Planet Mark's Blog. Thoughts, News And Strategy For Poker Tournaments Of All Size

Poker Strategy: Too Much Too Soon?

With so much information on poker strategy available these days, I got to thinking about whether many players are even taking the time to build the foundations of their game anymore. This reminded me of a time (quite a few years ago now!) when I first took up the bass guitar, and some misguided advice from a well-intentioned musician friend…

What had happened is that a band at university were looking for a bass player. I was not one, but was willing to buy a bass and step up to the challenge. 3 weeks later I played my first gig, and eventually went on to become a half-decent musician… playing for 12ish years until I gave it up 6 or 7 years ago.

My hands are fairly small, and my bass was thin necked and light. What happened was that a friend suggested I invest in a Fender Precision (a big solid bass with a rounded neck) and flat-wound strings (often used by Jazz musicians). This made a great sound, but was so much more difficult to play that it set my development back a good 6 months- not to mention those aching fingers!

I had gone for the ‘advanced’ kit before I had properly nailed down the basics.

Those strings were just not for me, though eventually I did have both a Precision and a Jazz bass in my collection.

It was well-meant and good advice from my friend… it was also completely unsuited to where I was in my development… which gets back to my original point about a lot of the poker strategy.

Everywhere I look in the games you get people who know they should raise the button often, but then have no idea how to play a 3-bet pot with whatever junk they were ‘priced in’ to calling with.

I see people who want to move up the levels so that their opponents ‘understand’ their fancy moves and what they are ‘representing’ – yet can’t figure out how to make the simple adjustments needed beat the worst players of all at the micro-limits.

I see people going way too far with top pair in a limped pot, and then complaining about the hands someone called with pre-flop.

Not having a go at anyone with these characteristics of course… it just occurred to me that the strategy those people hold dear might be their equivalent of the precision / flat-wound combo – and really many players should step back for a moment and build the foundation of their game for a little longer first.

GL at the tables!

Mark

PS: If you have not yet discovered my free SNG course ‘The $16 / Hour SNG Blueprint’ then this could be just the foundation you are looking for – click here for the Preview Page.

 

 

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