Definition of Poker Skills?

[kerrytilt]

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.

[uscheese]

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]

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]

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]

A skill I like is reading betting patterns.

[kerrytilt]

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]

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]

Hand Reading

Hand Reading

Hand Reading

Hand Reading

Hand Reading

Hand Reading

Hand Reading

Hand Reading

Hand Reading

[flyingPenguin]

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.

When you hear "Great read", that's exactly what they're talking about most of the time. Online, that's what it's all about - hand reading, or reading betting patterns. Better players will be able to pick up on patterns quicker, and this includes the change of gears.

The whole idea of poker is get your opponent to make a mistake. This is why you might want to change gears if they have you pegged. However, if you're constantly changing gears against someone who doesn't even notice what you are doing, YOU are making the mistake. While changing gears all the time, somewhere in there you are playing suboptimally against that particular player.

So, hand reading (aka pattern reading) is important. Also important is being able to change your betting pattern at the right time, and in the right way.

[Fnord]

The whole idea of poker is get your opponent to make a mistake.

Most of my opponents suck. I just identify their favorite mistake, exploit and destroy.

[freechus9]

My biggest skill is being able to eat two footlong sandwiches while 16 tabling and jerking off. Hand reading is cool too.

I'm sorry for the unhelpful response, but your questions aren't going to help you out much. You really need to start from the beginning and READ ALL THE ARTICLES IN THE BEGINNER'S FORUM. Asking general questions like "what are good skills to have in poker" are going to get you vague responses and will not point you in the proper direction to get on the winning path. You need to learn the basics before you can ask more questions like these.

[uscheese]

My biggest skill is being able to eat two footlong sandwiches while 16 tabling and jerking off. Hand .

Impressive