Age vs. Experience

Good day to everyone! My name is Ben and I am a student at Belmont University. I have been given the task to do an ethnography on poker or poker culture.

My basis is on whether age or experience matters in the poker society?

I am looking to this forum to help me answer this age old question!!
All in the name of research!

Every post could be used in my paper/ethnography and I am attaching 4 questions to maybe help get everyone on the right path.

Looking for semi-detailed answers since unfortunately college does not smile upon 1-2 word answers. All opinions matter!!!

Again thank you to anyone that helps me out with this great assignment, I believe poker is indeed a culture and need to be further studied.

1) How long have you been playing poker?

2) So when you started playing poker, did you think that age or experience mattered?

3) Do you believe age plays a factor in today’s poker society?

4) In your opinion, how does experience compare to age as a benefit or hindrance in the game of poker?

Looking forward to seeing some opinions!!!

2) So when you started playing poker, did you think that age or experience mattered?
When someone begins anything they dont have any experience.

what do you mean, age vs experience? Do you mean like new young (online) pros vs old experienced (live) veterans?

True, but even nowadays, rookies have some sort of poker experience. I am just taking it further and casting the question which one is more of an asset in tournaments and overall poker.

Would love to hear your opinion on that!! But just in general too!

Trust me, they do not.

When you begin learning about poker you start to find out how complex it gets

I have been playing poker quite awhile, and indeed know how complex it is. This is just a simple ethnography on whether age or experience factors more to a poker player. Thank you for your opinions and keep them coming!

Its an interesting one.

Young players tend to be more agro than previous generations as online is played more aggressively than live.

Where it gets more "grey" is that online is a much faster game, you are looking at 3 -4 times more hands dealt per hour and it can be multitabled so an online pro may have logged more hands in one year than a live player gets in 30 years.

So it depends on how you inteprate "experience" the very act of getting older dosent really improve anyones game so you are seeing a new generation of online players who have more "experience" than live players who have been playing for decades.

Stu that is a great un-biased answer and will definitely go into the paper. That is the type of opinions I am looking for. Thank you again!

Another difference between generations would be infomation.

Online there is a ton of info out there and you can join forums and chat with people about hands.

As a rule, there is a certain age beyond which they dont use the tinterweb!

So younger players have access to more info than old players (how they use that info is debatable but its a resource the young definitely have)

Great opinions once again that I have already documented! I will add yours to the briefing. Thanks again Stu.
Anyone else either agree with Stu or have their own opinions?

Ben,

I am 24, graduated from an ivy league school with a business degree and have been playing poker on a daily basis for about 5 years. I have profited over 130k in the last few years alone. Here are my answers to your questions.

1. I have been playing poker since i was 15, but I have been playing poker seriously for about 4-5 years. I would say I've been playing professionally for about 18 months now.

2. and 3. When I began playing poker, I knew that age didn't play a factor. Age is not a factor in poker. You see these poker 'prodigies' that have taken over the poker world. Experience is the only thing that matters. Nowadays, young players have gotten so good at poker because of the infinite tools online they can have access to. Older players generally are not computer savvy and are stuck in their ways. So again age has no factor in determining skill level, to be honest, most younger players are more experienced than the older players nowadays because we have seen so many more hands due to multi tabling online.

4. Experience is all that matters. As I said above, age has no factor and in reality it is all about how much time and work you put in to becoming a better poker player. The online player has a huge advantage b/c he/she sees so many more hands in a such a short period of time as opposed to sitting at a live table and seeing 25-30 hands per hour. The important thing is that an online player can learn from mistakes more quickly and is put in so many different situations at a faster rate than a live player.

Hope that helps.

I'd have to disagree with this ^
Yes alot of people on poker forums are young, 'but' many older players also access info. online (ie. PokerTraining sites, Poker forums, books, etc.).
Incidentally, the avg. age of active members on this forum is on the 'older' side. (at least as far as the ones who are also playing in the league games & other CC games online). You can access a thread re: Old vs Young (some tournaments that CC has held) & you might be surprised by the average age (or 'mean'). I know I was.

Thank you Eazy for your opinion and experience facts. This will definitely help!!
Poker Orifice I will go check out the Old vs Young thread and thank you for your input as well.

These are great opinions in general, keep them coming!!

The paradox of present-day poker is that generally the younger professionals have much much more experience and a better understanding of fundamentals than veteran players.

