What's the single thing that has improved your poker play the most?
Herkstwin
Legend
Bronze Level
Theory and Math
Learn and apply the mathematics of poker. Without it, you are playing from the gut and that will not cut it in the long-run. How do you learn? You pick books, videos, forums, or other strategies that suit your learning style. Then you study, study, study, and study some more.
In today's world, expertise is taking a back seat to personal opinion. People mistakenly believe that their opinion is just as valuable as an expert's. Hogwash. A person is an expert in their field because they have studied and lived in that world. When a blowhard dismisses expertise and claims that "this is what I think" without any supporting theory or background knowledge they are destined to lose. So it is with poker. We can all have our 'opinions' on what is the best play in a given situation, but the math of the situation determines the optimal action.
I am a book learner. So I have a library of books that focus on my preferred game.
Decide how you want to learn then buckle down and go for it. Good Luck.
Learn and apply the mathematics of poker. Without it, you are playing from the gut and that will not cut it in the long-run. How do you learn? You pick books, videos, forums, or other strategies that suit your learning style. Then you study, study, study, and study some more.
In today's world, expertise is taking a back seat to personal opinion. People mistakenly believe that their opinion is just as valuable as an expert's. Hogwash. A person is an expert in their field because they have studied and lived in that world. When a blowhard dismisses expertise and claims that "this is what I think" without any supporting theory or background knowledge they are destined to lose. So it is with poker. We can all have our 'opinions' on what is the best play in a given situation, but the math of the situation determines the optimal action.
I am a book learner. So I have a library of books that focus on my preferred game.
Decide how you want to learn then buckle down and go for it. Good Luck.
Last edited:
M
martina pinto
Rock Star
Silver Level
what was improving in my style was the aggressiveness to get rid of my fear .. and to take it as something natural ... not stress me so much when it comes to making a decision that could leave me out of a tournament
1
1KrazyMofo
Rock Star
Bronze Level
I feel what makes you better is play what brings out the competativeness in you, for me its tournements, I always aim for the final table weather there is 100 entrants or 3,000+ and its an unlikyl thing but thats where the wins are 
ElMatador689
Rising Star
Bronze Level
Watching a lot of wsop, EPTs and other tournaments, even without "cards-up", trying to read players and make drinking game out of it. Reading also, downloaded few poker book and read them when I have nothing to do(waiting for train, travelling etc.) and then try to remember something when I play online.
Reading also, downloaded few poker book and read them when I have nothing to do(waiting for train, travelling etc.) and then try to remember something when I play online.
I
imalreadywet
Rising Star
Bronze Level
PREFLOP, PREFLOP, PREFLOP!!
Studying those pre-flop range charts improved my game dramatically.
I made flashcards from this chart: https://www.888poker.com/how-to-play-poker/strategy/texas-holdem/
And also flashcards from this pre-flop series (more advanced, tricky spots): https://www.flashcardmachine.com/machine/?topic_id=2654046&source=pub.pub_details
I made around 180 FLASHCARDS in total.
I liked watching the Gripsed poker stream, too. He plays a lot of tournaments which are also very preflop heavy and has mastered the shove/fold strategy.
So many tough spots can be boiled down to pre-flop mistakes.
**BONUS: FOLD! Good players fold more. Sure, there is a Gus Hansen or two, but one of the easiest marks of a bad player is playing too many hands. No shame in folding!
Studying those pre-flop range charts improved my game dramatically.
I made flashcards from this chart: https://www.888poker.com/how-to-play-poker/strategy/texas-holdem/
And also flashcards from this pre-flop series (more advanced, tricky spots): https://www.flashcardmachine.com/machine/?topic_id=2654046&source=pub.pub_details
I made around 180 FLASHCARDS in total.
I liked watching the Gripsed poker stream, too. He plays a lot of tournaments which are also very preflop heavy and has mastered the shove/fold strategy.
So many tough spots can be boiled down to pre-flop mistakes.
**BONUS: FOLD! Good players fold more. Sure, there is a Gus Hansen or two, but one of the easiest marks of a bad player is playing too many hands. No shame in folding!
MrPokerVerse
Legend
Bronze Level
Playing in forums where you can ask questions and get solid advice. When I started out there were aspect I never considered. Things like BRM, ICM and hand history evaluation. Finding something like CC in the early stages gives the basic building blocks to be informed beyond just knowing how to play the games.
starting_at_the_bottom
Legend
Silver Level
A lot of people here saying that just putting in the hours at the tables has helped them most. Thats fine up until a point, but eventually you will fix all of your poker leaks that you are aware of but will not be able to fix the leaks you dont even know you have. So just be mindful of that if you keep putting in the volume but dont seem to be getting any better.
For me once I nailed down hand selection, I would say position and table selection were the biggest factors in boosting my win rate. So often I see tables where regs just seem to be pushing money around between other regs, yet there are other table full of recs and there is nobody on the waiting list so that will be my top tip, keep sufing the lobby for a better table.
For me once I nailed down hand selection, I would say position and table selection were the biggest factors in boosting my win rate. So often I see tables where regs just seem to be pushing money around between other regs, yet there are other table full of recs and there is nobody on the waiting list so that will be my top tip, keep sufing the lobby for a better table.
E
Erase209
Enthusiast
Silver Level
free poker money, freerolls for training, article from the poker school and video games.
57noona
Legend
Bronze Level
Reading poker books like Super Systems and Harrington on Holdem.
777jeton777
Rock Star
Silver Level
practice! without practice there is no perfection ... I was helped by the analysis of my game. when I realized that I just need to be calm and patient in the game I saw the result. analyze your game constantly and work primarily on yourself. wise decisions is success in poker. good luck.
SouthparkSith
Visionary
Silver Level
Odd as it sounds some simple advice helped more than anything I think? That advice being:
Son this game is a marathon not a Sprint why are you always in such a damn hurry?
When it clicks it just clicks! Hope it does so for you!
Son this game is a marathon not a Sprint why are you always in such a damn hurry?
When it clicks it just clicks! Hope it does so for you!
mariuspoker1
Rock Star
Silver Level
I think what improved mostly my poker game is the experience; i believe this is the thing which improves any player poker game; has to play a lot to become a good poker player.