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How hard is it to get really good at poker?

S

Syringer

Lifer
I'm at best an average player as of now..I know the very basics on when to raise, fold, etc..but I want to be at a point where I can jump into a casino floor and have a good chance at being profitable. Are there any must read books to really get into the big time techniques?
 
If you want success on a casino floor. I would recommend reading up on Black Jack. Many of my friends and I just read a few books and made quite a lot of money when we went to vegas.
 
For some people, it takes years and years. For others, it can take months. Sometimes you'll see people playing poker on TV who supposedly had just learned poker a few months before.

Also, what book you should read really depends on what kind of style you have. Watch professionals and find a big-namer whose style you like, then try to find a book written by that person.
 
I was really good about a year after I started. Now, I'm excellent. 50% of poker isn't even at the table. It's BR management, confidence, knowing yourself. I've been playing for 5 years now and feel confident when I play. But, I also have rules for myself... tough beats are a bitch, but at least you learn. Take it slow... small games, keep raising the stakes or you'll never progress.
 
Either I am pretty good or the people I played with sucked really bad. I have never played with friends and come away in the hole. Loved to play poker. Any chance I got since I was a kid I would play, and as an adult had several, and still do, hand held poker games. One hand held I been playing for years, and bought almost 10 years ago, is my Saitek Pro Draw Poker. Always alot of fun still to pull out and play with 😱
I dont know OP aout hard to get good at but you need to have real passion for the game and not play it all the time for money. I liked to play it because I was with friends, yes didnt like to lose, but never rubbed it in thier face and I was usually the guy that bought the drinks as we played anyway.
 
If you are really good at math and computing odds, just a few months and you can get good at the mechanics of the game. It could take a lifetime to get the people skills (ex. reading your opponents) to the point of being profitable.

Good luck,
Jeff

 
i've been playing it right lately, but some newcomers beated me with pure luck. Especially on the all in preflop...got backstabbed hundreds of times with a worse hand...

yeah I agree...luck matters too....
 
Originally posted by: monk3y
If you want success on a casino floor. I would recommend reading up on Black Jack. Many of my friends and I just read a few books and made quite a lot of money when we went to vegas.
Click to expand...

Not that I'm doubting that monkey got lucky in Vegas, but I can assure you, that with counting the cards, and perfect play, the odds are only **SLIGHTLY** in your favor in blackjack. Unless you've got a huge bank roll, you're not going to make much money at blackjack other than via luck.
 
I believe that gambling is a suckers bet. I'm not really a gambler. I do talk to a lot of people in real life. I met a professional gambler and we talked about gambling. I asked what book would be good if I choose to try to beat black jack. He told me right away to count cards. This guy has played in many tournaments similar to those shown on TV. He's done so many years ago and is amazed at the money in these tournaments today.

He recommended, "BlackJack For Advanced Players," by Mason Malmuth and David Sklansky. These authors are supposedly tops. He also recommended the "Bible Of Texas Hold Em."

If anyone gets the blackjack book, let me know where you got it and how much, I'd still like to read it. I got this info. off some notes I took a year ago when I talked to this guy.

Google this, " Mason Malmuth and David Sklansky," you'll get lots of books and advice. Here's one link with some info, books and biographies:
http://www.twoplustwo.com/books.html
 
Some people just have a knack for it. Then you just have to play a lot. I have couple of friends who are professional poker players and they play all the time. All claim never have read a book. Sometimes I'm envious of their lifestyle. All they do is play poker and golf.
 
Originally posted by: uberman
I believe that gambling is a suckers bet. I'm not really a gambler. I do talk to a lot of people in real life. I met a professional gambler and we talked about gambling. I asked what book would be good if I choose to try to beat black jack. He told me right away to count cards. This guy has played in many tournaments similar to those shown on TV. He's done so many years ago and is amazed at the money in these tournaments today.

He recommended, "BlackJack For Advanced Players," by Mason Malmuth and David Sklansky. These authors are supposedly tops. He also recommended the "Bible Of Texas Hold Em."

If anyone gets the blackjack book, let me know where you got it and how much, I'd still like to read it. I got this info. off some notes I took a year ago when I talked to this guy.

Google this, " Mason Malmuth and David Sklansky," you'll get lots of books and advice. Here's one link with some info, books and biographies:
http://www.twoplustwo.com/books.html
Click to expand...
Don't reveal the secrets to the fish! 😛
 
Originally posted by: Aflac
For some people, it takes years and years. For others, it can take months. Sometimes you'll see people playing poker on TV who supposedly had just learned poker a few months before.

Also, what book you should read really depends on what kind of style you have. Watch professionals and find a big-namer whose style you like, then try to find a book written by that person.
Click to expand...

Like Chris Moneymaker? A guy at work looked over the hands he played when he won (apparently this is all available online). He made more mistakes than you could imagine and simply got lucky time after time.
 
From what I understand, if you learn the statistics, you can play lower stakes tables against idiots and end up leaving ith cash more times than not.
 
Recently I've been watching some of these professionals play poker on TV and I think I could definitely compete at a pro level.

I've been playing poker ever since I was a very little kid. My grandpa used to play poker for pennies with me and my brothers and he taught us two things well... fishing and poker. 🙂

Poker is a blend of acting, studying of the other players, and luck. You need decent measures of all three with luck probably being the most important. 😛
 
If you want easy money go to a real casino on Friday or Saturday between 2pm and 2am and you will rake in the money if you have patience and a little bit of skill. You have to have the patience to play enough hands for the odds to work out. Granted, like many other people have said, it comes down to luck. That said, I have yet to play at a casino and leave with less money than I started (playing poker that is).

Nothing is more fun than taking money from some drunk kid and his friends who think they know how to play poker after 8 rum and cokes.
 
There's a big difference in playing for small dollars with your friends and playing for big money at high stake games. It's like paper stock trading and real money trading. Different emotions.

Big money games require nerves of steel. Some people have it. Some people don't. Here's an article on my friend by his fellow poker buddy Josh Arieh. The Magnificent Woo
He tried challenging Michael Jordan on 3s when they played poker. Jordan just laughed at him and asked him if he knew who he was. 😀
 
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