Do poker skills come naturally?

[mattiebumpo]

I think poker skills can be taught but the truly great players have a natural ability. On top of the natural ability, they still need to learn and keep up with the latest trends and keep their game fresh. For those of us without the natural talent, we can study and improve, but will never be "great." No matter whether we learn poker skills or are born with the skills, there are other aspects such as bankroll management, game selection, discipline, mental balance, and resilience that also contribute to our success or failure.

 

[makisaa]

I don't think that you are born with poker skills. I think that poker player needs to have some characteristics and abilities which of course are needed and everywhere else and which are born with them some persons more and some other less.

 

[dannystanks]

Poker skills come from hard work and dedication to get better.

 

[Sebbour]

Is it possible to learn to be a top poker player, or is it more like playing a musical instrument, playing snooker, etc.?
Do you have to be born with a latent talent to become a really good poker player?

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Thanks to @Colbefc for this topic idea

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In my opinion it has to be a combination of both.

First it should greatly help if you have "feel" for mathematics and psychology but this is just a starting point. On the other hand you have to learn the game and every aspect of it and then nurture and train predispositions that you have and of course and on the other hand you have to learn and train every other aspects of poker game to be able to be recognized as a top poker player.

 

[thejuice1]

definitely not born with it. first you have to learn the what beats what hand wise. but obviously as we all know thats just the start of it. you can become a much better poker player by putting in the work to strengthen your game... like reading ability, bluffing ability, knowing when to be aggressive betting, etc.

 

[finaltable1]

Objectively the only talent you need in poker is luck. Not sure if luck is written in our DNA ) BUT some people are more lucky then others - thats for sure.

All other skills required to play poker can be learned, just patience and time needed. Some people will learn these skills faster, I believe that sanguine people will learn faster, they will take losses much easier and becasue of that they will learn much faster from their and other peoples mistakes creating useful cause-reason links for future use.

 

[mssmotilda]

Is it possible to learn to be a top poker player, or is it more like playing a musical instrument, playing snooker, etc.?
Do you have to be born with a latent talent to become a really good poker player?

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Thanks to @Colbefc for this topic idea

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I think it's definitely yes. To become a top player you need talent, just like in any other field.

 

[19aleks57]

In my opinion, to learn how to be a top poker player you need the right personality type, which is expressed in a strong desire to learn the game, training tolerance and, of course, acquiring a decent bankroll.

 

[skaterick]

a few folks are born with great abilities ( math understanding and tell reading ,for example ) but the rest of us need years of practice , patience and training to achieve basic modern skills .

 

[belizebum]

I dont think you have to be born with it, you might have better math skills or people reading skills, but all this can be learned with practice and studying. Some people do seem to have more luck than others but not much you can do about that. Some people might just study harder, be more consistent and have a bigger bankroll.

 

[hardongear]

You have to have a bit of natural ability in some things the rest you can learn, develop and work on to make you a winning player. Once your a winning player all you need is a bit of luck and some run good at the right time.

I'll use myself as an example. I'm was somewhat naturally good at being mentally tough, bankroll management, discipline, tilt control and patience before starting to study and play poker. I thank my parents and up brining all for this. <----It's not an option those 3-5 are things needed to be a winning player and can be very hard to learn and develop. Having some natural ability in them is a very good bonus.

What I studied was poker strategy, theory and the math. Learning the last 3-4 things is much easier at least in my opinion. Sadly in my opinion and 20+ years experience it's the first 3-5 things that matter the most when it comes to being a winning player. I play pretty simple basic TAG strategy+feel+player pool exploits found thru reviewing years of my HH's. I haven't studied hardly anything new in 15+ years to improve my game and have not used a solver ever.

Cheers!!!

 

[millya5]

In poker, my personal opinion is that you need to be friends with mathematics.

 

[ledsmith]

Of course, you can learn to play poker well naturally. In this case, you should already have acquired skills, for example, mathematics. The problem is that poker is not only skills, it is also psychology. The main thing for me is to learn not to play when I see that I am likely to lose. In short, you can not learn poker, but only if you are not going to play big, otherwise education is first and foremost!

 

[ramdon p358]

I believe that it is possible to have natural poker skills, but it is also possible to improve over time. There are many players who study daily to improve their skills

 

[kishamania]

by nature nails teeth eyelashes the rest of the poker part is a skill

 

[Gdefender]

I think that it is possible to learn to play poker at a certain level from books, etc., but you also need a 6th sense to remain a top player! So you can learn everything in life at one level, but if you don't have that plus, you'll never become a pianist....

 

[tihomir_kula]

I think yes, skills come naturally, experience and knowledge is second hand.

 

[steve01991]

i think the ability to read players comes naturally, i dont think that can be taught

 

[gravii2011]

skills in playing poker come from constant learning. But to be a top player you need to be born with luck, because a player can have excellent skills, but when the opponent hits two outs on the river, skills will not help, only luck will help)

 

[nelomec]

Is it possible to learn to be a top poker player, or is it more like playing a musical instrument, playing snooker, etc.?
Do you have to be born with a latent talent to become a really good poker player?

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Thanks to @Colbefc for this topic idea

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I think both ways are valid, but poker is a mind sport that needs to be polished over and over again, it doesn't matter if you were born with talent or not, if you don't study, learn and continue doing this for almost always, you won't be a top poker player. Like anything in life, if you want to be good at something, you have to practice, study...

 

[Dzill_230]

This is an interesting question because poker is not just a game; as practice has shown, it is an art of tactical and strategic thinking. Some people are naturally gifted at reading others, some analyze well and make quick calculations, and some are emotionally stable. However, if you choose the path of a player, you need to refine all these skills; you cannot stop. You can't win solely with intuition.

For example, there have been times when I received small pairs that didn't improve, and I had to fold. When on the post-flop there were two streets, and my bets were raised, I would intuitively make a raise, even though I mathematically knew that a re-raise was possible. Often, I would get that re-raise and win the hand. The table would react to this, even when I would go into a sit-out for a few hands and then suddenly come back.

When these skills harmoniously combine, legends are made about such players.

 

[Pabloro10321]

Poker is a thinking game, probably if your best quality is your mind you have talent, but if you don't perfect it you'll never be a professional

 

[perrywh]

I think it’s possible for anyone to become a great poker player if they are willing to put in the work to learn. Playing millions of hands and learning from the best! Making poker champions their friend!

 

[Rost]

I think that only those who have such a goal, a clear plan, and free time can become professional players. Someone who is ready for difficulties, and at the same time is ready to go for their goal. I think the most important traits of a promising player are his ability to work hard, willingness to improve, discipline and patience. I don't think that people become professional players just because of their talent. The other factors I have listed are more important in my opinion.

 

[gustavofuentes2]

I dont think you have to be born with the talent to be a good poker player. Like anything in life it can be learned trough practice and repetition. But to be a great poker player is something that I think some people are born with and the practice is just fine tuning those abilities. Good luck on the tables