The myth of poker "talent"

I agree with what you said, but not 100%

Of course, patience, perseverance, hard work and not giving up when things are not going well, are like fuel for our success.
This is not only in poker, but in our personal lives as well.

Very few people get what they want without having to put any effort into it.

But back to talking about poker, there is the talent to know what to do with not so good hands.
The talent of reading your opponents.
The talent of managing the hands considered by many to be losers.

This goes beyond simple insistence.

It is no use just insisting on insisting.

I think poker talent depends on skill, luck and patience.

Nathan Williams said:

Talent is largely meaningless in poker. I have seen so many "talented" poker players come and go over the years.


Do you agree or disagree with this? Let me know in the comments below!

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When you've been busted out of tournaments with aces four times in quick succession, you might agree. That's hold 'em of course. There are games in which skill counts for something, but they are all limit or pot limit.

You are very right.

You have to know how to deal with the bad streaks in this game, when I felt that I had a bad streak in the money games, I dedicated myself to know the Spin or Sit and Go games, freerolls and other game modes and I really liked some, soon I will return to the money games already reloaded and with new strategies.

I think poker is talented. Mainly psychological and mathematical abilities are also luck.

Apples and Oranges

Talent is a special natural ability to do something well that comes without a special training .
If you define a poker skill as mental toughness,
a talented poker player is mentally tough by nature.

What you wanted to argue, I think, is that one can develop the skills of a successful poker player by the training and hard work only,
without any special predisposition.

On this I don't have any opinion.

Nathan Williams said:

Talent is largely meaningless in poker. I have seen so many "talented" poker players come and go over the years.

The real staying power of a pro is in their ability to keep going even when the cards go really bad on them for a long, long time.

Even when they have been getting kicked in the teeth at the poker tables for weeks or months on end.

Even when it feels like they will never win another hand of poker again.

This is when we find out who the real pros are.

Because persevering through all this has absolutely nothing to do with "talent"

Instead, this is about heart, determination and the will to succeed, no matter what.

Mental toughness will always beat talent in poker.

It is the true measure of success in this game (and in life also), when everything is said and done.

Do you agree or disagree with this? Let me know in the comments below!

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Yes, I definitely agree with that.

However, it is worth noting that, even though Mental toughness and hard work will always beat talent, it is the talent that separates the very top players among the best.

You need all the aspects to get to the world-class level, and talent is definitely included.

But in order to be a successful player, with consistent results, talent is definitely not a must have.

I think it all depends on what we mean when we use the term "talent".

People often speak of people being "so talented" as if their strength at <insert sport/instrument/etc> is god-given...nature rather than nurture.

But the fact is, there is no such thing as talent. People are better at things than others, but beyond the basics, talent doesn't account for much. I also think it is personally demeaning to the person who mastered the art of <insert here...>

People who are at the height of their game, whether poker, hockey, football or guitar or whatever are there because of hard work. They put in the hours. Some of it inspirational, and some of it a grind. But it wasn't given to them.

I worry that there is a whole generation of players out there who think all you have to do is enter one big tourney, place one big bet and you'll be the next Fedor Holz, living a life of glitz and glamour. Well good luck with your so-called talent.

So in the end, we insult people when we talk about talent since there is the presumption that someone is naturally born with an ability to perform a certain action.

This contrasts with a skill which is learned through education and repeated performance coupled with a continuous feedback loop.

So you see? We fail to recognise someone's hard work....their blood, sweat and tears when we label them talented. We presume they somehow achieve without merit.

**** the talented. I'll hang with the skilled.

Cheers,
ObbleeXY

hello

I totally agree with your post !!! get up from the worst never give up, keep going to persevere that is the great essence of a player ... get up again and again until the lambs turn into lions !!! regards

Alex Fitzgerald's book with the same title of this thread is well worth the read!