Practice makes perfect...

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Posted: 26-Oct-2009 13:56 by Ron76

Hi Modge,

I think teaching methodlogy supports different ideas these days apart from the practise makes perfect scenario.

For example to learn the guitar you do not have to follow the scales, chords, technique approach, but can adopt whatever is best for you. For some peopel that will simply be playing songs from the start - basic ones and then if you want to learn scales later you can but they are not of much use.. I could go on, but another exampel i like is...

John Higgins the snooker player recently said that the reason Hendry doesnt win so much anymore is that he practises home alone instead of with other players in halls etc...

I think this could work for Poker and i prefer the philosophy of getting stuck in whihc is more enjoyable.

I would suggest play at lower levels and gice credit to some players, - they are not all noobs although yes you will encounter more but this is part of the game.

Do the theory bit as well, but dont think this alone can help reap big rewards.. I personally was crap at learning Spanish until went abroad and lived there for a while.. so although some more refined poker purists might think otherwise, I'd reccomend analysing hands and particular type games you are good at and feel comfortable and test yourself there.

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Posted: 26-Oct-2009 14:12 by Modge

For example to learn the guitar you do not have to follow the scales, chords, technique approach, but can adopt whatever is best for you. For some peopel that will simply be playing songs from the start - basic ones and then if you want to learn scales later you can but they are not of much use..

Ron76, 26/10/2009

Thanks for reply but, without wanting to turn this into a guitar-type thread, the kind of players who don't spend time on technique or scales are usually average at best

I understand that there's a lot to be said to "getting stuck in" and I'll continue to do so, but what I'm looking for is practice ideas to complement the time spent on the tables. I've read the books, study the math etc but I'm hoping to find some practical practice ideas.


M.

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Posted: 26-Oct-2009 21:24 by whodrawstheline

play money duh

interesting point modge. i think in poker the practice comes from removing mistakes, and you can do this by analysing your game, whether by software or discussing hands with friends. but yes you can also practice moves out on the tables so i think both of your points are valid. i don't practise bluffing at the low stakes because there is no point (most won't even fold bottom pair), but i simply study the opponents at my table and work out which ones can be bluffed. i do practise hand reading though, sometimes i just watch tables and try to work out what players are holding.

/waffle over

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Posted: 27-Oct-2009 01:17 by gladdened

There is ample evidence to support the idea that focused practice is a major component of advanced or expert performance. Poker practice ought to be characterised by the same fundamental aims as any other practice; namely, effective skill acquisition on the one hand, and skill retention on the other. Acquiring poker skill is (in my view) similar to developing chess skill. It is necessary first to understand the basic rules and principles (usually oral instruction and practice), then more complex procedural and knowledge components are acquired (reading, watching, talking, then play, followed by more reading, watching, then more play...and so on), finally advanced systemic knowledge/meta-knowledge begins to develop (by this stage poker becomes almost automatic). Essentially (again, in my view) until you reach the final 'expert' stage (where strategy selection is automatic), you are always practicing when you play/read/talk/think about poker. I think unless you concentrate on the decomposed skills (calculating probability, behavioural analysis etc), there really only is studying the game (reading/watching), talking about it (with buddies, other players, coaches) and playing it.

It might help to write down stuff you pick up along the way (rehearsal/revision)...could help to plug the gap between your knowledge of the game and the application of this knowledge in real time

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Posted: 27-Oct-2009 08:58 by Modge

Thanks. The old "write to remember" trick might work here so I'll try that.

I'll spend more time watching too, rather than spending the majority of my poker time playing.

Do you think there's much merit in "practicing" certain "rules"? For example, no limping for X number of hand - either fold or raise, or no bluffing etc?

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Posted: 28-Oct-2009 13:19 by kingkai84

practice:

what do i do to get better in tournaments? both online or live i attend "smaller" buyin tournaments to try out new stuff. one tournament my focus is to play position. raise 3bet in position regardless on cards.

another time i focus to just follow my gut feeling. so whenever i feel like he is week i am making moves. and when i feel he is strong i fold and often show even though i have a strong hand. if you show it is more likely that you get to see the other guys cards if you are having a good time at the table=)

recently i have been trying a hyper aggressive game right from the get-go in a couple of tournaments. have got some donkey comments=) yay

so thats how i practice poker.

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Posted: 28-Oct-2009 15:42 by discomonkey

i try and keep things the saem tbh and play a lot of volume and adapt to your circumstances. remember the mistakes you make and if u get intot he same spot dont do it again.

i did make the error of repeating my mistakes last night.
tard limps and min riases my lad on a flush draw, normally this means set board pairs on the turn and flushes on the rive and i pay him off.
this happened in a different mtt on pkr with different guy so i shudnt have been paying this guy off but i did.

tut, hard work on your game is the key for me, analysing when u are playing.

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Posted: 28-Oct-2009 22:12 by james666

It is very hard to 'practise' poker, without in fact playing... if you practise different moves, and styles of play at play money games, you will find that you are not gettting in quality 'practise' as other players will be playing very much differently at play money...

I think practising comes in parcel with the playing poker that we do regularly.... practise makes perfect, should really be changed to 'playing makes perfect'... Keep on grinding at stakes that are comfortable to you, and you will pick up the skills to climb stakes quickly and efficiently...