How good are shows like high stakes poker for micro play?

[Poker Orifice]

well put it this way most poker shows are filmed in 12 hour sessions and we only get to see an hour of it so u can imagine how many hands that they are not showing....there might be 10-15 hands or so without even seeing a flop...that wouldnt make for good t.v., if u only seen 3 or 4 hands that actually had action throughout the whole show i dont think many of us would care to watch

Some of the poker shows show all the hands (ie PokerAfterDark).
For sure they can be useful imo. (even if it's just to understand that alot of micro donks will be emulating the play they see in these shows, regardless of how it translates to the table/game they're on/in).

I watch as many of the poker tv shows as I can. I find them entertaining.

 

[baudib1]

Poker is a game of information and you can get a lot of information by watching these shows.

Getting to see the cards and seeing how the pros play is a real education. Not saying you or I could/should try to make the same moves, but it's interesting to see how they handle a hand differently than you would. Likewise, you can pick up tells even on pros, and in seeing the hole cards, you know if they're bluffing or strong and you can spot these same tells in your local $1/$2 game.

Some of the pros, like Tom Dwan, will sometimes talk about their thought process in a hand and that is VERY useful IMO.

 

[engman]

Despite the huge gap in skill set, I still think the high stakes poker can help any player have at least a general idea of some standard plays like 3x pre but at the end day I think experience is the best teacher.

 

[TheDevilsLuck]

If you listen closely you hear players commenting on how Durrr plays a lot nittier in many non-televised games.

I might be a little naive on this one, but I kind of believe Durrrr when he says, "he plays the way he thinks he'll win the most money."

I mean, if other people are changing their game to be more entertaining, maybe he believes the way he is playing on these shows is the profitable way to counter them.

 

[Peteyweestro]

I think the Pros are flexible in their styles, as we should be even though we aren't on tv yet, well most of us aren't on tv, i think i saw a few of you on "TO CATCH A PREDATOR " ROFL

 

[takethepain]

I got into poker because I started watching it on TV. I quickly found out that how they played there, was about as far as you could get from micro stakes. Watch it for entertainment....not for improving your game, there are much better ways to spend your time if that is your goal.

 

[Poker Orifice]

Poker is a game of information and you can get a lot of information by watching these shows.

Getting to see the cards and seeing how the pros play is a real education. Not saying you or I could/should try to make the same moves, but it's interesting to see how they handle a hand differently than you would. Likewise, you can pick up tells even on pros, and in seeing the hole cards, you know if they're bluffing or strong and you can spot these same tells in your local $1/$2 game.

Some of the pros, like Tom Dwan, will sometimes talk about their thought process in a hand and that is VERY useful IMO.

Another great answer here ^ (as usual).
Real glad you're on the forum here bud - - it's refreshing hearing your input.

 

[baudib1]

Phil Ivey, the master of the stone face, had huge tells in a hand against Phil Hellmuth last year.

Surest sign that someone has a big hand: They stop their routine. If someone who has been sitting quietly at a table for two hours suddenly perks up, they have a huge hand. Ivey was being uncharacteristically chatty and jovial in the game and when he saw a raise to him, looked at his cards and got deadly quiet and serious.
Look around 10:13 mark here

Also note that Tom Dwan knew exactly where Ivey was and offers him $2k to show Jacks or better.

This season has been noteworthy for several tells:
Ruffin acts out of turn in 3-betting the flop with a set.
Vanessa Selbst looked like she wanted to cry when trying to bluff Viffer.
Viffer miscut then corrected his chips when trying a huge bluff against Ruffin.