Steve on Poker

[Dave Kaminski]

Has anyone read Steve's articles on poker?

I had wanted to go pro at one point, and immersed myself in poker books and the poker pro lifestyle etc. I'm actually one hell of a player now, IMHO. I don't play much anymore; I see more harm than good come from it for my friends etc.

Also, when I get ridiculously unlucky (runner runner higher two pair for $2600 after my money is in the pot with the 98% chance to win-I'm sure you get what I'm saying Steve) it puts me in way too much of an emotional swing. I like to have a handle on my emotions and be able to keep my composure in all settings, so that's kind of a turn off for me.

Also - don't play J8s from UTG+1

[thadroe]

Hi Dave,

Yeah, I LOOOVE playing poker. I'm kind of a freak about it. However, I really needed to start focusing on my building own business for a while so I cut way back. I've been profitable at poker, but it's not something I want to rely on for income. Right now, I'm only playing it when I want to relax.

The thing that I like is that poker helps me so much in other ways...patience, discipline, and of course the emotional control. Taylor Caby of cardrunners.com has always given great advice and has written some very good articles on maintaining emotional control, which he directly attributes to him being so successful at NL cash games.

Thad

[rvgrinsven]

I like to play poker as well, although I believe working on my business yields a lot more in experience and in money over the long run.

I am having trouble with the emotional control. In normal live I am almost always happy and can remain in that aura through almost any circumstances. Poker is definetely one of those things that is able to turn my emotions upside down. If I lose 3 sit'n'gos in a row I swear and I really have to stop playing.

I am still in doubt if this is good, because I can learn to not let this effect my 'self' or if this is bad because it is one of the things that possibly gets me into lower states of consciosness temporarily.

[thadroe]

Originally Posted by rvgrinsven

I like to play poker as well, although I believe working on my business yields a lot more in experience and in money over the long run.

I am having trouble with the emotional control. In normal live I am almost always happy and can remain in that aura through almost any circumstances. Poker is definetely one of those things that is able to turn my emotions upside down. If I lose 3 sit'n'gos in a row I swear and I really have to stop playing.

I am still in doubt if this is good, because I can learn to not let this effect my 'self' or if this is bad because it is one of the things that possibly gets me into lower states of consciosness temporarily.

Here is one of the Taylor Caby articles I was talking about. Interview with Taylor "Green Plastic" Caby

I've personally found that playing with way more room than I need within my bankroll has been really key to maintaining emotional control.

....the only time I kind of flipped out recently was when I was playing a bunch of heads up sessions and I had one showdown after another where I had the other person dominated and they would always hit their kicker...it was just relentless. I lost like 10 heads up matches in a row. But...it happens.

Thad

[ImOpen]

Dave Kaminski, I'm a professional poker player and you are absolutely right.
It's not good for you.

I would advice anyone who considers going pro to quit right away. It's like trying to run through a mine field where the potential reward is very small compared to the potential risks.

You only hear about the winners. You don't hear about the people going broke, becoming anti-social etc. I would never attempt it nowadays, now that I can see the whole picture.

[rvgrinsven]

Originally Posted by ImOpen

Dave Kaminski, I'm a professional poker player and you are absolutely right.
It's not good for you.

I would advice anyone who considers going pro to quit right away. It's like trying to run through a mine field where the potential reward is very small compared to the potential risks.

You only hear about the winners. You don't hear about the people going broke, becoming anti-social etc. I would never attempt it nowadays, now that I can see the whole picture.

A pro, how interesting

waht do you think about playing a little poker to try and build a bankroll and move up slowly. I don't really see a downside to that or is there too big a risk to get hooked?

[ImOpen]

Originally Posted by rvgrinsven

A pro, how interesting

waht do you think about playing a little poker to try and build a bankroll and move up slowly. I don't really see a downside to that or is there too big a risk to get hooked?

I know this sounds like strange advice but I would not advice anyone to gamble. Period.

I've seen a lot of loosers and they are actually also represented amongst the winners to. Poker can consume anyone and a lot of pro players / even small winners / have lost touch with a lot of things in their lives without even noticing it. Replacing meeting a friend or reading a book with a monotonous grind in front of the computer or at the casino, for example... I've been there myself to and all players I know that are just a little self aware agree with me.

[Travis_Farnes]

I actually found out about stevepavlina.com from that poker article. Its funny because I had really been into poker in the past. I used to run a poker table manufacturing business. I did that for two years then decided to shut it down. Sad to say I kinda got sick of pokerfor a while but I still host poker games at my house on monday nights.

