Whats the best approach to playing poker and succeeding?

[zayzoo]

I question everything I do. I think its the only way you can ever get better at anything. So my question is, what is the best way to start off in online poker? I feel I have learned so much through the last 3 years, but I never really accelerated to where I want to see my potential do well and overcome this dry hump thats been holding me back. I have heard the basics about bankroll and controlling emotions and gain from experience and etc. But I think there is an approach that some of us havent quite figured out or jumped into and thats what holds alot of people from being so good. I mean hey more bad players = more but becoming a really good poker player , thats something i would like to sit down and read about. So please share your insights, your experience, stories, jokes, and people you met throughout this journey. I think poker players go through the roughest areas and know their way around from taking a beating. we are some bad ass mofos. And im sure we all had to start somewhere..

[SnappySam]

I really wouldn't know how to advise anyone on how to start off in online poker. If you wanted some live play advice I have plenty.

I would say though that expanding the range and format of games you play may be helpful. I do very well in 6-player Omaha-8 Double-Ups on the Revolution network, but badly in Omaha-8 MTTs. I can also do OK in Stud-8 SnGs and MTTs on PokerStars, but not so well in Carbon Stud-8 MTTs. I think finding a niche that suits you is something to do by trial and error - play everything you can and see what fits.

[Assistanc3]

When I started online poker (feels so long ago) I remember someone gave me some advice, of which I have used since and that was to review hand history as if it was your job. The work you put into studying not only how to better yourself as a player but how other people play is the difference between a decent break even poker player and a winning player.

Now after every ring game session or a weekend session I take the time to review my hand history, while at the same time I take notes and amend my notes of other player. In poker tournaments, I evaluate how I started the tournament based on my hands, then look at the bubble stage and then (hopefully) the final table.

SnappySam has some great advice too, "finding a niche that suits you"

[offrdmom]

I must aggree with both Sam and A3 they cover important aspects of getting your game fine tune....I will add I feel there more of a personal side to planning out the goals for me using leader board in connection with the various forums I play show just where my game if I'm not in the top ten or top five then I know I need to work so guess what I'm saying is find something that can give you a range and inside at where you are and then work from there.

[Akorps]

I'm a bad player, and always will be, but even bad players can win (by following Sklansky's advice for bad players, for example).

The one thing I believe is that bankroll management is of critical importance. Being a good player is basically related to having a positive EV. But even good players can be ruined by variance, and bankroll management is the cure for variance. EV and Variance are the two key concepts from probability and statistics, and while I figured out EV early on, I didn't understand or take variance seriously, thought it was a joke when I heard about it in statistics classes, that statisticians made up to make it seem like they were doing something important

But now I see variance/bankroll management is of critical importance. That is one reason you see great players go broke, players complain about bad beats, running bad, being card dead. Usually (unless they are being cheated) they are just getting hit by variance, which can hit amazingly hard.

Great advice by the other guys above, by the way

[zayzoo]

having the right guidance and right approach to anything you put effort into will always allow success to come into your life. I been listening to alot of podcast and pros talking about what they dealt with it, and most of them didnt approach poker the right way either. Is their a book out there that basically lays it all out there. , from fundamentals to studying and telling what to do, and not what to do. I think i need to start writing a book that will give the reader all the resource and information he/she needs. we can call it The Ultimate Guide to being a poker player. Btw you all give great advice, and i think most players like you and I, we just want to learn how to balance this lifestyle out. For me, its always best to ask how can I improve, and am I taking the right approach? I think the reality of poker is, its neither winning nor its losing,its winning and losing . You just gotta know how to do one better than the other and thats the best advantage you can ever give yourself.

[Akorps]

is their a book out there that basically lays it all out there. , from fundamentals to studying and telling what to do, and not what to do...

Sklansky's "Theory of Poker" maybe?

It's pretty dense, I have read it several times but barely scratched the surface

[offrdmom]

Sklansky's "Theory of Poker" maybe?

It's pretty dense, I have read it several times but barely scratched the surface

Agree Sklansky's is a solid book and he covers tournament play as thing is these book are written on a professional levels cash game tables so it may not hold up well against online players at lower stakes..
One other thing to keep in mind is your reading style is?
Mike Caro/Ed Miller and James McManus are quite a bit different in there writing style.

[donkeywash]

really information is the key-after keeping data since 2026 i cut out all the non profitable tournies and only play what ive profited in over a long haul and alot of record keeping. it works

[SnappySam]

Sklansky's book used to be mandatory reading, and it's still probably worthwhile. I've read a ton of books, but all geared to live play. I imagine there will be a lot of material out there for online play but I haven't had a serious look. If you could play live it would open up a whole world of opportunities for getting some real money - if you were serious.