Joined: Jan '11
Location: Ireland
Age: 33 (M)
Posts: 3
I have being playing poker for about two years now,mostly small buy ins large mtt both live and online .For the first 6 to 8 months i rarely won anything but as i started to understand the basics of the game i began having some nice scores the biggest being 1st in the 4000 freezeout for 880 dollars a nice return on my 5 dollars.I have played maybe 30 live mtts at 25 euro buy in i had 7 top 3 finishes ,two of them wins and have played lots of online tourneys with a few 1st places,I am just not sure if i have just got lucky a couple of times.i play standard tag poker but try to mix it up sometimes.So im just wondering is it worth my time to try and take my game to the next level or am i just a normal micro stakes donk wi a couple of lucky wins ?
Joined: Aug '08
Location: Canada
Age: 58 (F)
Posts: 2558
Hi kidpoker88 nice on the wins. You are not alone in your question of "am I a good player" as everyone asks themselves that same question. I am sure many who are now pros have as well.
IMO yes poker has allot to do with luck, some skill and finding which game suites you best, not to mention what you prefer, whether it be live, online or a combination of both. I see that you have been here for almost a year now but this is your first post. BRM forum has many advantages of players from all areas, games and stakes. I am sure that if you look though past posts and ask more questions, we will be able to answer for you ,or at least give you some sound advice
But no one can really tell you yes you are a good player as it all comes down to opinion. Some of the biggest pro winners are, lets face it, just plain lucky many times. Are they a good player?? maybe or maybe not. All comes down to opinion.
Joined: Jan '11
Location: Ireland
Age: 33 (M)
Posts: 3
thanks for the reply I understand that the question is one that cannot really be answered and just from reading other post on the forum that i need to get software to track my stats rather than ask this silly question .Bankrollmob is really a great site and thanks again for the reply
Joined: May '11
Location: Canada
Age: 34 (M)
Posts: 979
your a good player if you can profitable play whatever stake you want to be a good player at, but when you know your officially a good player is when you play and live off your winnings(and living comfortably)
Joined: Nov '11
Location: United Kingdom
Age: 60 (M)
Posts: 44
Nice thread, and good fortune to you.
Sounds to me like you must play to a decent level (unless you're working for 'All-in Clown & Donk' plc) but I wouldn't judge and tend to believe the former of those two options, given the Tourney sizes and the amount of high placings you have accumulated over your time.
I've only really started to look at poker a bit more recently, if not with futile hope to learn at least how to outsmart the bingo clowns (one of which I've never deliberatley been!) and make it to a stage in the MTT where I can observe and hopefully get an insight and feel for the game. Given my experience, and my available funds, this limits me greatly and ties me to the touneys which are often full of the afore mentioned group.
I would mostly follow luck rather than logic and I guess without reading a book, or screen recording a table and later analysing it, I'd never really learn the logical side of mine and other people's play, and so remain in a game based around luck. My years in any kind of gambling has proven that I wasn't kissed on the cheek by the good luck fairy so luck alone aint going to be enough if I am going to better understand and be successful with my game, and think of myself as alright, good or great...or the best. Currently I strive to be the former of those options.
If you have a full grasp on betting odds and strategies, and consistently rely on logic over luck then that, for me, is a measure of a player. I don't think many of these 'top TV personalities' got to their standing in the game because of luck over logic, because they, just like you or I or Johnny Punter, have had to swerve their way past 'Cardco the clown and chums from All-in Clown & Donk plc)' on their way to the top table and you will know only too well its like going through an asteroid belt on a bike! But I do accept there are a few who are there purely because they had the stake!
I will know I am the Best when I have died and gone to another life, hopfully not taking with me my knowledge thus far!! I will feel I'm alright when I start consistently applying logic to my play and when I am mainly successful with strategies and such. And if I get to be good at this game I'll know I will have read some stuff, analysed my play, and others', and have grasped a good understanding of the game in general, or enough to start considering my job at the office! Oh that's right...I lost that one!
Joined: Mar '11
Location: Canada
Age: 44 (M)
Posts: 1490
Posted by kidpoker88: I have being playing poker for about two years now,mostly small buy ins large mtt both live and online .For the first 6 to 8 months i rarely won anything but as i started to understand the basics of the game i began having some nice scores the biggest being 1st in the 4000 freezeout for 880 dollars a nice return on my 5 dollars.I have played maybe 30 live mtts at 25 euro buy in i had 7 top 3 finishes ,two of them wins and have played lots of online tourneys with a few 1st places,I am just not sure if i have just got lucky a couple of times.i play standard tag poker but try to mix it up sometimes.So im just wondering is it worth my time to try and take my game to the next level or am i just a normal micro stakes donk wi a couple of lucky wins ?
