Poker Skill Levels
Just about every poker player OVER-ESTIMATES his own poker ability. If you asked every player in the world if they were “good” or “bad”, I’d guess about 90% would claim to be GOOD. This is IRONIC… of course… because about 90% of all poker players will end up LOSING money with the game.
As an example, just think about how many players LOVE to tell their “bad beats” stories. Ever wonder why that is? I think a big part of it is that they need an EXCUSE… so that they DON’T have to say, “Wow, I was totally outplayed!” Ego plays a huge role in poker… from amateurs to pros. But when you’re considering making the jump to playing poker for a LIVING, the stakes are too high to let your ego get in the way. You need to separate FACTS from VANITY.
Here are three initial steps to take to “get the facts” about your own poker playing ability:
1. Ask Around
Ask those people you PLAY WITH what THEY think of your poker skills. Don’t just ask your buddies either… talk to strangers at the casinos, chat with other online players, and have a friendly talk with your table “nemesis” if you have one. The point is to seek out opinions from OTHER parties about your skill level. Get a consensus. If nine out of ten people say, “You suck”… you probably do.
2. Track, Track, Track
Are you truly a WINNING player? How much money have you won this month? This year? What’s your “hourly rate”? What percentage of games do you win? Before assuming you have what it takes to be a poker pro, you must be able to answer these questions effectively and a have a clear history of tracking your play. Cold hard numbers don’t lie. After you log a solid 250 hours of poker, you’ll be able to get the REAL picture of your poker playing ability. You can’t really fool yourself by saying, “Oh, I caught bad cards” or “I had the WORST luck” because after 250 hours, your cold cards are equaled out by the hot streaks. If you are a loser after 250 hours, there is a good chance that you are going to be a loser at 2,500 hours.
3. Play A Variety Of Players
Sure, you might be able to DOMINATE the card game at the local pub with your DRUNK friends… but that doesn’t mean you’ll be able to compete with strong players at the higher limits… the kind of games you’ll be playing as a PRO. Pros play a majority of games against players they know they can beat. But at higher stakes than what you’re probably used to. So before thinking about poker full-time, be sure to get a WELL-ROUNDED and complete picture of how you fare against the competition out there. Try out different games, try out different stakes online, go to different casinos, and so on. See if your previous success was your SKILLS or just BAD OPPONENTS.
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