At what point do you know that you are good?

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FoBreeze

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So for anyone out there who has played and won consistently for a long time, I am curious as to how you began….

When and why did you decide to give it a shot at making money playing poker? How much time did you put into it before you knew that it was going to work out?

If you have been playing a very long time, do you still spend time studying poker books or do you mostly just watch and play?

Thanks everyone!
 
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GWU73

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Everyone thinks they are good at poker. The reality is skill is relative and luck is a great equalizer, so leave the ego at home.
 
yeezus

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Everyone thinks they are good at poker. The reality is skill is relative and luck is a great equalizer, so leave the ego at home.

Ha this is a great statement. The only way you can know if it not gonna work out in poker for you is if you put 100 percent into poker im talking studying analyzing really putting in effort and you stil are not a winning player then it might not be for you.
 
ScooperNova

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I've never met anyone who wasn't good at poker in their own mind.
 
MiamiMadePunk

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I've never met anyone who wasn't good at poker in their own mind.

jean-robert-bellande-one-drop-f5_orig_f5.jpg
 
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GreatLeslie

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If you're winning cash game money consistently every week then you can consider yourself as good.
 
Colbefc

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"When do you know when you are good at poker."?
I will tell you when I get there. Don't hold your breath though. :D:D:D:D
 
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FoBreeze

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If you're winning cash game money consistently every week then you can consider yourself as good.

This is kind of is what I would think... But more specifically, how many playing hours until you have a good idea? Also what is good for 1/2 NL players? How much money would you say per hour?
 
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jass503

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When you start earning more money than what you lose lol actually you can see you are better cause you win some tourneys and your bankroll is growing up !
when you see your skills are better and already follow a strategy when playing
 
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freestocks

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You're the greatest poker player ever...I just got lucky.
 
denisthemenys

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you consider yourself good big deal of course we believe that if you start winning every single day more than the previous day means persevere and get better day by day but the key is to be considered by others a very good player and you only consistent gains then you should think about it until then continue to study poker play poker and be modest I think it's the best way good luck :))
 
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For me the hardest in poker cope with defeat, defeat because I want to catch up and add another win.
 
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thatgreekdude

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when you are consistently making a profit.
 
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scooba13

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So for anyone out there who has played and won consistently for a long time, I am curious as to how you began….

When and why did you decide to give it a shot at making money playing poker? How much time did you put into it before you knew that it was going to work out?

If you have been playing a very long time, do you still spend time studying poker books or do you mostly just watch and play?

Thanks everyone!

It depends on your goals - but since the score is kept in money then to be "good" I think you have to be at least above average for the winning players at the level you play over the long term (say 500 tournaments and/or 10,000 cash hands)

You can measure tournament results by ROI (or maybe sharkscope ability rating?)

You can measure cash results by BB/hand

My goals include learning all the games and trying to be profitable at different structures/table sizes/etc).

If you are trying to make a living you'll want to consider your hourly earnings whether from tournaments or cash games

I've been playing a while , but not a very long time (started in 2006 but was off poker for a few years after Black Friday). I still read the books.
 
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BigJamo

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Yeah its true. Your only as good as the last person you beat.
 
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HooDooKoo

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This is kind of is what I would think... But more specifically, how many playing hours until you have a good idea? Also what is good for 1/2 NL players? How much money would you say per hour?

It's not a function of how long you've played profitably. It's a function of how many hands you've played profitably.

Most winning online players use poker tracking software (PokerTracker4 or HoldemManager2). These software packages store every hand that you play online (once you set them up correctly) so that you can track your results and go back and review your sessions after you play.

There is so much variance in poker that you shouldn't begin to trust that your results represent your true skill level until you've played at 50,000 hands (and I prefer 100,000 as that threshold). Playing 1/2 live, it takes long time to accumulate that many hands. Multi-tabling online, though, some players have no trouble playing 4,000 hands per day.

Win rates are generally express in BB/100. At the micros online (up to 10 NL or so), it is relatively easy to post win rates of 15BBs/100. Win rates generally decline as you move up in stakes, and it's very difficult to maintain win rates over 8BB/100 over 100 NL. I primarily play 400NL, and my win rate is generally about 6 BB/100.

If you don't know what anything I referenced in this post is, google it.

Good luck to you.

-HooDooKoo
 
Timmah120

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This is a hard question to answer.

