Modesty in poker.
I can believe the amount of players who openly say they are "below average players" "par players" or "just above average players" when talking to competition. I thought poker players did better when they had the mental edge that they knew or thought they could beat all the other players. Sitting down at a table and when asked saying you aren't the best seems like poor practice to me. I have seen it here in Vegas, at the home games in Waterloo and in the posts on this forum, among other places.
Thoughts?
Thoughts?
Comments
I'm a horrible player.
Mark
Saying it on the forum isn't a problem, IMO, because we're all trying to get better. Â Results do matter, and the best players have far better results than me, but I am still beating the game at a good rate, so I am an above average player. Â To me having an honest assessment of yourself is key, and if everyone on the forum lies about there skills or results, then how can you evaluate where you are at, or even where you should be? Â I'd be content to keep making what I am and think I'm a great player if I didn't know what the really good players are making. Â This honest assessment gives me an incentive to get better.
At the tables, I think a bit of modesty pays pretty good. Â Do you really think telling everyone "I'm a shark" is going to get them to want to play with you? Â If you say you're good, then win a few big hands early, they may leave because it's a "bad table". Â Better to lay low and make your opponents figure out how good you are on there own.
And for home games, it is such a social atmosphere that you probably don't want to sit down and tell everyone how you think they really stack up ("I'm better than you, you, and you, but that guys a decent player"). Â For the sake of camaraderie most downplay what they really think, and there are only certain smaller "cliques" which share more openly with each other (but this is usually private and away from the big crowd).
Bottom line, you need to have an honest evaluation of yourself, and if you really are average don't kid yourself that you're a superstar. Â But when talking to others, a lot more comes into play which makes modesty useful at the table and necessary in more casual/friendly settings. Â At least that's my take on it...
This is still 1st level
Damn...
And on RC2 weekend as teammates and everything... that's cold.
Mark
I think it is a case of bad mojo because it always seems the loud obnoxious over-confident player seems to get knocked out early and we don't want to be in his or her shoes.
PokerJAH
Except for Tony G.
Since I started playing, I know I am a better player now, but every time I sit at the table and say to myself I am the best player here, it seems I try to push the edge too far some times and get knocked out early in tournaments.
Lately I have taken the opposite approach and think I am the one of the weaker players at the table (I honestly don't really believe this). This helps in my mental approach to the players around me and helps me exploit poor players. This keeps me alert to what is going on and key in to what others are doing.
Trevor was right on the money and I think most people view their game in a different light then they view others and most will actually speak the truth about themselves when asked. I find most people will rate their skill a little harder then others, they'll easily say 'oh yeah he's good and she's good but me well, I'm ok...average I guess'. I think it's common nature to try and not offend others while not boasting about yourself...at least for most people.
I know I can't be good as I still lose and make mistakes and I know I can't be bad because my stats show I'm a winning player to date, I know I have a lot to learn so I'd say I'm pretty average.
Modesty is a redeeming quality. Ask those that play with SirWatts...to those that have played with Devin/Lou etc.
Sitting at the table spewing about how great you are has nothing to do with having a mental edge, it is usually a better indication of how big of an asshole you are or how many Red Baron's you've had.
If you win you look like the schoolyard bully and if you lose you spend the whole night blaming luck.
Cheers,
Steve
Also if you claim to be a pro, there is an image of a target in your forehead. Anytime you are in a pot, people will try to bust you out. Like there is a prize for knocking a pro out. There goes my two cents.