What is the best way to improve your poker game?
K. Anders Ericsson is considered the world’s foremost expert on what it takes to become a world expert. He has studied world class musicians, chess players, and athletes to find out the process to become elite. As it turns out, the formula for success is remarkably similar no matter the domain. (Coincidentally, I was recently contacted by his office as they are interested in studying poker players!)
So what is it that world class performers do that their lesser counterparts do not? It is something called deliberate practice.
Most of us practice, but deliberate practice is not the same as ordinary, run-of-the-mill practice. It has several features that set it apart, and it turns out that the quality of your practice is more important than sheer quantity. Ericsson’s findings show quite clearly that expert level performance is the result of expert level practice. He also stresses that anyone can attain world class levels, regardless of natural ability, provided that they consistently and deliberately practice.
This is the good news. Now for the bad.
Deliberate practice is different from the simple repetition of a task. For it to work, it must have the following characteristics:
1. Your practice must focus on a very specific aspect that you are trying to improve.
For example, you should work on one specific kind of poker problem or issue at a time. Once you have mastered the basics, don’t go for general study as it will do you little good. You must have very specific and concrete goals for each study session.
2. The challenge of your study must exceed your skill level.
There is a human tendency to work on things that come easy to us, but that’s not the kind of practice that will yield improvement. You should push yourself. This will feel unnatural because in general people don’t like doing things that are hard for them. It takes you out of “flow” which is a very pleasant psychological state.
3. There should be immediate, accurate feedback.
This can be a major challenge in poker because there is often a lag between our performance and when we get feedback. You should be doing hand reviews, but these occur after a session. Also, sometimes you get rewarded in poker for doing the wrong things and punished for doing the right things! It’s not like playing a piece of music where hitting a sour note is obvious and you can replay the note until you get it right.
4. Repetition, repetition, repetition.
You can’t become “fluent” until you have repeated each skill many times. Your goal is to repeat a skill so many times that it becomes unconsciously automatic. Once you get to this level, standard lines become so instinctive that you can more easily look for altering lines and make adjustments.
If all of this sounds like a tall order to you, it is. Not being able to commit to the work required by deliberate practice is the main reason why few people attain world class status in any field.
I’d like to leave you with a few bits of advice if you are just starting out in the game and have hopes of becoming a top level player.
First of all, you cannot go from a shaky foundation to elite status. Make sure that you have mastered the fundamentals. Once you’ve mastered them, work on them some more. Your goal is to reach perfection. Also, don’t be tempted to move through the material too quickly. It takes a minimum of 10,000 hours of deliberate practice to reach elite status and 20,000-plus hours is actually preferable.
Finally, keep in mind that deliberate practice is taxing. It takes a ton of mental power to concentrate fully on improving. That’s why even the elite only spend 2-3 hours a day doing deliberate practice. I’m not going to lie to you, there’s a certain amount of drudgery involved in learning at this level, but if you want to join the top ranks, there is no way around it.
Engage in deliberate practice often and over a long period of time your brain will physically reshape itself into that of a world class poker player!
(Source: Dr. Tricia Cardner, learn.pokernews.com)
common prescription allergy pills best antihistamine decongestant combo best non prescription allergy medication
prednisone 20mg ca prednisone cheap
latest on heartburn medication zyloprim 100mg canada
dermatologist recommended for acne order avlosulfon generic buy clearasil adult acne medication
over the counter stomach cramps buy epivir 100mg
buy cheap isotretinoin accutane 20mg without prescription buy isotretinoin 10mg generic
online sleep prescriptions buy generic meloset online
order generic amoxil 500mg amoxil cost buy amoxil pills for sale
zithromax price buy azithromycin without a prescription order zithromax 250mg online cheap
zithromax 500mg cost purchase zithromax for sale azithromycin without prescription
order gabapentin generic neurontin 100mg drug
azithromycin 250mg generic cost azithromycin 250mg buy generic azipro 250mg
purchase lasix for sale buy lasix without a prescription
cheap prednisolone generic prednisolone generic omnacortil 40mg generic
prednisolone 10mg ca buy prednisolone pills for sale purchase omnacortil
buy deltasone 40mg pill buy cheap generic prednisone
brand albuterol 2mg where to buy albuterol without a prescription generic albuterol
brand augmentin augmentin 1000mg pills
buy augmentin 375mg for sale augmentin 625mg over the counter
levothyroxine over the counter synthroid for sale online order synthroid 75mcg generic
buy vardenafil 10mg for sale order levitra online cheap
buy clomiphene cheap clomid 100mg buy clomid generic
rybelsus us semaglutide 14mg cost order rybelsus
order prednisone 10mg pill buy prednisone 20mg without prescription brand prednisone 20mg
azithromycin 500mg canada purchase azithromycin online cheap order zithromax 500mg pills
