Seeking advice from fellow CC members

There's so much good advice out there from CC members, but how do I know if the player giving me the advice actually knows what he's talking about? Is there a CC database of usernames matched with whether they're a winning player or not? I know people, and I've found that most THINK they know what they're talking about but many really don't, so how do I separate the cream of the crop from the riff-raff? Some poker authors will say that the advice in the forums is rubbish, but I don't trust poker authors that much either because if their book is more than a year old, the advice is outdated based on today's players. Some forum posters will tell you that an author's advice is rubbish and I believe in some cases, this is probably true. But I really need to know WHICH forum posters are the ones to listen to. Thanks!

Also, I noticed that at the tables, the ones who are calling others a donk, idiot, etc....are far more likely to be a donk, idiot, etc. themselves than the opponent they just accused. So, does that mean if I'm met with sarcasm and told what a bad player I am by those giving advice, then it's probably likely that that advice-giver is himself a bad player?

Lol there is no CC database of who is winning and losing

Post count can be an indicator but as you read the forum more it becomes pretty obvious who the good players you should be listening to are by reading the quality of their responses. For me, I feel I can learn a LOT from the good players playing higher levels than me, I can also definitely learn something from the players of similar skill/level to me, and I hope I can offer a bit of help to those less experienced too.

Read the monthly cash or tournament threads. You'll get a really good idea of who's who.

You should get multiple responses for most things you are seeking advice about.

You can then sift through the "riff raff" and get some solid advice. There are plenty of knowledgeable people here at CC. I know this because my game has improved a bunch since I joined. The results are there.

do u think that losing player has no good advice at all?

LOL

lol this is a good one. ya i find that alot of poker players think they know it all and that they are the best and everyone else is a donk as they go all in with with 63os and get called by aces.and the ones with the big mouths are usually the worst. but as far as the advise here i find most peaple here are pretty good and knowledgeable and mean well.but as far as applying it to your game just take what sounds right and try it out if it doesnt work dont use it. theres no way anyone can tell you how to play a perfect game the way its played now adays even if you make the right calls all the time your still gonna get knocked out by a bad beat or a flush draw or str8. just the way it gos

In my opinion (and I'm a noob here so what do I know?!) you don't have to worry about the level of expertise of the advice giver. To learn poker you have to be able to think through the strategy for yourself. It's not about applying exactly what the experts say, it's about hearing poker advice and being able to understand the the underlying principles and apply it to your style and your game. Obviously if you hear someone who's a good player talking about the game it'll be more helpful, but if you're really hearing what someone is saying and understanding the underlying concepts it doesn't matter if they suck at poker because you'll recognize that advice is flawed.

To me it depends what type of play you are doing. I consider myself a solid live player but I am not as good online for a few reasons. That makes a difference because the games do have differences.

I agree with BomTombadil as well though. Advice no matter how good can't do you any good if you do not understand when and when not to apply it.

BomTombadil said:

In my opinion (and I'm a noob here so what do I know?!) you don't have to worry about the level of expertise of the advice giver. To learn poker you have to be able to think through the strategy for yourself. It's not about applying exactly what the experts say, it's about hearing poker advice and being able to understand the the underlying principles and apply it to your style and your game. Obviously if you hear someone who's a good player talking about the game it'll be more helpful, but if you're really hearing what someone is saying and understanding the underlying concepts it doesn't matter if they suck at poker because you'll recognize that advice is flawed.

Click to expand...

I'm not sure I've ever read a more thoughtful and applicable first post on this forum. I'm thinking he's a keeper. :icon_thum

There is never one "right answer" when it comes to poker. You're going to often get different responses even from multiple winning players. Poker is not a black/white game, and people can approach it differently. That said, especially when it comes to fundamentals and working your way up from the bottom, use your common sense. Look for the logic in their responses, look for agreement or consistency in those responses, especially from long term members.

Also, I'll remind you that some people can have a very good grasp of certain aspects of the game and still not be good at "taking their own advice" and executing properly. IOW, they can provide solid advice without necessarily being a winning player. Obviously results help validate a person's advice, my point is simply that you can't just assume someone doesn't know what they're talking about if they can't show you a 45 degree angle graph. Kinda that old adage about "those who can do, those who can't, teach." It's like any other sport, where coaches and trainers are often not top athletes themselves. They have the ability to convey what you need to do based on their wisdom and experience and knowledge, without necessarily being better than you.

Conversely, some very good players absolutely suck at teaching or giving advice.

As was said, part of learning to be a good poker player is seeking input from and observing others, coalescing that input with what you learn from other sources (books, coaches, etc.) and your own experiences and game style to find what works for you.