Poker Poker, Is it More Mind, Experience or Skill?

Of course Patience, Discipline, Experience and Skill are the key factors, but what matters most?

Opionions wanted, weight them if you can... thanks

 

Confidence should be near the top

 

That certainly helps, but independently confidence alone won't hold up and make you a winner, will it?

 

hard to win without it

 

Mindset, plugging leaks and learning how the other player plays. play the player , i try new things and i have to watch out that they do not turn into leaks. i think the thing most would be; perseverance , don't give up. control temperament, no one likes to loose , yet it is part of the game. once a player told me i was just lucky in a hand, my response is simple, if i can't win with skill , i won't frown on luck. i will take what comes my way. playing with a better player or pro is how you can learn, it might cost, but make sure you learn something from the experience. i also say now, there is no such thing as a donkey player, just an inexperience player or someone who plays different, never think a player should play any certain way, always try to adapt. adaptability is hard but a good thing to be able to do.
any two hole cards can win, even seven deuce off-suit. the flop can produce anything. so what is smart cards to play, i say percentage cards, which are what pros play most, they will play any card in certain situations, but the situation must be right by odds, which means a lot of people in the pot. also when i start to loose a lot , i take a break and try to regroup or rethink things.

 

good stuff Dr.

 

I really liked what DR had to share and strive for it. And, I have had to adjust in other ways! At my age I try not to get into long tournaments, especially live! It's a little harder to focus, my eyes are worse and difficult to remember the play! I have learned to adapt to my 'abilities' as best I can, "cuz I ain't given' up Poker"!

 

Experience for me. With game time you get to know how to read an opponent, how and when to bluff (and when not to..) and how to get to a final table or headsup. Other factors of course come into it like confidence and mindset but I'd experience out of the ones listed.

 

agree

 

All in one I guess=)

 

Interesting post and it's actually down to experience and personal preference.

However:

You have to be confident - If you're not confident in your own abilities or hands, you falter almost every time and will naturally fold, even when you might have the best hand on the table.

Experience counts for everything, but only if you learn from them. Learning what has worked in the past, what hasn't, who got the better of you and what might've been their 'tells' can help you perform better in the future, but only if you're good at determining those factors.

Patience is key within its own right because Poker is a game of can't and mouse and simply put, sometimes you just have to wait to get your cards aligned.

Staying disciplined is important purely because you don't want to let your opponents know that they're in your head and have rattled you, otherwise they'll take advantage of this and the game is over.

Another to consider is the desire to take risk - risk and reward come as a two if done well. You need to know when to bluff and when to hold in order to take the game to your competition and win big. Knowing when is the hardest part.

All of these are contributing factors as to why Poker is as much a mental game as it is a card game. Best of luck!