PokerListings - Poker news, guides and reviews
  • Online Poker
    • Mobile Poker Apps
    • Kostenlos Pokern
    • Um Echtgeld Poker spielen
    • Poker Bonus
  • Pokerseiten
    • 888 Poker Bewertung und Analyse
    • Pokerstars Bewertung und Analyse
    • GGPoker Bewertung und Analyse
    • partypoker Bewertung und Analyse
    • BestPoker Bewertung und Analyse
    • Tiger Gaming Bewertung und Analyse
  • Pokerregeln
    • Texas Hold’em Regeln
    • Offizielle Reihenfolge der Poker-Hände
    • Poker Glossar
  • Poker Strategie
    • Pokertheorie
    • Quiz
    • Outs beim Poker
    • Bankroll-Management
    • 10 goldene Poker Tipps für Anfänger
  • Archiv
    • Poker News
    • Recht
    • Panorama
    • Kommentare
    • Interviews
    • Blog
    • Poker Hall of Fame
4. Mai 2007 Juni 2, 2021
header-bg
  • PokerOlymp
  • »
  • Archiv
  • »
  • Why (Some) Morons Do Better Than You

Why (Some) Morons Do Better Than You

Die besten Pokeranbieter
PokerStars
PokerStars
100% bis zu 600€ und $35 Spielguthaben
Bewertung
Jetzt spielen
partypoker
partypoker
€40 Tickets
Bewertung
Jetzt spielen
GGPoker
GGPoker
100% bis zu 600$
Bewertung
Jetzt spielen
Arved Klöhn PokerOlymp Author
2. Juni 2021 · 6 Minuten Lesezeit

Why (Some) Morons Do Better Than You
/
Why (Some) Morons Do Better Than You
Okay, they may not be actual morons, but there sure are a lot of stupid things that come out of their mouth (or pens) when it comes to poker. They are obvi ously confused about logic, don’t know how to calculate probabilities, and have read little or nothing about the game. But they win more than you do. Some even bet the big games that you wouldn’t consider playing. So how is this possible?

Before going further let me say that the vast majority of weak thinking, ignorant players are in fact big-time losers. Those few who have overcome their lack of knowledge are basically flukes. Studying the game of poker in a disciplined, academic way increases your chances of success at least tenfold. The only reason that 90 percent of the best players are not studious types (it’s more like 50 percent) is because they comprise a minority of aspiring players. But still it seems surprising that any great players can achieve what they do without having the knowledge that some of their opponents (and you) have. Again, how is this possible?

One obvious reason, of course, is that some of these players know a lot more than they let on. A famous, highly successful tournament player has publicly stated that he never read a poker book. However, he privately admitted to me that he had read all of mine! Then good players actually do know their stuff, but may not be articulate in expressing ideas. But this still leaves quite a few winning professional players who know nothing of logical syllogisms, can’t calculate odds, and have no idea what game theory is. Yet they do better than you.

The reason this happens is because knowledge is not the most important thing when it comes to wining at poker. Did you think I felt otherwise? The reason I stress knowledge is because it is the one thing that can always be taught. And there is no excuse not to acquire that knowledge. Furthermore, everything being equal, or almost equal, the one with the knowledge will outperform the one without it. But it is entirely possible that someone with lots of poker knowledge is not almost equal in other aspects. Let us now look at these aspects one by one.

1. Hand Reading Ability

In bigger games, this is the single most important skill to have. Everyone plays about the right cards. Those who are best at figuring out their opponents’ hands will be the ones who beat the game. When I say “reading” hands I mean either through deducing hands based on how a hand is played (the usual method) or the less reliable method of tells or reading a person’s state of mind (e.g. is he on tilt?). There are some unknowledgeable players who are especially talented at reading hands which counteracts many of their other defects.

2. Getting Others to Play Badly

It is well known that great play versus good play wins less than good play versus bad play. Thus, a good player who can induce his opponents to play badly will win more than a great player without this talent. Actually it isn’t always talent. Sometimes a player’s natural demeanor or appearance sends off signals to other players that will make them play too loose or too tight or some other bad way against them. These techniques can involve both physical appearance and demeanor as well as specific tactics of a hand. Players who splash around in the early rounds of no-limit games to create the impression that those late round big bets are worth calling is but one example. Conversely, a guy who conveys extreme tightness in a limit game to set up a bluff is another.

