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dwrec
Enthusiast
Silver Level
Besides putting the hours in of play per week. I would like to know what else i can contribute to help my poker game. Reading and watching videos I know of but theres got to be more any suggestions?!
Great topic. I think this goes to the idea that Malcolm Gladwell discusses in "Outliers" of "deliberate practice". Whenever we work on poker we need to work in a way aimed specifically at getting better.
If we play 100,000 hands but we play them mindlessly in the same way that we always have than we have done nothing to get better. If we play 100,000 hands but we are constantly focused when we play, we are consciously choosing the play that we are making, even when it seems automatic, and we are thinking about why we take our actions, than we will see a leap in our playing ability. I believe that there is no substitute for putting in a lot of quality time at the tables. You get better, ultimately by playing poker and thinking about what you are doing.
As for study away from the tables, there is no magic secret. Read forums, watch videos, post and ask questions. Also, don't be afraid to reread things. Just because you've already read an article, sticky, or whatever, don't think that you can't learn more from it. Lots of times I have come back to a post or article weeks or months later and something clicks with my recent experience and I get a whole different level of understanding about it.
I'll give an example from the world of chess. Mikhail Tal was world champion in the sixties and one of the greatest players ever. He once said that he regularly watched chess programs (in the old soviet union chess was on tv a lot) aimed at beginners because it always helped to review the basics.
TL;dr cliffs: Play a lot and play mindfully
Read forums, stickies etc and re read things often to get new perspectives.
Thank you all for the ideas... reading over things again again to almost memorization where its stuck in your head will deff help me get the most out of an article or topic. I also really never considered it but taking up a coach could prove to be really helpful.
One more thing can some of you recommend any good books that have deff helped you. Im talking about the ones that really got you thinking and give you a different prospective on the game. I would like to know where to start with some grade A books.
Im currently focused on cash games, specifically nl holdem, ever since online got shut down the tourneys they have in my area my bankroll couldnt stand the swings at this time.