is INFINITELY greater against that player than it would be if I was playing a level 3 players. Does that make sense?

Bigger edge = more money

I understand your desire to be able to hang with the best in those NLHE MTT events, and how rewarding it is for you. That's just not something that matters to me at all.

I started playing poker after Moneymaker because it was something fun to do to get out of the house one night a week. $5 buyin mixed game, dealer calls it and we'd just drink and smoke and mess around.

I progressed beyond that once I started playing online and realized that I could actually make money doing this. I got books, studied forums, and played hands because I wanted to maximize my earn, period.

I guess I'm just a grinder.

[Talking Poker]

My logic doesn't apply to limit cash games. Those are mechanical. Learn to beat them and clean up. It related to NL play - especially tourney strategy.