Some excellent advice here. I'd add that you should play. Play a ton. Play at a level you're very comfortable with. I lost the first month I played and have won every single month since then.
When I first started, I had the starting hands charts and was thinking about some of the things I had read. Unfortunately, this can cause you to miss things at the table, even overlook flushes and str8's that are sitting there. After 10,000 hands or so, the table charts aren't needed. After 25,000 to 50,000 hands, you start to see some patterns. Somewhere after 100,000 hands, many, many things will just become automatic. You'll have a more natural feel for reads, such as when someone is on a flush draw, bluffing, etc..
I believe there are technicians and natural gamblers. The great ones are technicians and natural gamblers, they understand the odds, probabilities, etc. and have great feel and instincts for the game. The technical side can be learned. The latter you're either born with or not. However, over time, with repetition, you can develop the latter or hone what you have.
I would also recommend early on that you really can't play tight enough. Unless someone is a complete moron, if they play tight and protect their stack, they should win money at the lower levels. As your experience and comfort level increases, then you can open up and play a little looser. Over time, you'll zero in on what works best for you. |