How much skill is involved? The odds on favorite was 150-1 to win the WSOP. Guys that play for a living always have to borrow, also lots of health promblems amongst gambler, so even if you win at cards they are losing at health. Look at Doyle Brunson the guy is a fat pig.
Just like a single football game, where you are depending on the ability of pros to pass and catch well and the refs not to screw it up, in poker you are asking the dealer to put out cards in a beneficial way for yourself, so yes luck is the most important issue of the particular day. However if you are a professional gambler of any kind you must remember you aren't paid for a certain day's results or getting wins at every chance you can, you are paid for making proper decisions. The best poker players make good decisions over time, that is all they can ask. They hope the cards even out over time and then they beat the players that don't make good decisions, but nothing is guaranteed. This is why poker is a very subtle skill game, where in some forms and blinds it makes sense to bluff and play lots of hands, yet in others it makes sense to play rather tight and wait for a strong one to start. The best players make these adjustments quickly and realize close to the right balance of strategy just based on who and what exactly they are playing.
Tournaments are a different breed, for that reason the best players are always the guys that play well in ring games. Tournaments have many strategic facets that have little to do with ordinary skill. Ring games you just have to play the best strategy day after day, forgetting short term results in favor of making quality playing decisions. Any guy that survives playing 100-200 or higher is almost certainly more talented than even the best tournament guys, but then again many of those top tournament guys are precisely the successful players in the ring games, but not all.
Tournaments are a different breed, for that reason the best players are always the guys that play well in ring games. Tournaments have many strategic facets that have little to do with ordinary skill. Ring games you just have to play the best strategy day after day, forgetting short term results in favor of making quality playing decisions. Any guy that survives playing 100-200 or higher is almost certainly more talented than even the best tournament guys, but then again many of those top tournament guys are precisely the successful players in the ring games, but not all.
Darryl, your story reminds me of a rare play I made in my local room if you can bear with me.
I have an unsuited ace in the big blind. Three handed UTG makes Broadway (straight) on the turn. The river brings the third suited card to my ace. I figure we'll check it out and I lose since I have only one small pair. I check, UTG checks and the last guy bets. I immediately raise, hoping to knock the third guy off a baby flush and not suspecting a straight but two pair, and they both fold. UTG says he has Broadway, third guy said he'd call a doubled bet with that hand. UTG didn't call because he knew I had to have the flush.
BTW I didn't show my bluff since I needed to maintain my image.
Now JJ can call that luck but I know it's skill to take advantage of the opportunity when presented.
I have an unsuited ace in the big blind. Three handed UTG makes Broadway (straight) on the turn. The river brings the third suited card to my ace. I figure we'll check it out and I lose since I have only one small pair. I check, UTG checks and the last guy bets. I immediately raise, hoping to knock the third guy off a baby flush and not suspecting a straight but two pair, and they both fold. UTG says he has Broadway, third guy said he'd call a doubled bet with that hand. UTG didn't call because he knew I had to have the flush.
BTW I didn't show my bluff since I needed to maintain my image.
Now JJ can call that luck but I know it's skill to take advantage of the opportunity when presented.
Fishhead-thanks, will try to post a little more often.
The slot thread was very interesting- I learned a lot about the minds behind the posting handles. You are one of the very few who know how much was really made, all in a very legal manner, in a short period of time. I saw the first high limit visions being put in while I was playing another "advantage game" in the Chicago area. It was really sweet for about 6-8 weeks, unbelievable occurences like people leaving $5 pies with 3 or fewer to go and huge baskets.
The boarding times added some benefits to playing banking machines-
*Players would have to leave very good bonuses due to the fact that they didn't have time for another cruise.
*Boarding, discouraged other sharp hustlers from coming to the area.
*In Elgin, you couldn't board many times w/o a VIP card (lines were really long) or they would come around and ask non-VIP's to disembark.
A few times semi-sharps took on the $25 pie in Hammond with like 18 cherries to go then handed it off to me after losing their bank on hand.
I really miss those days
The slot thread was very interesting- I learned a lot about the minds behind the posting handles. You are one of the very few who know how much was really made, all in a very legal manner, in a short period of time. I saw the first high limit visions being put in while I was playing another "advantage game" in the Chicago area. It was really sweet for about 6-8 weeks, unbelievable occurences like people leaving $5 pies with 3 or fewer to go and huge baskets.
The boarding times added some benefits to playing banking machines-
*Players would have to leave very good bonuses due to the fact that they didn't have time for another cruise.
*Boarding, discouraged other sharp hustlers from coming to the area.
*In Elgin, you couldn't board many times w/o a VIP card (lines were really long) or they would come around and ask non-VIP's to disembark.
A few times semi-sharps took on the $25 pie in Hammond with like 18 cherries to go then handed it off to me after losing their bank on hand.
I really miss those days
When odds to win a poker event in most tournaments is 200-1!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Of course it is a crap shoot and all luck period. Thanks Rail for that tip it just proved my point. A 17 year old kid with no experience could have all the cards go his way any win the World series of poker.
You clowns are so caught up on everything is beatable.
Most poker players including pros are dead broke!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
You clowns are so caught up on everything is beatable.
Most poker players including pros are dead broke!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR> Most poker players including pros are dead broke!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! <HR></BLOCKQUOTE>
Sadly, there is some truth to that statement- however "most" is an over-exaggeration. Quite a few professional poker players have leaks that surprise me. One of the most successful tournament players ever, can frequently be seen playing high stakes craps in between events and even on breaks!
Pro-Poker is a very stressfull business, even the very best of them, looking for a release, make poor decisions.
Sadly, there is some truth to that statement- however "most" is an over-exaggeration. Quite a few professional poker players have leaks that surprise me. One of the most successful tournament players ever, can frequently be seen playing high stakes craps in between events and even on breaks!
Pro-Poker is a very stressfull business, even the very best of them, looking for a release, make poor decisions.
Cardfather my thread is becoming more proven with everyone's posts.
Poker is pure luck baby!!!!! No Skill!!!!!
They are broke!!!!!!
How can they be pros????? The jewerly they wear is all show and bs, most are squatters.
How can poker invlove skill when most players are broke even the so callled pros???
Huh?? Huh???
Poker is pure luck baby!!!!! No Skill!!!!!
They are broke!!!!!!
How can they be pros????? The jewerly they wear is all show and bs, most are squatters.
How can poker invlove skill when most players are broke even the so callled pros???
Huh?? Huh???