I feel like I am always learning, and being "good" is relative.

For example: if you are being chased by a bear, you don't have to outrun it. You only need to outrun the person you're with.

At the poker table, you should strive to always outplay your opponents. You are ALWAYS going to sit down with someone who will make better decisions than you from time to time. Don't get upset; learn from their plays.

Always analyze everything from every angle, and never assume you played a hand poor or well until you gather as much information as you can. Basic strategy, position, circumstances, betting patterns, what you know about your opponent, what you know about yourself, etc. The list is endless.

That is how I approach poker, anyways. I don't consider myself a good player, but every day I play, I try to improve.
 
Arjonius

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For the vast majority of players, whether you're good is relative to the context in which you choose to make your assessment. For example, if you're a consistent winner at mid-stakes, you're certainly better than average compared to the entire universe of poker players. However, it you change your frame of reference to include only high-stakes and nosebleed players, you're probably not good.

It's also possible to be, for example, good at ring games compared to all players, but not good at MTTs or SNGs, also compared to all players.
 
Jacki Burkhart

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I started to believe I was a good player when I knew exactly what was going on at the table; even in the hands that I wasn't a part of.

I'd know which players had what hands and approximately their strategy for playing that type of hand.

Also, when I can predict a player is about to make a move before they actually do....it almost feels like clairvoyance. But it's really just finely tuned situational awareness.

I can't tell you how many times I've been about to call a raise, or limp along when I stop because I just KNOW a player to my left is going to jam. So I fold and the exact player I was worried about actually does jam....
 
IM deusXmachina

IM deusXmachina

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I started to believe I was a good player when I knew exactly what was going on at the table; even in the hands that I wasn't a part of.

I'd know which players had what hands and approximately their strategy for playing that type of hand.

Also, when I can predict a player is about to make a move before they actually do....it almost feels like clairvoyance. But it's really just finely tuned situational awareness.

I can't tell you how many times I've been about to call a raise, or limp along when I stop because I just KNOW a player to my left is going to jam. So I fold and the exact player I was worried about actually does jam....

Love your Sig. Quote missjacki! ( its Oprah who said that I believe) But I agree with what you stated. I felt comfortable as a poker player once I felt aware enough to "predict" what situations/hands I was facing, make the "right" calls - whether they won after the river or not, and felt good knowing that win/lose or chop I was able to "read" everything to what I felt was a satisfactory level.

To elaborate on OP question of "when I thought I was good?"

I probably thought I was good after 5 years of "practice" many trnys on the casino boats (I lived in the south at the time) and at plenty a 1/2 NL __2/5 NL and even some 5/10 FL tables. SO MANY POKER BOOKS!
And what stands out mostly was my first ever Omaha hi/lo trny WIN! which was a crummy freeroll on pokerstars.
I implemented all my poker learnings and placed #1 .....of 4986 field. I had won trnys before, but never any of this sized field, and never in a game where I was really just following my poker instincts and making solid plays based on simple basic strategy. This was the point in my poker journey, where I learned to trust myself to make BAD DECISIONS!! LOL

Great questions OP, and thanks for the memories!
Happy felting!

:2h4:
 
mendiolacubicle

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A times comes that you think you are already crushing or has beat the game but it comes to a moment that it will all fall down and you have to start over and think "have I really beat the game?"

That moment is so demoralizing, from $15 i was able to reach $100 in three weeks playing 5nl.

Unfortunately, downswings came by and started to doubt myself, now I am at $0.10 - $0.25 SnG's just to reclaim my composure and bankroll.
 
Slav4obaby

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When my bankroll grow up 2x times per week
 
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tca3rd

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Like most everyone is saying. If you are making a consistent profit you should be considered decent. If you are making a big consistent profit you are good.
 
rifflemao

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Never. Always something to learn, although a 5 or 6 figure cash might fool me for while. ;)
 
Jacki Burkhart

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Never. Always something to learn, although a 5 or 6 figure cash might fool me for while. ;)

Yes, but the question is "a good player" not meaning you're the best or perfect or can stop improving.

You are surely a good player, rifflemao. We all have something to learn but if you stick you and me at a $1 tourney surely you and I will be some of the better players in the field, no? If you stick you and me in a $100 tourney we're still good players but we're going to need a few things to go well. You stick me in a $1,000 tourney and I have a fighting chance but I'm gonna need to get lucky at least a couple times...
 
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