Dangerous Poker Misconceptions

Whenever novice players take to poker then they are obviously handicapped by one very crucial element…..their overall lack of understanding. But even as players become more and more experienced then it is still amazing how they expect certain things to be true when they are clearly not. One such dangerous misconception is in how poker software can somehow replace technical knowledge.

I have used many items of software from Poker Office to Poker Crusher, Texas Hold ‘em Calculatem, Hold ‘em Genius and Sit and Go Shark. These are all great tools and will add to the earn rate of any poker player. But what I have found in my experience is that too many players place too much dependency on them. This tends to come at the expense of their own technical game.

There are no short cuts in poker but yet players will persist in looking for them. There are also some very valuable stock market indicators that analyse real time data, these too are fantastic tools but they cannot be used as stand alone items. I have actually had a close friend in recent times look to trade options without barely any experience whatsoever based purely and simply on some fancy piece of software.

The process of playing successful poker is not as simple as buying a piece of software and then using it. The combination of money management, experience, technical ability, discipline and systems analysis all contribute to making a successful poker player.

Discipline and emotional control is so huge that it probably impacts more on your potential success than any other element in poker. Another dangerous poker misconception although this isn’t a misconception as such but more of a dangerous trait! This is to book wins at all costs. Behind this trait is a player who has problems with losing. The type of player that I am talking about is the player who will end a poker session merely because he is ahead simply because they want to make a note in their diary that this session was a winner.

These players are so common that I believe that they are inhabiting nearly all levels of poker. This trait is based around the basic human tendency to avoid painful experiences. A losing poker session is a painful experience for many people and especially novices. They get in front by say $100 at NL50 and then take a couple of hits and suddenly they are only ahead by $17.

They immediately cash out which is not necessarily a bad thing if you are slightly steaming or upset. But if you are doing this simply to end the session ahead then you basically have a problem with losing. The problem with players who have a problem with losing is that these players can tend to have further problems with regards to steaming.

You simply cannot play poker or take part in any form of gambling without losing money. In fact the more you wish to make from gambling then you more you are going to have to lose. You cannot make $100,000 at poker or anything else risking $100…..this kind of trade off just isn’t possible.

This is why the biggest earners in gambling also have the biggest bankrolls and are also able to accept the biggest swings to their bankrolls. I will be delving into other poker misconceptions at a later date but keep in mind that software is no guarantee of success, they merely enhance what is good technical all round poker skill. Added to that are players who try to “book” wins. This is very dangerous as it has serious undertones of a psychological nature.

By: Carl “The Dean” Sampson

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