Easiest way to tell if you're a good online player? If you go from making frequent deposits, to making frequent withdraws
Joined: Dec '10
Location: Ireland
Age: 33 (M)
Posts: 54
In my opinion a good player is when you stick to the the strong hands and do not be tempted to play cards that look nice like low suited cards and dont bluff : much : you will see the difference in your finishing position in tourneys
Joined: Dec '09
Location: United Kingdom
Age: 42 (M)
Posts: 2087
Posted by JAMMYJAG: In my opinion a good player is when you stick to the the strong hands and do not be tempted to play cards that look nice like low suited cards and dont bluff : much : you will see the difference in your finishing position in tourneys
Joined: Mar '08
Location: United Kingdom
Age: 44 (M)
Posts: 6714
There is a big difference in being a good player and a winning player, I see lots of, "if you are winning"...BS, take Gus, any one want to say he is a bad player? over a years worth of solid losees. I can play good against better players and be in the red, does not make me a bad player, just a losing one. So what makes a good player, playing pots at the right price and correct odds, to be better than that have solid reads on players etc. To many online players think they are good, put them at the real felt and they don't stand a chance, no computer helping them, no world of stats, no pressure etc. Then there are levels of good, I might play good against NL50 players but not quite grasp the angle of nl200 players. So to cliff, or explain in simple words, discipline, good math skills, psychology, understanding risks Vs rewards and I guess more...you do not have to win to be good.
Joined: Dec '10
Location: Ireland
Age: 33 (M)
Posts: 54
Posted by Flippedchips: [QUOTE]Posted by JAMMYJAG: In my opinion a good player is when you stick to the the strong hands and do not be tempted to play cards that look nice like low suited cards and dont bluff : much : you will see the difference in your finishing position in tourneys
GO IN STRONG , COME OUT STRONG
thats not a really a good player its just a nit [/QU
WELL THE STATS SPEAK FOR THEMSELVES FELLAS,AINT THAT RIGHT PRODDY
------------ YE I hate phil ivey with a passsion looks like tiger woods son
Joined: Nov '11
Location: Estonia
Age: 32 (M)
Posts: 18
if you see yourself depositing more than withdrawing, then its time to give up playing poker or start to LEARN. If you are a winning player, then try to move up limits. Still winning...go further. If in some point you aint winning or losing, then it's time to learn some more again. You think itäs nothing to learn anymore? haha, there is always something you can improve. good player is thinking of played hands- what he can do better to get value or to fold before losing a huge pile of a stack. aaah, never mind I'm bad, because I don't concentrate well enough.
Joined: Dec '09
Location: United Kingdom
Age: 42 (M)
Posts: 2087
Posted by JAMMYJAG:
Posted by Flippedchips: [QUOTE]Posted by JAMMYJAG: In my opinion a good player is when you stick to the the strong hands and do not be tempted to play cards that look nice like low suited cards and dont bluff : much : you will see the difference in your finishing position in tourneys
GO IN STRONG , COME OUT STRONG
thats not a really a good player its just a nit [/QU
WELL THE STATS SPEAK FOR THEMSELVES FELLAS,AINT THAT RIGHT PRODDY
------------ YE I hate phil ivey with a passsion looks like tiger woods son
lol why would you think im a proddy chances are your an idiot judging by your little pic and that stupid comment
Joined: Feb '10
Location: Finland
Age: 38 (M)
Posts: 1248
Posted by retribution: Easiest way to tell if you're a good online player? If you go from making frequent deposits, to making frequent withdraws
-word on thatone!
even players drawing zero in a long enough timeline is concidered to be a good players. Because tbh atleast 70% of the field is losing money by playing poker, if youre stabile or up in years time then thats good enough
Joined: May '08
Location: Lithuania
Age: 39 (M)
Posts: 10090
i don't know for sure- but such questions really are a matter of psychology imo. the thing is that even when you are on a long losing streak you still have a few options to choose how to think, i.e. man i suck totally, i don't know anything about poker, i should quit playing online...or you can think like this- ok with every loss i am closer to my next big win, i am getting smarter the more i play, ok what i can learn from this loss etc....in the end i think it's all in the head...
nice on the wins. You are not alone in your question of "am I a good player" as everyone asks themselves that same question. I am sure many who are now pros have as well. 
.Bankrollmob is really a great site and thanks again for the reply
you will see the difference in your finishing position in tourneys 
