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Definition of Poker Skills?

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kerrytilt

01-02-2007, 06:08 PM Post subject: Definition of Poker Skills?

#1 (permalink)

Join Date: Dec 2006

Location: Pensacola, FL

Posts: 11

Curious what everyone out there considers the most essential skills in winning poker. It makes me laugh a little how much the commentators will say "Great Read" or "Great Lay Down". To me the skills that are most important are 1) the ability to constantly change your strategy 2) a complete understanding of the odds. 3) The ability to act.

Once you fall into a trend as either a tight or loose player, the other two skills dont matter so much. Being able to shift gears constantly I think is what makes great poker players. I guess if you play with the same player(s) for years, you may be able to read better then others, otherwise it is overrated. I would like to see a 1 card stud poker tourney, where it is all about reading. Wonder if all the pros would do as good or better then in a hold-em one.

I think the "Great Reads" or "Great Laydowns" are more about odd calculations, and timing then some mystical ability to read someones mind. Daniel Negreanu is a little spooky sometimes, but he is also wrong alot. The part that you can read are trends more then body language or voice cracks.

Just my two cents. Would like to hear yours.

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uscheese

01-02-2007, 06:27 PM

#2 (permalink)

Flush

Join Date: Dec 2006

Posts: 558

Daniel is scary. And that's a huge bonus to really be able to read what people have.

I think the most essential skill (for me) in winning is patience.

Jager

01-02-2007, 07:49 PM

#3 (permalink)

Full House

Join Date: Aug 2006

Posts: 754

After reading through your Skill vs. Luck post I thought this might help. Here is a list I put together when I first started. It is about a player's Poker Ability.

Ability: natural aptitude or acquired proficiency

Knowledge: the fact or condition of knowing something with familiarity gained through experience or association

Skill: a learned power of doing something competently : a developed aptitude or ability

Tool: a means to an end

Knowledge is things we learn about the game before we play.
Skills are things we use before or while we play.
Tools are what we use to get paid.

Knowledge
Patience
Bankroll Management
Pot Odds
Betting to eliminate odds
5/10 Rule
Playing Draws(# of Outs)
Hand Probabilities
Confidence
Player Types

Skills
Calc Pot Odds
Maximizing hands
Pos Adv(EP/LP)
Blind Stealing
Hand Reading
Controlling Pot Size
Game Selection
Catagorizing Opponents/Reading Opponents
SB v BB
Image Manipulation

Tools
Starting Hands
Check Raising
Slow Playing
3 Betting
Value Betting
Continuation Bets
Semi Bluffing
Bluffing
Blocking Bet

kerrytilt

01-02-2007, 08:28 PM

#4 (permalink)

Join Date: Dec 2006

Location: Pensacola, FL

Posts: 11

Thanks Jager. Nice post.

I think patience is really a skill that most lack, including the big boys at the final tables. Especially the gorilla at the table. If you have 2 or 3 to one chip lead over everyone else, you can cover the blinds for a long long time, before you have to move in on mediocre hands. Most of the time that I have noticed big chip leaders lose is when they try to bluff or semi-bluff on big pots, hoping to get lucky and knock someone out. They just start tilting, and bing bam boom, they are short stacks or out. I just believe that if you have 2-1 plus chip advantage, if you play tight it may take forever, but you will win unless you luck really turns crappy. Short stacks should be gambling on coin flips, not chip leaders.

bigspenda73

01-02-2007, 08:28 PM

#5 (permalink)

Straight Flush

Join Date: Jul 2006

Location: Pwnsylvania

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bigspenda73 will become famous soon enough

A skill I like is reading betting patterns.

kerrytilt

01-02-2007, 08:35 PM

#6 (permalink)

Join Date: Dec 2006

Location: Pensacola, FL

Posts: 11

Exactly bigspenda73!! Reading patterns is what makes the great poker players. The flip side of this having the skills to not show a pattern. Looking for tells is really no where compared to reading patterns.

Sometimes I think the pros stuggle with amatuers is that the amatuers are too dumb to really understand the complexity of pot odds/ patterns/ all the skills. The pros try to read the patterns of how they themselves would bet, verses trying to read the pattern of a donkey.

kerrytilt

01-02-2007, 08:57 PM

#7 (permalink)

Join Date: Dec 2006

Location: Pensacola, FL

Posts: 11

I am always shifting patterns i.e. start tight go loose, start loose go tight, or just play loose/aggressive all night or tight all night. Some of my best success has been with loose to tight. I have found that if you get pegged as bluffer early, that you have an advantage over the table if you tighten up. I like doing stone bluffs or semi-bluffs early as long as it does not get too espensive and if I dont lose, I often will show the bluff.

As a pattern reader, once you see a few bluffs would you trend the player as loose player?? I think that most would, thats why it can give you a little advantage moving forward. The trick is to do it without costing you too many chips. Often easier said then done.

Keep my secret quiet... Haha.

Fnord

01-02-2007, 09:06 PM

#8 (permalink)

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