Thank you everyone for your opinions, please keep them coming!

This guy ^ always says what I wished I'd said

I have to admit feeling a little like Tom Hanks in the movie Big - "I don't get it."

Unless I'm mistaken, when people refer to the benefits of being older relevant to a particular talent or skill, they are generally referring to the experience that they have accumulated over their years. I'm not sure anyone ever questions age versus experience - since one is generally thought to be a proxy for the other.

That being said, the accumulation of one's life experiences are somewhat applicable to poker (i.e. reading people), but accumulating a ton of experience in less chronological time is just about as valuable. I don't think any of us older than 45 think we have an advantage simply because we're older than some arbitrary, lower number.

If a younger guy has put in twice as many hands as a younger player, then I would expect the younger one to be a better poker player, all else equal (which of course they never are).

I suppose if someone younger has any advantage, it might be their brains are somewhat more receptive to learning. That's what we always say that kids are like sponges. Of course, you didn't really ask if there was an advantage to being young. Your question is about experience versus age - which is why I was confused in the first place.

I think that age has nothing to do with it. I think that the more times you have been in anyone situation u fair beter when you've been though it before. So I say experience.I also say your playing style has alot to do with it also. Some people will never be good at poker because they play too consevative and only call bets when they should be raise players to win the hand.

Very logical answer there, and I see where your coming from. If you would like to comment on the advantages or disadvantages of either old/young or experienced/inexperienced please feel free. The topic was supposed to read young aged poker players, vs old experienced. But do to online poker, there are more young players with experience now compared to 10 years ago.

1. Been playing poker since I was a kid, playing online since 2005.

2. Age has nothing to do with it unless you have dementia. It's not a physical sport. Experience is everything.

3. I think a lot of young online pros are more aggressive and creative than some of the older live players. But that may have more to do with the emergence of online poker than age given that the experience is so different.

Online has definitely changed the game, given the vast amount of info and software that online players can take advantage of not to mention the amount of hands that can be played vs live.

4. This question doesn't make sense to me.

1) I've been playing poker for around 5 years but only semi seriously for the past 2.
2) and 3) I largely agree with the comments made by Eazy 489 in that experience matters far more hugely than age and given the amount of hands that can be played online that is where experience matters. However your question is aimed at the poker community so I think we need to distinguish between online and live play. With internet play age is fairly irrelevant (although socio -economic factors do indicate that the older one becomes the more prudent we become - and lets face it the reputation of younger players is that they are far more aggressive than older players). However in live play I'd say that age does matter but only in the sense that older players generally have more experience in playing live than young internet junkies (although note that I did use the word experience again!).
4 Again I'd say experience over age. But - age is a factor. Lets take an example of a middle aged person with 2 young kids and a spouse to support. If he or she is on the bubble of a potential major score they will (in general) play more conservatively than a younger person with no ties or commitments. So our age - or more specifically our background and present ties and commitments - does have an impact in how we can play. Again I'd stress the words 'in general' - I'm sure there anre many family guys out there who say they will continue to press aggressively in such a situation.
Hope this helps you and good luck in your study.

1) How long have you been playing poker?

7 years? Seriously for 2.5.

2) So when you started playing poker, did you think that age or experience mattered? Experience has always been everything. Age helps a bit as a younger person has the ability and a fresher brain to adapt and learn more quickly than an older person.

3) Do you believe age plays a factor in today’s poker society?

It does to an extent, while you have most grinders being young you have a few old guys as well. Youth allows you to do a lot more things in terms of online poker etc. Easier to multitable and even just to use computers.

4) In your opinion, how does experience compare to age as a benefit or hindrance in the game of poker?

Experience > Age and it will always be like that.

Wow, these are great!! Thank you so much everyone!! The study is going really well and still look forward to hearing more opinions!

Have to go with experience. Age itself means little. If I start playing when I'm a hundred, my accumulated life knowledge is not going to give me an advantage over a 30 year old who has been playing daily for the last 10 years.

1) How long have you been playing poker?

8 years

2) So when you started playing poker, did you think that age or experience mattered?

Experience yes, didn't consider age a factor, so long as you could see the cards and not fall asleep at the table

3) Do you believe age plays a factor in today’s poker society?