synthroid 150mcg price levoxyl pills buy generic levothyroxine
prednisolone 5mg canada omnacortil for sale online omnacortil 5mg cheap
buy neurontin 600mg sale oral gabapentin 600mg order neurontin 100mg pills
sildenafil 100mg cheap viagra 50mg generic viagra 100 mg
order vardenafil 10mg pill purchase vardenafil online cheap buy vardenafil pills
san manuel casino online free online blackjack play online blackjack for real money
generic cialis india cialis coupons usa cialis sales
claritin pills loratadine for sale order claritin pills
aralen 250mg uk purchase chloroquine for sale order chloroquine 250mg for sale
purchase metformin generic buy metformin 500mg online cheap metformin 500mg for sale
rosuvastatin 10mg for sale buy zetia 10mg pills order zetia 10mg generic
buy metoprolol sale lopressor 50mg canada buy cheap generic lopressor
medrol 4 mg without a doctor prescription methylprednisolone 8mg oral oral medrol
buy medrol 4 mg buy methylprednisolone sale medrol 16mg over counter
cheap thesis binding write papers online help with research paper
buy generic nexium online buy cheap generic nexium order topiramate 100mg online cheap
buy esomeprazole pills order topamax 100mg pills buy generic topiramate 200mg
brand zofran 4mg spironolactone drug order spironolactone online cheap
buy acillin tablets buy ampicillin antibiotic how to buy amoxil
cheap propecia finpecia order online buy forcan online
cipro order – order augmentin 1000mg sale order augmentin 625mg generic
cipro 1000mg sale – ciprofloxacin oral buy augmentin pills for sale
order cipro 1000mg for sale – purchase septra purchase amoxiclav pills
purchase ciprofloxacin for sale – doryx cost buy erythromycin generic
ciprofloxacin 500mg pill – ciprofloxacin generic buy erythromycin 500mg sale
buy stromectol canada – order ceftin sale sumycin cheap
stromectol without prescription – ciplox 500 mg ca purchase sumycin online cheap
stromectol for humans for sale – cheap amoxiclav online order tetracycline generic
order valacyclovir 500mg sale – buy generic acyclovir 400mg buy generic acyclovir over the counter
valacyclovir drug – nateglinide 120mg uk zovirax order
buy generic acillin for sale purchase penicillin generic how to get amoxil without a prescription
generic acillin buy generic doxycycline for sale amoxicillin order online
buy flagyl 200mg pill – buy generic cefaclor 250mg buy generic zithromax
flagyl pills – purchase flagyl generic purchase azithromycin pills
buy furosemide medication – order lasix 40mg generic buy capoten 25 mg for sale
buy lasix 40mg without prescription – buy furosemide 100mg pill capoten pill
where can i buy glucophage – baycip over the counter lincocin drug
order glucophage – buy lamivudine online brand lincomycin 500 mg
zidovudine pills – glucophage 1000mg sale order allopurinol pill
oral zidovudine 300 mg – order epivir online allopurinol 100mg sale
buy clozapine – buy clozaril 50mg for sale famotidine order online
generic clozapine – frumil 5 mg canada buy cheap generic famotidine
buy seroquel 50mg – desyrel order online generic eskalith
quetiapine for sale – desyrel 100mg for sale purchase eskalith pill
buy cheap anafranil – tofranil 75mg over the counter doxepin cost
anafranil 50mg price – order paxil 10mg without prescription buy sinequan 75mg pills
generic atarax 10mg – generic hydroxyzine amitriptyline 25mg oral
purchase atarax online – buy lexapro 20mg generic amitriptyline 25mg for sale
cheap clavulanate – cheap ciprofloxacin order cipro 1000mg online cheap
buy amoxiclav without prescription – acillin ca order ciprofloxacin 500mg generic
order generic amoxicillin – buy cefuroxime pill order cipro 500mg online
purchase amoxicillin sale – buy generic cephalexin over the counter purchase cipro online cheap
zithromax order online – purchase tindamax pill where can i buy ciplox
buy zithromax 500mg generic – tinidazole online buy ciprofloxacin 500 mg
where can i buy cleocin – cefpodoxime 200mg cost chloramphenicol us
cleocin tablet – buy vantin for sale chloromycetin for sale
stromectol human – buy generic aczone for sale buy cefaclor generic
ivermectin 3mg tablets – eryc canada buy cefaclor capsules for sale
cost albuterol – albuterol 4mg brand theo-24 Cr ca
ventolin inhalator order online – buy promethazine generic theophylline 400mg cheap
buy generic medrol – depo-medrol cost in usa order astelin 10ml nasal spray
buy depo-medrol cheap – buy claritin pills for sale buy generic azelastine
desloratadine 5mg cheap – buy aristocort 10mg online cheap order albuterol inhaler
clarinex 5mg uk – order albuterol generic albuterol 4mg generic
glucophage generic – order generic acarbose 50mg cost precose 25mg
pill glyburide – order dapagliflozin 10 mg online order forxiga 10 mg generic
glyburide without prescription – order forxiga sale dapagliflozin 10 mg without prescription
repaglinide cheap – order jardiance pills generic jardiance 10mg
cheap repaglinide – prandin 2mg uk order jardiance 10mg pills
rybelsus 14 mg drug – purchase glucovance online cheap buy desmopressin medication
buy cheap generic rybelsus – buy generic DDAVP for sale buy DDAVP generic
order generic lamisil 250mg – buy griseofulvin pills grifulvin v sale
terbinafine 250mg drug – order generic griseofulvin 250 mg buy griseofulvin without prescription
order ketoconazole for sale – buy lotrisone paypal itraconazole oral
order ketoconazole 200 mg sale – how to buy ketoconazole cost sporanox 100mg
cost famvir – where to buy famciclovir without a prescription buy valaciclovir pills for sale
buy famvir pills – order famvir generic valaciclovir 500mg generic
digoxin 250mg cheap – cost irbesartan buy lasix sale
how to get digoxin without a prescription – buy trandate paypal buy furosemide sale diuretic