A world class female player once admitted to me that my knowledge and even my tactics in a poker game were a little better than hers, but that she would still win more, since players played worse against her. I would have to agree.

3. Fourth Street

When I say “fourth street” I am referring to hold ’em. In the case of seven-card stud I would be talking about fifth and sixth streets. In all these cases there are often tricky situations where the correct play, but the far from obvious one, is to raise a player who has bet. These non-obvious raises are more likely to come up in multiway pots, but they occur in heads-up situations as well. This is not the time to go into details about when these raises with dubious hands are correct. However, given that they occur when there is already quite a bit of money in the pot, it should be obvious that the ability to recognize these situations is worth a lot of money. And while it is possible to study and learn when most of these situations occur, there are a few non-studious types who just seem to have an instinctive knack for recognizing them.

The above three ideas are the most important things that usually account for a few “dumb” poker players to outperform the more knowledgeable ones. But there are other possible reasons as well.

4. Quick, Accurate, Instincts

There are quite a few players who are ignorant of the details of calculating probabilities, who nevertheless can give you an awful close estimate off the top of their head. In fact, some of them will beat most math students if that student has to estimate quickly rather than calculate. The same goes for coming up with the logically correct tactic in the heat of battle. The seat-of-the-pants player may well do better than the logician.

5. Canceling Errors

I have written about this before. Sometimes a little knowledge is a dangerous thing. I have often seen a bad player make a great play for the wrong reason. Usually this involves betting a hand a good player would not bet. Again, I won’t go into detail. But I do know many players who make a lot of these right plays for the wrong reasons, even one or two who are winners because of it.

6. Concentration

This in itself is not enough to turn a non-studious player into a winner. But it could be a reason why someone who knows a little less than you, does better than you. You know that you should be watching all the hands, even the ones you’re not playing. But do you?

7. No Tilting

Again, this is not something that by itself can turn a weak player into a winner. Furthermore, it is my experience that seat-of-the-pants, unknowledgeable players, are more, rather than less likely to go on tilt. Still this could conceivably be a reason why your greater knowledge does not bring with it greater rewards. He always plays his best. You don’t.

8. Game Selection

Unlike No. 6 and No. 7 above, game selection is often a reason why a weaker player, (including ones who are weak because of bad study habits) does better than studious players (including intellectuals like you). It is common to see ego get in the way of smart, good players. I often see even some of my own best students, grind away at a terrible 80-160 game at the Bellagio, worth perhaps $50 an hour, when an easy $90 an hour can be earned a few feet away in $30-60. There are some book-dumb, but street-smart players who never make this mistake.

I believe the above has hit upon just about all the possible reasons why you, the dedicated, studious, intelligent poker player may not be doing as well as some more instinctive, seat-of-the-pants players who are embarrassingly ignorant of things they should know. Hopefully this article will give you some guidance into what you must do to right this wrong. You are not guaranteed of success because some instinctive players have such a great knack for the game and you may not. This is especially true regarding no-limit poker. But as I said before, if everything else is equal or almost equal, greater knowledge will win out. And yes, those who refuse to spend the few weeks obtaining this knowledge, regardless of their present results, truly are morons.

David Sklansky

Dieser Artikel erschien auf PokerOlymp am 04.05.2007.

Autor: PokerOlymp.com.

