In poker, there are several methods you can use to get better at the game. One is by constantly playing but, in the long run, that can get a bit expensive (especially if you continually make the same mistakes). You can read about the game or enlist an online poker coach, school, or teacher. But one of the best ways to learn about the game is by talking to other players.
By going to a forum or website, you can always find people who are willing to discuss hands and situations and, after a bit of trial and error, you can usually determine who is worth listening to. The problem lies in that, for those who are there to help, there are those that (to be kind) aren’t going to be so helpful. Here’s three things you need to remember when you head to one of these websites, Facebook pages or forums to ask for advice.
THE DEVIL IS IN THE DETAILS
First, before you ask your question(s), you should have as much history as possible in your mind to recount the situation. Coming at forum members and saying, “I had X and pushed all in. Y called me with a 7-2 off suit…how could he play such crap?” is only going to set you up for derision from the members of the forum. Before you even put your fingers on the keyboard, put together as much information as possible regarding your question.
Such information as whether you were playing a cash game or tournament, the buy-in or table stakes, what the blinds are (in the case of a tournament) and what the relative stacks are all critical bits of information to give the full view of the hand in question. Things that don’t really matter in a hand are that you haven’t played a hand in (insert time frame) here or that the villain in the hand had been “playing loose” for hours. The reason for needing the extreme detail is so that those attempting to help you have a full look at what the situation is.
Imagine if you will a patient talking to a doctor and telling him, “My elbow hurts.” The doctor would be foolish to immediately say, “Well, we have to amputate your arm,” unless (s)he reviewed all the information that was available to him/her, THEN deciding on how to move forward. While not nearly as significant, if you’re asking for advice, you’d be well served to give as much information to your “doctors” as possible.
DON’T ASK THE QUESTION IF YOU’RE NOT READY FOR THE ANSWER
In the legal profession, there is an axiom that attorneys live by: “Don’t ask a question that you don’t know the answer to.” This poker axiom is roughly along that lines in that if you are asking questions, you’d better be ready to accept all the answers that are given. If you are putting up a situation for review by your poker peers, then you must sit back and accept such criticism and not sound off when you hear something you don’t like.
Often, I see someone come in with a question on a hand that they played like a complete monkey. When the commentary states this to the player, they get extremely defensive and either attempt a lame reasoning for their actions or actually lash out at those very people who are trying to tell them that they were a monkey. It is never nice to hear harsh criticism but sometimes it is necessary for improvement. How you take the advice you’re being given will indicate what kind of player you are.
DO I REALLY NEED TO ASK THIS QUESTION?
A player can be in a situation sometimes and think that it is a great question for review by their poker playing friends. After examining a situation, however, a player can realize that it isn’t worth asking. The question at that point is do you hit “delete” on the question or do you go ahead with it? My suggestion is delete it.
There have been times I’ve seen posts that say, “I raised with my pocket Kings from the button and the big blind three-bet me. I moved all in and he called, showing me pocket Aces. Could I have played that differently?” In the moment, sure, this looks good to ask to your poker friends. In reality, however, this is just a situation where a player behind you woke up with the ONLY hand that could beat you – a cooler. There isn’t anything special about it and, in 99% of the cases, there’s no way you’re letting pocket Kings hit the muck. Such hands that play themselves are more common in poker than you would think and don’t require the combined brainpower of the Hive Mind to formulate an approach.
SUMMARY
There is absolutely nothing wrong with asking questions in a public forum. In fact, it is a way to learn about the game from people who have varying degrees of experience. By implementing these steps – providing as much information as possible, having a bit of a thick skin regarding the replies and, most especially, determining whether the question even needs to be asked – you’ll get better answers to your questions and learn more about the game and its play.
Are there other situations that you would add to this? Tell us about it in the comments section!