Absolutely, I'm 44, so I would like to say that a 25 year old has no advantage on me, but the reality is that they do ... in long marathon multi-table tourneys they will generally have more energy and they can be sharper with a younger mind (so long as they are not tweeting! )

4) In your opinion, how does experience compare to age as a benefit or hindrance in the game of poker?

Well, it's almost impossible to have poker success without experience unless you are some prodigy type, however, you cram 5 years of poker experience into one year with online poker, books, etc. So, a 25 year old dedicated player can have the equivalent of 20 years of live poker experience to go along with their high level of energy and if they happen to have patience, math, discipline, focus, decent bankroll, etc. to go along with that, then look out!

So, I will give age a slight edge, because you can't go to the fountain of youth, but you can play hand after hand and read book after book to get experience.

Thank you so much for your input!!! Definitely helps!!!

Its also an online vs live question IMO.

Some live veterans cant play well online but kill live and vise versa.

But that is not a rule. Some younger players with online weaning kill live as well.

AND, a 60 year old with 3 years experience vs a 26 year old with 3 years experience. IMO both can be just as good, but perhaps the younger player is more flexible????? (Just assuming us old folks can be more set in their - our - ways??)

But, does the arrogance of youth hinder a newer player more than the experience of the older guy? ( when they are both new to poker, and the older guy know he does not know it all??)

I started playing poker in 1944. I was 9 and played with my dads poker group. Played for two years on my dads money and then he forced me to begin playing with my own money. Paid for college and my first house with my earnings. Have played in casinos, house games, back rooms, and rv's. Love to play online but had to upgrade my computer. Age v experience want them both. Age helps read people, study and experience help with the math. I am not a professional but can play at most levels execept the very highest. I am 76. Hope this helps.

of course. experience is very important in poker. This resembles maturity of poker. Age matters less ...

1) How long have you been playing poker?
15 years

2) So when you started playing poker, did you think that age or experience mattered?
experience

3) Do you believe age plays a factor in today’s poker society?
yes and no. more important factor is good health. so generally speaking the younger generation has the edge.

4) In your opinion, how does experience compare to age as a benefit or hindrance in the game of poker?
age is generally not a factor if your healthy. experience is the most important factor.
one thing you left out is I.Q. Anyone can learn the optimal strategy to beat the game but intelligence is going to determine how fast that person can rise to the top.
many (or at least some) of the young guns have risen to the top with little help from training sites, coaches or books.
they figured out how to analyze the game on their own. most of us don't have the insight to do this. or at least i didn't.

for the majority, poker is so complex, you can play a lifetime thinking all your plays are +EV. so until you get the experience (training sites, coaching or books is the only way to improve for most of us)

well it has be experience. just because you are young doesn't mean you are a good poker player. ive played many of young kids that are donks. now if a young kid has the same amount of experience as a older pro i would fav the young kid

I can't thank everyone enough on this forum for their opinions!! Keep them coming if you have more!!!

I was 43 when I first started playing. After reading and studying for a full year, did I start to win and I have had some big wins. Poker takes alot of training as it's complex just like chess.
But to seperate age groups? Nah, all can learn. I'd say if anything, younger players tend to be more aggressive at the wrong times.
The same goes on the other end. Donks come from all age groups.

As if an older player hasn't multitabled. Is this some secret thing for young folks only? Or are you generalizing? Then you said this...

So which is it? Experience plus "younger players?" Or just experience. You don't have to be young to have experience. In fact, logic would say the opposite.

BS... Experience and common sense are all that matters. Have I been in a given situation, or not.

Not a thing to do with age... experience.

Now, I give you this. An experienced older player well versed in multitabling, who has also learned the art of live tells as well. Using your logic, age would be the most valuable here. Live tells take years of not multitabling, and not using a HUD. Add this to dedicated web play and study puts this person at an advantage live. Whilst the young phenom has no edge on the older experienced player on line.

The only way to make your logic work is to assume that the older player has no experience with multitabling and poker math. But if this person does, then proper logic dictates that he/she has an advantage over a young person.

So... in essence it comes down to experience. Yet, given the same circumstances, age has a definite advantage..

And BTW. Stu Unger started all this...


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for the average player just playing the game doesn't make you a better player. however i do agree with you that online players have an advantage over live players, assuming live players never get on a computer and assuming the online player uses software, forums and/or training sites.
the amount of information an online player has with software, forums and training sites can and will put you on the fast track to success.
But just playing the game doesn't make the average person a better player.