Tigergaming-
TigerGaming 100% bis zu 1000$ Jetzt spielen
So funktionieren Overbets beim Poker (Theorie und Beispiele)
So funktionieren Overbets beim Poker (Theorie und Beispiele)
Der folgende Artikel über Overbets ist aus der Feder des britischen Poker-Coaches und Strategen Jacob…
12. April 2022 | admin
Ferguson und Scheinberg unter den Kandidaten für die Poker Hall of Fame 2021
Ferguson und Scheinberg unter den Kandidaten für die Poker Hall of Fame 2021
Jedes Jahr werden im Rahmen der World Series of Poker die Kandidaten für die Poker…
20. October 2021 | Arved Klöhn
Poker Hall of Fame - Mitglieder und Aufnahmekriterien
Poker Hall of Fame - Mitglieder und Aufnahmekriterien
Die Poker Hall of Fame ist die Ruhmeshalle der professionellen Pokerspieler. Sie wurde 1979 von…
19. November 2021 | Arved Klöhn
GGPoker: Deutsche Spieler zahlen ab 14. Juli 5,3% Steuer auf alle Gewinne
GGPoker: Deutsche Spieler zahlen ab 14. Juli 5,3% Steuer auf alle Gewinne
Für deutsche Spieler wird Gewinnen bei GGPoker teuer Seit dem 1. Juli 2021 gilt in…
13. May 2022 | Arved Klöhn
Drei typische Anfängerfehler auf Micro-Stakes beim Online Poker
Drei typische Anfängerfehler auf Micro-Stakes beim Online Poker
Auf den niedrigsten Online Poker Limits machen viele Spieler krasse Fehler. An 10 Beispielen zeigen…
13. May 2022 | admin
5,3% Steuer auf Online-Poker-Buyins ab 1. Juli 2021
5,3% Steuer auf Online-Poker-Buyins ab 1. Juli 2021
Zum 1. Juli tritt in Deutschland der neue Glücksspielstaatsvertrag in Kraft und mit diesem kommen…
13. May 2022 | Arved Klöhn
World Series of Poker 2021 Termine
World Series of Poker 2021 Termine
Die WSOP 2021 findet vom 30. September bis zum 23. November statt. Alle Infos, Zahlen,…
5. July 2021 | Arved Klöhn
Warum Zahlungen mit Trustly für Online-Poker-Spieler vorteilhaft sind
Warum Zahlungen mit Trustly für Online-Poker-Spieler vorteilhaft sind
Inzwischen bieten fast alle Pokerseiten Ein- und Auszahlungen über Trustly an. Wir wollen hier kurz…
6. July 2021 | Arved Klöhn

Comment on that

Ihre Nachricht muss noch freigeschaltet werden.
Online Poker
  • Reihenfolge Pokerhände
  • Poker Apps
  • Poker Regeln
  • Kostenlos pokern
Top Strategie
  • 10 goldene Anfängerregeln
  • Bankroll Management
  • Outs beim Poker
  • Was ist ICM?
  • Wahrscheinlichkeiten beim Poker
  • So spielt man Draws
Rechtliche Fragen
  • Ist Poker in Deutschland strafbar?
  • Betrug beim Poker erkennen
  • Zahlen Pokerspieler Steuern?
Popular Poker Rooms
PokerStars
partypoker
GGPoker
TigerGaming
William Hill Poker
Betonline Poker
logo-bzga-small (1) 18 gamecare (1) begambleaware-1
logo
Über PokerOlymp

Seit Ende 2006 ist PokerOlymp auf dem deutschen Markt eines der führenden Poker-Portale und bietet seit über 9 Jahren Reviews, Strategie, Tipps und Ticks, Live-Berichte, Nachrichten und Deals für alle Pokerfans an. Auf PokerOlymp findest Du Bewertungen von allen Pokerseiten, tägliche Pokernachrichten, Blogs, über 400 Poker-Strategie-Artikel für Anfänger und Fortgeschrittene und Berichte und Übertragungen von allen großen Pokerturnieren wie etwa der WSOP, WPT und EPT. PokerOlymp berichtet regelmäßig aus der Welt der Online-Highstakes, analysiert die rechtliche Lage in Deutschland, Europa und den USA und berichtet in der Panorama-Sektion von den etwas abseitigeren Poker-Themen. PokerOlymp ist Dein Wegweiser in der Welt des Online-Poker. Bei uns gibt es die besten Boni für jeden Anbieter und unsere umfassenden Bewertungen der einzelnen Plattformen zeigen Dir, wo du am besten aufgehoben bist.

  • Impressum
  • Datenschutzerklärung
  • Autoren
  • Sitemap

Copyright © 2006-2022 PokerOlymp - Alle Rechte vorbehalten.

×