What made you a winning poker player?

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silverjake

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Although if has taken me a number of years, I believe over the past six months I have improved my game to the point where I would consider myself a successful winning poker player. I made a number of changes to my game here are a few.

1. Every time I start a poker session I have a goal and that is to win a set dollar amount, I also have a limit of what I will allow myself to lose.

2. I have set a weekly, and monthly financial goal. Once I have hit my goal I take some time off to relax and spend my time studying the game.

3. I only play now when I know I have no time constraints. This I believe is the biggest thing that has changed my game. I had an unexpected career change 6 months ago that has given more time on my hands lol. In the past I would play when could even if I knew I only had 30-60 minutes before I had an other time commitment. I now play anywhere from 5 minutes a day to 12 hours a day.

4. I have improved my player notes, and have identified who the fish are and who are the sharks.

On a side note I now play $1/$2.
 
starting_at_the_bottom

starting_at_the_bottom

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I will answer the question further down my post but I must comment on your first point. Now I can be on board with a monthly monetary goal, to some extent, though a ball park figure would be better. However I strongly feel that having a monetary goal for each session (and week) is a very bad idea. Poker is a game where you can play very near perfect, your opponents play terribly yet you still finish down on the session. I think that if you have a monetary goal as your target, play perfectly but finish big -VE rather than on target your brain struggles with the disparity between the two.

Following on from that, one of the biggest things I have done to improve my mindset and therefore results, is totally remove short term monetary goals from poker. (I log my results and keep a record of winning and losing sessions sure, but purely to satisfy my compulisiveness for tracking my progress.) Rather than a £££ goal, I aim to make the best possible decision on every action I take. I remove auto pilot and really ask myself what the best action would be given the information I have at that time. Coupled with a secondary aim to play as many hours of "A game" poker as I can (around my other commitments) this should lead to a good financial return, but the financial return is the result of my two aims, not the direct aim itself.

The other things I have done to help me win more is

- Working on the mental game

- Moving seats on the table to get position on the fish when a seat becomes free

- As you say, making an effort to play when there are no distractions, so I dont have to play when distractions are there

- Watching loads of training vids

- Less websurfing

- Better note taking and colour coding the decent regs, fish, and droolers

- More attention to position

- Talking through the information out loud before making a decision in bigger pots (I play online lol)

- Thinking more about bet sizing, ie if I have the nuts dont just auto pot bet or auto shove, actually think how much the villain is likely to call. You wouldnt believe how many players will default pot bet when they have a very strong hand, super easy to fold marginal holdings and high five the cat.


Quite a lot of effort goes in to making a winning player I guess.
 
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silverjake

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I also have become more focused during my sessions. I have the tv on for some background noise, but nothing else. Don't even check emails or my phone.
 
thetick33

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ive played since was 11 cards and poker and poker events with people for money. So is natural to me I read well most days have off days that is biggest thing your reads when to get off hands got to trust instincts after have seen hundreds of thousands IS A GUESS of hands should be second nature. Lots of people like to gamble I try to take the gamble out of the equation as often as possible to put self in position to win whether is tournament or ring so reads on people is biggest for me second is patience. Third short term memory blockage lol cant let a beat ruin your other hands tournaments or night and that was a big key and finally I dont care how solid you are YOU WILL MAKE MISTAKES so timely luck in your favor is VITAL at times. I do best to take luck out but make mistakes reads etc.. sometimes you got to hit and get lucky.

The numbers of pot odds etc.. is second nature have seen the hands etc.. knowing players reading players is vital sometimes have to steal a pot late got to know who is likely to call so note taking paying attention using to advantage vital.

Keep plying your trade keep growing you never are the best is probably impossible for longer than a short period of time or luck to have a run or runs. You got to know when hott to push etc.. Is a lot and more you ply your trade the better if your paying attention and growing and learning you should become:)

So yes hope for all of us:)
 
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RicsiSpy

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Won the $1m spinandgo made me pro poker player! Just kidding lol
 
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smokyjones

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My experience made me a good player i think i saw a lot of hands and learned a lot from them so i think playing a lot of hands even freerolls and for fun with friends is a good school
 
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vinest

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I need to feed 3 wives and 10 children - it made me play poker)))) goal - it's a good thing, but you need to play poker in a good mood, this is important.
 
