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Server Time: 10/11/2008 1:11:48 PM PACIFIC |
 Mentors, beigs, 16. Jun 2003 14:29 | ||
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| Anyone know how to find a mentor (not that this forum hasn't helped immensely)? I live in NYC and have been playing consistently online. My bankroll has taken a significant turn for the worse and I'm not sure if there is a flaw in my game that is finally biting me in the arse or if I'm just unlucky. Either way, I don't have any friends that play seriously and no one to give me feedback as to when I'm being stupid. I was hoping someone might know where to look. Thanks all. See you Wednesday. For a short while anyway :) Beigs | ||
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| Re: Mentors, 4 POKER, 16. Jun 2003 14:53 | ||
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| I personally would suggest than to rather seek out a mentor, why don't you take some time off, invest in some really good books, read them over and over and try applying what you have learned in a low limit game of poker. What you can also do is this...and this may sound silly, but, try to just "observe" the games that you normally play at and see if you can pick out a particular player who's game that you feel to be a good one. Try watching the more solid players in the game and take notes (mental or on paper) as to what hands they're playing and how they may be playing them as well. Take notes of the entire game too; the good players, and the bad players, and see if you can gain even a little bit more understanding of the game.This way, you may be able to apply what you have seen in your OWN game, and you'll be able to notice some of the more typical plays (whether they be good plays or your everyday common mistakes that are made by the inexperienced or average type player. You'll have a greater chance at correcting some of your own mistakes as well...just by observing the other players). Because your friends do not share in the whole poker experience that you do, if you're able to watch and observe just one player, then you'll learn something. And there's nothing wrong with just sitting in front of your computer and putting in some hours just observing the game and the players. Trust me, it helps. I do it quite often and it makes me more aware as to who the really good players actually are. This way I'm not just going into the game blind. Good luck to you. And yes, it would be easier if you had a friend that you could discuss poker with; but when your friends don't have the same interests, you have to try other alternatives. Reading, observing the on-line games, and discussing your hand play analysis with us will help you as well. Just remember something Beigs, even if you don't find a mentor, if you want to get better and you CHOSE to get better.....you will, mentor or no mentor. YOU can be your own mentor...especially if you really really want it! ($$$) All the best. 4 POKER | ||
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| Re: Mentors, flintsword, 16. Jun 2003 16:09 | ||
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| 4 POKER has good suggestions and they would be at the top of my list. Here are a few other actions you may consider. The problem is that "you think" there is a flaw with your play. Why not turn the problem over to the harshest taskmaster around? Yourself. Get yourself a hardcover, lined notebook from a stationary store. Prepare to play a $5+$1 tournament on www.ParadisePoker.com and the object of the game is to record your moves, F = FOLD, R = RAISE, RR = RERAISE, / = CHECK, C = CALL. Example: Cards---position------flop----------turn-----river-----------balance. Ah 4s------UTG------F--Ad-4h-6s--Kh-------2c---------------800 AhAd--------MP------R--As-Kh-9d--2d--/R---end------------850 You record ALL the play. Be alert and it is easy to keep up. Be neat, because after the tournament, you are going to go over your play. After you get tossed out of the tournament, ... OR after you have placed 3rd, 2nd, or even 1st, ... going over your game is "eyeopening" sometimes to the point that your eyeballs drop to the floor. One point, if you do make it in the game to the point that you are going to place, stop recording, play as well as you can, and when you are ejected (or win), Paradise will prompt you if you want a "hand history" of your tournament. Say yes, ... and check you email to transfer the missing hands into your notebook. Now for the fun part. The tournament is over, and we will assume that you came in on the bubble, in fourth place. Go over each hand. Where did you lose? Do you see any pattern? For example, one common observation lots of players make is: "Hey, I seem to be betting all my Kx hands and I seem to lose most of them!" Congratulations, you have identified a weakness in your game. Get a red pen and neatly annotate each line with a check mark, or the classic "shfbf". You will soon see dozens of "shfbf" on the page in red. "shfbf" = "should have folded before flop". This implies that you are too loose, generally, so there is a second discovery. The reason you want to do this neatly is that as you become a better player, you will go back to that notebook and smile at the fish you were, as I do occasionally. Do this for a dozen games or so to see the improvement. Last point, use this notebook to mark down poker points of interest. Let me get one of my old ones out and write down two, ... hold on ... "After these ten hands, I felt like calling the SPCA for a pickup. What dogs!" How Odds of winning % increases as # of callers decreases --------------------------JJ--------------AK-------------55 9 callers--------------19--------------17-------------12 8 callers--------------22--------------19-------------14 7 callers--------------25--------------21-------------14 6 callers--------------29--------------24-------------16 5 callers--------------34--------------27-------------18 4 callers--------------40--------------31-------------22 3 callers--------------48--------------40-------------29 2 callers--------------61--------------49-------------39 1 caller----------------78--------------65-------------60 ... % are approximate So you see the advantage of reducing the number of callers when you hold a good hand. Long post, hope it helps and my alternate suggestion is of use to you. If it is an additional incentive to you, the fact you are going to study your hand later might also inject a little more discipline in your game and you will find yourself playing better right away. Now THAT is a lesson to learn! Good luck. flintsword | ||
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| Re: Mentors, 4 POKER, 16. Jun 2003 16:27 | ||
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| "Great Post"' indeed! Well done Flintsword.....well done. I'd just like to add that you (anybody) can be their own best mentor because when we're real honest with ourselves and we're willing to be the best critic we can be; we can actually see the flaws (weeknesses) in our game for ourselves, and if you're determined enough to WANTING to change any bad plays/habits that you may have, than you'll be able to do it...it's that simple. But you must really really want to succeed or you won't be able to accomplish your goal. 4 POKER | ||
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| Re: Mentors, beigs, 16. Jun 2003 20:48 | ||
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| Thanks a lot, Flintsword. This was extremely helpful. I've been trying to figure out how to keep track of what I'm doing. I liken it to practicing music. I know that I need to learn scales, and fingerings and train my ear so that I can play what I hear when I hear it. I just don't know the exercises in poker yet. Your post provided an exercise. Thanks a million. Beigs | ||
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| Re: Mentors, shorn, 17. Jun 2003 04:50 | ||
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| Flint- This is a great help to those trying to improve. I did the same thing for a full year of online poker and it is amazing what you can find in your game that is a leak (like mine...calling with Axs from EP). One thing that I added was to mark down hands in which I took a bad beat so that I could review my play immediately following to make sure that I wasn't tilting too bad. Anyway, this is an exercise that will help any player, pro or novice. Steve | ||
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| Re: Mentors, Big_Slick, 16. Jun 2003 20:12 | ||
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| [Insert classic kung-fu music] Remeber grasshopper, he who raise in first position may be run over by mack truck. OK, maybe I wouldn't make a good mentor. But I agree with 4-P. A lot of what you need to become a good player is available in books. Take advantage of free-play online. I know a lot of players frown on free play, but there is a lot you can work on such as position, starting cards and reading other players. Always think about your play and post questions here on UPF. Before you know it, you'll see improvment. | ||
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