I’m a big proponent of the “teach so you learn” method when it comes to learning new things. This does have the drawback of “why the hell should I listen to you if you don’t have the results to back it up?” and my simple response is twofold “You still didn’t know this before I told you, and its working for me now really well so it’s likely not terrible advice.” But its two opposing thoughts that I’ve arguably had to deal with. When it comes to poker, I understand the theory to a level that probably is above average, yet when I practice it my results are not as stellar as you’d think they would be for someone in my position. So when I come out with things like this blog, or podcast, or post on the forums about a particular hand, I tend to have to explain away my lack of results (more in the “lack of play” category than anything else.)

So when I was asked if I might be able to bring something extra to a book that a fellow poker player is writing, I obviously had to think about it. It could have just been a courtesy gesture, but I honestly took it seriously because I feel the need to branch my name out there while I have the time to do so. There are two non-poker-hand poker related skills I definitely can say I’m good at:

  • Bankroll Management
  • Planning and Long Term Goals

These skills are clearly underrepresented in terms of how they are presented to the average poker player. BR management has always been #1 on my list because you hear far more “he came from nothing by risking a lot stories” than “he followed a sound strategy that managed the money he had so he’d be where he is today.” People like the quick fix, and unless you are in the 1% that can beat the risk or are on a life-heater, you are probably better off with a management scheme. Planning and long term goals stem from my CS background more than anything else, but obviously apply to poker. If you don’t pseudo-code your programs, you are likely to be spending much more time fixing the bugs and re-working your program than you would if you just planned ahead of time. Same goes for poker, if you plan your sessions and your life accordingly, you won’t have to spend 3x the amount of time fixing the screw-ups that come with bad planning.

So yeah, I guess I probably do have a couple things I could say. Whether they’ve already been said, well, I’ve got no clue. But I’ll pitch the idea soon enough (hell, I’m pitching it now). In the meantime, I’m off to play some live poker at the local Harrah’s here in San Diego, here’s hoping for a good session.