Q&A #103: Is My Winrate High Enough?
Don't miss one article! Subscribe to the Full Feed RSS or get NPA in your inbox.
I get this question in various forms all the time: “Is my winrate high enough?” or “What is the best winrate possible for my $X buyin no-limit game?” I’ve written on the topic before, but I have something more to say about it today.
Poker is obviously a social game. We play against one to nine other players at a time, and understanding their psychology and approach to the game is a critical skill.
But, ironically, I think playing poker is one of the most personal and solitary exercises around. Your successes go almost completely unrecognized. And when they do get recognized by some people, others will always pop in to explain how your accomplishment really isn’t worth celebrating at all.
Your failures also go almost completely unrecognized. If you lose $5,000 today, no one cares but you.
If your goal is to compete, be the best, and be recognized for it, you’ve picked one of the worst possible games. You might as well fire up the Solitaire game on your computer.
The remainder of this article is insider content available to premium members only. Log in to your account or become a premium member and get instant access.
Tags: donkies, Leatherass, poker, pokertracker, stoxpoker, TAGfish, winrate, ZOMG
Enjoyed how the article made me think about something other than pot odds, number of outs, how much should I bet, etc. (but I appreciate those articles, too!!!)
Another excellent article Ed.
I would like to add, what makes the difference between being “awesome” and having a sour approach? I say it comes down to good pride and bad pride, or good ego and bad ego.
The good ego is when you compare yourself only to yourself. You love poker, and you want understand it better and play it better just for that reason. You will know when you are improving, and your satisfaction comes from within.
The bad ego comes from wanting to be praised. You want others to bow down and recognize how great you are. This always leads to trouble, in poker and in everything else.
The trouble is, it’s really, really difficult to recognize when you are afflicted with the bad ego. Everyone else can see it but you can’t. I’m not trying to be holier-than-thou, for I’m probably just as guilty of it as the next person. But if you know that this can happen, and keep a watch out for it, you can catch yourself doing this and gradually decrease it over time.