[Amit]

Me and my friends play with like a £5'er each

[Andrew Brunelle]

I'm not the best poker player and I often don't play for money, but I do enjoy the aspect of playing. I'm not trying to make myself better so I always win, it's not like that. I just play for fun. Texas Hold 'Em and Five Card are my favorites. I enjoy a fun game every now and then...

[Henri J]

Hi all,

This will be my first post and this might be as good a place as any. I've been a professional poker player for 3 years, ever since I got out of college. I'll try to convey my thoughts on these things.

I have been very successful, why? Because I was determined, I have read 30+ poker books and I have spent A LOT of time talking to good poker players and having various mentors help me along the way.

There are arguments that poker is bad, you take money from people. But what about poker as a game? It's their choice if they decide to play above their 'limits' so to speak. I am not saying we should ignore these people but what can we do? Stop playing this wonderful game of poker? I played poker for money for awhile and I hit a wall fast. Lately i've been transitioning from poker to starting up a few internet businesses that will be free content websites (I love that concept).

I still like to play poker for the fun of it, for the challenge. It's a fun mind game especially when you play headsup to 5-handed (I play No-Limit Hold'em at the moment, I played Shorthanded Limit Hold'em for 1.5 years).

I can't really say anything about someone going pro, if you want to do it then try it. You don't have to invest your whole life or all your money. I have never put any of my own money into poker. I started playing freerolls and then built my roll from $1.5 I won in a freeroll.

Something poker has done for me is improve my discipline tremendously, I would say I am very very good at handling tilt as it is called in the poker world and this is one of my big edges if you are looking at it from that perspective.

And as the big names in poker suggest, always play within your means. If it hurts losing play lower stakes, it's supposed to be fun, it's just a game!

I decided to chime in, hopefully someone got something out of this!

Something else, I lived and breathed (sp?) poker for 2.5 years, only poker. I loved it but now it feels like I am at an intersection and I have lost interest in playing a lot of poker. I still enjoy it from time to time and I really enjoy talking about it and helping people so that is what I will do!

Cheers

[billybrads]

Originally Posted by Dave Kaminski

Also - don't play J8s from UTG+1

What's your theory here. I like j8s. It's a nifty little hand. A lot of people miss the straight when it comes up and give you more money than they should.

I'm new to the game, although I do allright, so just looking to hear your thoughts.

[Savage]

J8s... a seductively curvy hand that promises easy multi-way action. Its true treachery only becomes apparent when you take a bath at the river.

[ahimel]

We don't play for money at all; Wayne just brings over poker chips and we see how well we can do over the course of the evening.

We also play mostly small and obscure forms of poker (primarily deuce-7 lowball). Given the relative absurdity of the game, it's pretty easy to keep an emotional grip on things.

I've found it an interesting exercise in awareness. With probability calculations out of the way, it comes down to being able to read bluffs. So I'm practicing subjective-reality/telepathy skills. So far so good.

Amanda

[Plato]

Bump.

I'm having the same issues of emotional control. I don't like losing control, but poker seems to bring that out..

Originally Posted by Dave Kaminski

Has anyone read Steve's articles on poker?

If anyone has, Steve has. I'll say that much.

Where are these mysterious articles?

[Plato]

Ah, found it.. Life Lessons From Poker

My biggest, and most deeply felt life lesson from poker by far (I'm still trying to learn it) is if you know something is a losing play, don't do it. It sounds obvious, but I'm amazed how often I catch myself doing dumb stuff. When I ask myself why I'm doing it all I get back is a belligerent shrug. But I'm taming the disobedient teenager inside me, bit by bit.

I suppose that's emotional control, and patience, but I like to think of it in terms of +- EV (Expected Value).

[st33med]

Steve wrote an article somewhere, can't remember, but it was a famous vegan poker player who won a tournament for something like $60,000. A reporter asked, "What are you going to do with the money you earned?" Response: "I don't know, spend it on a new car? *sigh*"

If you are rich enough, you play poker for fun, not for money. You have fulfilled enough of your needs and wants that money can buy, so, you use money on poker.

[Plato]

Originally Posted by st33med

Steve wrote an article somewhere, can't remember, but it was a famous vegan poker player who won a tournament for something like $60,000. A reporter asked, "What are you going to do with the money you earned?" Response: "I don't know, spend it on a new car? *sigh*"

If you are rich enough, you play poker for fun, not for money. You have fulfilled enough of your needs and wants that money can buy, so, you use money on poker.

You don't have to be rich to play poker for fun.

[st33med]

Originally Posted by Plato

You don't have to be rich to play poker for fun.

My oversight, sorry.

I was trying to say the rich probably enjoy poker more as entertainment than getting money.

[Plato]

Have you ever watched pro poker on TV? These guys get seriously pissy. Daniel Negraneau is the player you were referring to... he's an exception to that rule.