Copyright 2007 Full
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November 6th 2007
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Poker Lessons)
Poker Lesson: Don't Read This
Tip
Author: Phil Ivey
When it comes to advice about poker, my attitude
is very simple: seek it out, absorb it, but while you're at the
table, forget it.
I'm a firm believer in learning the game by playing
the game. I'm not saying there aren't a lot of great resources
around to help players improve their games or that poker books
and tutorials don't have their place. They do. However, the problem
I see with people who rely on these kinds of aids is that they
end up playing poker like someone else or - even worse - like
everyone else.
One of the things that makes poker great is that
it's a game where there's really no right or wrong way to play.
Every player has their own approach to the game and the key, in
my opinion, is to take the things you learn from other players
and incorporate them into a style of play that works for you.
There are some players who take a very mathematical
approach to the game, and for them, it works. They study the odds
and make decisions based on whether they think they're getting
the right price to commit their chips to a pot. It's a solid way
to play, but the fact is, it's not the right approach for everyone.
What's more, even the best of these players will tell you that
math only takes you so far.
Calculating the odds can certainly help you decide
whether you're making a smart move, but it doesn't take into account
who you're playing against. There are many times when you can
do all of the math you want and your decision still comes down
to intangibles and a feeling about your opponent or the situation
you're facing. Does this guy have a hand? Can I push him off the
pot? Am I getting myself into trouble here? Even if the odds say
you should play, your gut may be telling you something else, and
that's something you can only develop by playing.
Relying too much on other peoples' advice can actually
make it harder to develop this kind of reading ability because
it tends to clutter up your head. You get so focused on thinking
about odds, probabilities and strategies that you forget that
you're playing against someone else and that you have to try and
figure out what he or she is doing. Are they scared? Will they
fold to pressure? Are they a maniac? In my opinion, these are
the important things to keep in mind during a hand.
It's been said before, but it bears repeating. Poker
isn't about the cards; it's about the players and the situations.
Winning players understand that sometimes you have to take chances.
Sometimes they work and other times they don't. Whether you win
the hand or not, you have to make the play that you believe is
best.
At the end of a hand or a session, go back and study
the things you did well and be honest with yourself about where
you made mistakes. Don't, however, overanalyze how you could have
played a hand differently because this can negatively impact how
you approach your next hand or session. Identify your mistakes,
learn from them, and move on. Just because some play or move didn't
work the way you wanted doesn't mean you were wrong to try it.
As I said before, there are just some things that you have to
learn by playing.
So here's my advice. Read this tip. Read other tips
and poker books. Talk to your friends. Absorb as much information
as you can. But at the end of the day you have to trust your instincts
and play your own game â?? not someone else's.
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