Benefits of a Teacher

It's funny, so I was browsing the new CR forums and I just notice so many people are giving pretty bad advice. I mean I'm not saying I'm perfect by any means but some stuff is just "standard". And I think back before PIF that I'm probably the same as the bunch there. And I came to a few realizations about how much Brian has changed my game.

There are many bad habits you learned while playing on your own. I still remember playing 25nl and folding so much in reraised pots with big OPs. This is something I learned playing 25nl that I called enough of the times and got shown a set many many times, so I adapted the "folding policy" in that situation. Of course, I obviously learned something right to get to where I am now.

But thinking back, it's obvious that PIF has changed me and changed how I think about the game. Obviously I will take some credit to my own because it's my constant evaluating of situations that help me develop my current poker intuitions. But much of that credit came from Brian and Pawel's example as I was relearning new habits. My complete trust in their knowledge is what allowed me to accept those knowledge as my own. Honestly, I cannot and will not beat 1/2 if I still retain most of those bad habits I had. Paying someone to teach you those things is definitely +ev, and I wouldn't have noticed until I look back at my old self. Of course I was blessed with the PIF opportunity so I did not have to pay. But honestly, I don't know how much it would have cost me to rid those bad habits by myself.

I definitely recommend people to find a coach with a game that you completely respect. Remove your doubts, and be active while absorbing the new information. Understand their thought process, keep asking until you understand exactly why they do what they do. I admit sometimes Brian gets upset at me because I keep asking the same types of questions. In his perspective, he probably thinks I'm challenging him as a teacher but it was merely my constant search for understanding of his thought processes. But through this, you really get to pick someone's brain and benefit from it fully.

There is one other thing that is important. It is to lay down your egos and have the will to listen. There are times when I get stubborn and think I'm always right. But that's the wrong attitude. As a poker player, you need to constant absorb new information and understand how people think. Every play that you make on a table should be backed by your understandings of the villian's thought process. Even if his thought process is incorrect, you need to understand it and use it for your advantage. Therefore, if your ego is on the way, you shut your ears and not take in valuable information. But the point is that, you will be wrong sometimes and if your ego is too big to realize it, this will just halt your development as a player. It's really a death trap. I find myself within this trap more often as I feel more and more confident about my game. You need to realize that "yes, I'm pretty good but there are still tons of things I need to learn and improve upon. The day I stop learning is the day I become a loser." Hence I always say that a downswing is a good swing because it destroys your ego.