sometimes you have to hear it 100 times...

[Chopper]

no link coming. just me explaining something we all know, but dont do.

the reason we STILL wonder if we suck is because we only PLAY poker. sure, we think a little about situations, but of the 100% of time we spend focused on poker, i bet 95% is spend PLAYING. and 5% is spent STUDYING.

i got told by my grandmother, a professional tennis player before it was chic, forever ago that, if you really want to get good at something, you have to LOVE the practicing. you have to spend 2 or 3 hours practicing for every hour you spend playing. of course, she was coming from a tennis angle, and telling me about golf (i was 6ish), but the lesson is still the same. and it holds true for homework in school, if you remember mom saying, "spend 2 hours studying for every hour you were in class."

why do we think ISF and fnord and Vi, among others here, are all such "deep thinkers?" why do we think they are so good at thinking outside the box? is it talent? probably, but its also a direct result of PRACTICE. they probably sit and "digest" a session longer than i do. they probably sit and think about situations...staring at one single HH for minutes upon minutes...not just replaying it through PT and saying, "huh, i guess i blew that one."

theres a true kernal here for those ready to see it.

just wanted to point that out, as the light bulb goes on at least once a day for me. sometimes, only once, though. lol.

[Jibalob]

Good post.

I have registered to video sites, bought a ton of books saved almost all of my HHs and yet as soon as I sit down I think "fk the book.. I wanna play now!".

It often takes a very bad session, funds being caught up in transfers, bad internet connection etc etc before I actually start to *study*.

Stupid really, as the positive effects on my game after a study-session are almost instantly noticable as soon as I sit back down at the virtual tables, most likely because I have more of a professional outlook on the game after studying the theory some more.

[bode]

good post chopper, and the title says it all. We've all read this 100 times and 99% of us (including me) dont actually do it. Ive made a concious effort in the past few months to take 10 minutes or so after every session and review PT. Ive been decent at doing this, but i still only review ~1/2 of my sessions. When i look back at all the big pots ive won and lost i tend to only focus on WHY i lost the hand and not WHAT i can do better the next time to eliminate mistakes and take a more optimal line.

I also am bad about watching CR videos. Ive probably only watched like 8-10 of them after having a subscription for 3 months now. I tell myself im going to spend 45 min to watch a video but i always talk myself into spending that time playing.

[Chopper]

yeah, you guys can prolly tell pretty quickly who is on a good run and who is on a bad run by WHO posts in this thread...lol.

we never worry while we play great. that should be part 2...study even when you are running hot.

[jyms]

I was on the right track before getting laid off in Aug. The studying has really been back burner for 3 months now, and I would agree, I am suffering huge because of it. All I can think about when sitting at the computer is how many hands can I play, how much RB will I get and when is that withdrawal date?

[biondino]

You're absolutely right, apart from this:

and it holds true for homework in school, if you remember mom saying, "spend 2 hours studying for every hour you were in class."

Thank god my mum didn't say this - I don't know about you but I took about 5 hours of classes a day - fuck doing 10 hours homework every evening!

[bode]

yeah, you guys can prolly tell pretty quickly who is on a good run and who is on a bad run by WHO posts in this thread...lol.

we never worry while we play great. that should be part 2...study even when you are running hot.

im actually running fairly good right now

[Chopper]

You're absolutely right, apart from this:

and it holds true for homework in school, if you remember mom saying, "spend 2 hours studying for every hour you were in class."

Thank god my mum didn't say this - I don't know about you but I took about 5 hours of classes a day - fuck doing 10 hours homework every evening!

my mom said it, but i never listened. i got through school on "talent" alone. very little studying. attendance and small amounts everyday are the keys. had i actually listened, though, a perfect grade average would have been a snap.