Which is the better way to learn Poker? Does following the styles of amateur poker players make beginners play more cautiously, learn more, and eventually win more money down the road? Or does someone who has made himself familiar with established techniques and has found himself to be dissatisfied with them or who, lacking the proper guidance, simply studies on his own by observing, reading and playing according to his or her own unrefined judgment enjoy more success in poker?
Not necessarily, especially if you consider that most professionals (not even necessarily great players) routinely pray on unimaginative poker regulars. Trying to actually learn the various imaginative possibilities of the game and develop a more or less personal style does not necessarily involve taking unnecessary risks. It does mean trying new things, despite the commandments of the Poker Beginner's Bible, and it means constantly improving despite occasional flops a more banal player might never have allowed.
The bottom line is that it is not so much safer to player by rote as it is simpler, and the only reason to stick to the clichs is that you do not wish to engage yourself creatively with a demanding game.
In many countries, poker is considered to be a sport. Very similar to chess, poker is more like an art form rather than a purely physical sport. Major television channels regularly show poker games and tournaments. Materials on poker can also be easily accessed via the internet. However, many poker players react more positively to marketing efforts rather than focus more on the game's real meaning. Many don't know that they are keeping poker only as a form of entertainment and an obscure craft.
99% of aspiring poker players never make it big because of the very simple fact that they cannot create their own set of playing techniques. They simply stick with a specific list of do's and don'ts which make them vulnerable to big players who are very well versed with those rules. These beginners are pretty much like a school of fish ready to be ambushed by large sharks whenever they pass by.
Sticking with a strict list of dos and don'ts all your life can be a bad thing in poker. It's worth noting that the people who crafted those lists did not consider your own personality, needs and tendencies. Hence, when you try to mimic what others have done in the past, you make yourself vulnerable in a game where you could lose so much money in a blink of an eye. You should learn when to drop out and make sure that your actions don't become mechanical so that you will reap the benefits of the game for yourself.
The real secret to becoming great in poker is this: great players are constantly developing their game. Many don't figure this out because mainstream media is telling you to develop a blind attitude towards playing poker. They are telling you to develop an attitude of apathy. The general rules don't encourage people to become creative and to deviate from mainstream thinking. To truely be great, you may need to take the path less traveled.
Not necessarily, especially if you consider that most professionals (not even necessarily great players) routinely pray on unimaginative poker regulars. Trying to actually learn the various imaginative possibilities of the game and develop a more or less personal style does not necessarily involve taking unnecessary risks. It does mean trying new things, despite the commandments of the Poker Beginner's Bible, and it means constantly improving despite occasional flops a more banal player might never have allowed.
The bottom line is that it is not so much safer to player by rote as it is simpler, and the only reason to stick to the clichs is that you do not wish to engage yourself creatively with a demanding game.
In many countries, poker is considered to be a sport. Very similar to chess, poker is more like an art form rather than a purely physical sport. Major television channels regularly show poker games and tournaments. Materials on poker can also be easily accessed via the internet. However, many poker players react more positively to marketing efforts rather than focus more on the game's real meaning. Many don't know that they are keeping poker only as a form of entertainment and an obscure craft.
99% of aspiring poker players never make it big because of the very simple fact that they cannot create their own set of playing techniques. They simply stick with a specific list of do's and don'ts which make them vulnerable to big players who are very well versed with those rules. These beginners are pretty much like a school of fish ready to be ambushed by large sharks whenever they pass by.
Sticking with a strict list of dos and don'ts all your life can be a bad thing in poker. It's worth noting that the people who crafted those lists did not consider your own personality, needs and tendencies. Hence, when you try to mimic what others have done in the past, you make yourself vulnerable in a game where you could lose so much money in a blink of an eye. You should learn when to drop out and make sure that your actions don't become mechanical so that you will reap the benefits of the game for yourself.
The real secret to becoming great in poker is this: great players are constantly developing their game. Many don't figure this out because mainstream media is telling you to develop a blind attitude towards playing poker. They are telling you to develop an attitude of apathy. The general rules don't encourage people to become creative and to deviate from mainstream thinking. To truely be great, you may need to take the path less traveled.
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