Pros & Cons of the mental game of poker
To a certain degree when learning to play poker it is all about the width and depth of the game. In order to reach success and improve skills to a certain level, a poker player should be not only a pro in theory knowing multiple practical concepts, but he/she should also go deeper and further than these concepts and understand a game “mechanics” to get to know how everything is connected. Of course, it is not an easy task. Nevertheless, along with that, players eagerly notice their development in this particular area, and sometimes a complete understanding of one concept can give a huge desire to unpack the secrets of another concept that might change the game forever! And it absolutely doesn’t matter if they play traditional poker or use online casinos with lots of different games listed on its homepage.
Despite all these advantages and achievements that a player can get, sometimes, such an unbelievable motivation can lead to harm instead of benefit. Let’s remember how many poker newbies have lost their “road map” while learning, trying to be better than their opponents. Therefore, if you are in the process of improving the game, then it is advised to read several books, articles, etc on how effective your methods are.
Books and other informative materials
There are various materials that can help beginners as well as advanced players to proceed further with their knowledge and skills. “The mental game of poker” by Tendler is considered to be one of the best books is this sphere. It includes lots of useful concepts of poker learning as well as explains how to start in the right way, so that not to be at a loss after some time.
The learning model offered by Tender supposes 4 stages, starting from the very beginning (when a player is not competent), following by a conscious incompetence (where a player understands all his/her cons). Third stage is a conscious competence where the players already identified the areas where they make mistakes and are competent enough to correct them. And the fourth stage of poker is the Holy Grail – when this level is reached, it means that a player is really an expert in this game.
All in all…
Generally speaking, if you do everything to improve your mental skills when playing poker, then you are already on the right way. Some players falsely assume that poker – is a game that should be played with as many opponents as it is only possible to reach a certain professional level. Yet, the mental game of poker combines energetic work with structured effective learning processes. In simple words, both quality and quantity are important. Furthermore, they will never replace each other. Poker is similar to life, where balance has the most fundamental importance.