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alexgl

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I need to feed 3 wives and 10 children - it made me play poker)))) goal - it's a good thing, but you need to play poker in a good mood, this is important.




I agree! Good mood and desire to win - that's the key to successful poker game!
 
infotunes

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The one time I won a big prize I played a with a free ticket in a rebuy, without rebuying.
Ended 1st and won a trip to Las Vegas.
I remember I played that game with many patience and no hurry.
Maybe this is a key for me to play beter.
 
n3rv

n3rv

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Mainly experience.

I think the best way to win consistently is to just have a comfortable bankroll, and dedicate a certain amount of time to playing.

E.g. if you are dedicated enough to grind 8 hours a day you will eventually get good by hook or by crook.

90s hip-hop also helps.
 
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bifelis

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Very important is discipline and consistent learning and analyzing your game. I do not have financial goals as variance will influence the result even if you play your A game.
 
horizon12

horizon12

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HUD, lots of coffee and game analysis...
 
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Zin

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Discipline and patience is key to consistent winnings...phone on silent and some soft music works for me.
 
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Bayern2015

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Lot s of discipline, concentration and luck... I think this is all what u need for winning...
 
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LornaMurray

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Yes, I have my own strategies which gives me a chance to win various times. Like Don't Call at the End of a Hand to "Keep Someone Honest", Don't Play When Mad, Sad, or in a Generally Bad Mood.
 
_xrolex_90

_xrolex_90

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Perhaps in my case it's quiet confidence game, concentration and work on the errors
 
LeeCallaghan

LeeCallaghan

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That is interesting, great job!
what you play on the website?
bovada or carbon or etc etc
Although if has taken me a number of years, I believe over the past six months I have improved my game to the point where I would consider myself a successful winning poker player. I made a number of changes to my game here are a few.

1. Every time I start a poker session I have a goal and that is to win a set dollar amount, I also have a limit of what I will allow myself to lose.

2. I have set a weekly, and monthly financial goal. Once I have hit my goal I take some time off to relax and spend my time studying the game.

3. I only play now when I know I have no time constraints. This I believe is the biggest thing that has changed my game. I had an unexpected career change 6 months ago that has given more time on my hands lol. In the past I would play when could even if I knew I only had 30-60 minutes before I had an other time commitment. I now play anywhere from 5 minutes a day to 12 hours a day.

4. I have improved my player notes, and have identified who the fish are and who are the sharks.

On a side note I now play $1/$2.
 
E

ElGordoCat

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Study... TV, sandwich and a lot of lucky. No more..
 
Egon Towst

Egon Towst

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I read a recent interview with Eleanor Gudger (a British female poker pro) in which she said that dedication to study the game constantly and self-belief to keep playing through downswings were what made her successful.

I have played against Eleanor several times (she is a regular in mid/high stakes live tournaments in the UK) and I know from personal experience that she is a tough opponent, but also an amiable presence at the table.
 
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SBritt

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I don't think I have a long enough track record to consider myself a winning player, but as of now I am - but patience and sticking to strategy would be the two things I would say have kept me positive.
 
sandund

sandund

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Luck,luck and luck...and if you have that for the start...than you need skills, skills and more skills to get some cash with that luck. ;)
 
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PhillipPaschal

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I think it is my concentration, skill and performance, which make me a winning poker player. Another thing is that I never get influenced by other aggressive players.
 
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jester112

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lots of reading and learning the game and players ;)
 
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rugby0

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For me the study of the game has made the greatest improvement in my poker time. We also have a biweekly poker review tabe at a local diner which has helped plug leaks.
 
Mark Gavr

Mark Gavr

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I'm constantly trying to discover something new, that it is time to get to know onlain poker.
 
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