Be Humble and Never Stop Learning!

Poker is a fascinating game to play at any age. The game has infinitesimal situations and nuances that make the game ever-intriguing. Moreover, poker is constantly evolving, making the game even more difficult to master thoroughly, especially with all the different aspects of the game.

However, many amateurs insist on trying to learn all facets of the game without any assistance. There are a plethora of learning poker tools available to the public including books, online training sites, seminars, and even just talking with fellow poker players.

Players repeatedly assert that they feel their game is solid and that they do not need any help. Understandably, some players are only competing recreationally and are playing just for fun. However, often these are the same players who complain about the unconventional play by their competitors, when in actuality, it is often poor play on their part that leads to their elimination from the tournament.

For example, I recently taught a satellite seminar at DownStream Casino in Quapaw, Oklahoma during the RunGood Poker Series. While we had a solid turnout at the session, still dozens of other players did not attend the free training seminar. Later that day, during a break from a preliminary event, someone complained about being eliminated from the satellite the night before. After describing the situation to a group of players including myself, one seminar attendee stated that this specific situation was discussed during my seminar and his elimination could have been prevented. Nevertheless, the disgruntled player said that he never learns anything from books or seminars and often finds them not worth his time. Not surprisingly, that same person overplayed top pair, top kicker and was eliminated from the tournament, sulking as they walked away from the table.

As one who is constantly trying to improve my game, I sometimes find it surprising that other players don’t follow suit. However, I understand that it is everyone’s prerogative whether they want to improve or not. Additionally, I never criticize the players for not seeking additional education, as these are the exact players that allow me to make a living as a professional poker player. I am content on teaching the players that want to get better, while I continue to feast on players who want to play “just for fun.”

Later that same day, one player privately asked me how they could improve, as they wanted to take their game to another level. After a lengthy discussion, he thanked me for my advice and suggested that I share my thoughts with my readers. Therefore, here is the advice that I suggested to him:

Be Humble and Never Stop Learning!

The game is constantly evolving. I remember when I started playing back in 2003, raising four times the big blind was not uncommon, three-bets were very rare, and a four-bet guaranteed pocket aces or kings. From 2007-2010, all of the young kids utilized hyper-aggression to force tight players to fold their hands preflop. Today, smaller, positional three-bets control pot sizing, yet maintain the aggressive edge over amateurs. Tomorrow, another group of professional players will develop the next trend in poker. In the end, you must be able to learn and adapt to these new philosophies in order to be successful at this ever-evolving game.

During an interview after he won the 2013 World Series of Poker Player of the Year, Daniel Negreanu admitted that he had previously lost confidence in his game. One of the best players in the world was not ashamed to seek out advice from his peers, older and younger. Negreanu mentioned that he also watched Twitch videos to not only understand different strategies, but also utilize these strategies against his fellow competitors.
If one of the best poker players in the world is continually trying to improve his game, why aren’t you?

Personally, I am constantly assessing my game, trying to understand my strengths and weaknesses. Having focused my attention on tournament play over the past decade, I am not a regular cash game player. Thus, I am not always comfortable playing a deep stack, which is somewhat ironic since I always aspire to achieve a huge stack in tournaments. Therefore, during some of my radio interviews, I would ask the top players in the world (e.g. Daniel Negreanu, Jason Mercier, Jonathan Duhamel, Joe McKeehen) what their personal strategies were on playing deep stack poker. While not perfected, I feel I have greatly improved this part of my game over the last few years.

Additionally, I felt awkward playing short-handed events, like six-handed, especially against some of the best young online players, who specialized in this format. However, I knew that I needed to improve my short-handed play, especially to help me during final tables. Thus, in 2013, I sought out the advice of fellow short-handed specialists such as Greg Merson and Matt Jarvis. Additionally, I committed to playing six-max events on the WSOP Circuit, where I previously skipped these events. Over the past two years, I have cashed in four six-max events, including this summer at the WSOP, and have also final tabled two tournaments. Although I am far from a short-handed specialist, I no longer worry about playing in these events.

Conversely, I feel that I have played the short stack well over my career. I have survived in numerous tournaments on a 10 to 20 big blind stacks for days. Some players have taken notice, so much so I have even been asked by a few well-known pros for my advice on play the short stack in tournaments.

Thus, with the holidays right around the corner, you should consider treating yourself to some poker education. Whether you purchase a poker book or two, register for a seminar, or sign up for a online training website, you can definitely help improve some aspect of your poker game.

Another great poker resource is your fellow poker players. While I consider myself extremely lucky to have access to some of the best players in the world, I understand that most players are not as fortunate. However, most amateurs and pros know other poker players and I suggest talking with them. However, I would definitely seek out players who are better than you, especially in the aspect of the game you want to improve. You don’t want weaker players who will just agree with everything you say. You want to be challenged and have fellow players that suggest strategies and moves that you may have never considered.

Overall, never stop trying to improve your game. While sometimes extremely frustrating, poker is still a beautiful game.

I hope that some of you will take this advice. And if you don’t, no worries. Enjoy the game, but please make sure that you sit at my table.

Happy Holidays everyone! ♠

Bernard Lee is a poker columnist for ESPN.com, author of “The Final Table, Volume I and II” and radio host of “The Bernard Lee Poker Show,” which can be found on RoundersRadio.com or iTunes. Lee has over $2 million in career earnings, winning six titles. Lee is a team member of RunGoodGear.com and Blue Shark Optics and also spokesperson for specialty travel company, Blaycation. Follow Bernard Lee on Twitter or Instagram: BernardLeePoker or visit him at www.BernardLeePoker.com or email him at BernardLeePokerhotmail.com