So where exactly is your poker game? How much have you improved? If so, what did you do to improve your game and can you carry it over to the next level? All of these questions are relevant questions that we need to be asking ourselves as we continue on our journey in the poker world.
Poker has always been a game about knowledge and self-improvement. It used to be that you could literally play thousands of hands over a number of hours and eventually you would gain the requisite experience necessary to have a solid grasp of the game. Today, in the computer age of instant access and online poker, just about anyone with an internet connection can gain years of knowledge and experience with the click of a button. All of that knowledge can be picked up in a relatively short period of time.
True, there is no substitute for experience but the learning curve is a lot shorter than it used to be and if you are not on top of your game and working to constantly evolve your game you will find yourself left behind. Players today simply are hungry for knowledge. They are talking, reading, writing and even watching video in order to gain any and every edge they can to compete in both low and high stakes poker tournaments and cash games. Poker strategy from pros and internet poker pros is readily available if one seeks it out.
So how do you improve your game?
I believe the first thing that anyone that plays live or online poker needs to do is to be brutally honest with yourself. This is not always an easy thing to do but it is certainly a necessary thing to do if you intend to keep up. Poker is a lot like many other sports in that the game has evolved. For instance: As little as six years ago almost no one even knew the game existed other than hard core poker players that grew up with the game in their homes playing with family and eventually continued to play as adults. The game also had many middle aged and older players that simply sat and socialized as they earned a few bucks over a beer. Yes, tournaments were being played and you definitely had your regular gamblers and pros that played the game as well.
Also, the game was more of a small pot game that was played to the River. Today, the game is much younger with players like Peter Eastgate, Annette Obrestad and many others that have had major successes in live poker tournaments translating their games from the internet to brick and mortar poker rooms. The play also has become increasingly more aggressive pre-flop as the years have passed by. No one is afraid to get their chips in the middle on a flush draw early in a poker tournament anymore where as back in the day that was something that was a major no no.
I believe video has also been a major tool in helping new players to learn the game so quickly. Obviously, if you are multi-tabling you are going to see a lot more hands a lot faster than if you are playing live. The more experience the better the player, if you have the talent that is. Also, I noticed that the number of poker strategy books available is completely off the charts today whereas only a few years ago you had to dig and beg the clerk to find anything outside of Super System. As the public has become more aware of Texas Hold’em the curiosity and banter about the game has leaked into the work place where hands are being discussed constantly among co-workers and friends alike. Simply put there are so many more avenues to obtain knowledge about the game. So, there are no excuses for anyone that really wants to work at it and become a good poker player. If you prefer learning via reading - it’s there for you. If you prefer videos - it’s there for you too. Talking about the game with poker players that you respect will always be a tool utilized by those players in the know. I do it almost each and every day. So don’t be afraid to reach out and grab the information that is available to you. It doesn’t cost you much more than a little bit of your time. Trust me, it’s time well spent.
Curtis Mayfield III