[lork]

What I mean is, is being good at poker (and other games) something you're born with?

So, do you instinctually have the 'killer instinct' you need to really be good at the game? Are you born with 'card sense', or.. what? Or is it just years and years of losing and learning?

In other words, how much of your game is nature, how much nurture ?

[pritz]

I definitely believe that there is some natural talent involved. One thing that I do is lose focus a certain times during a tourny. Though being able to focus for a whole touny can be learned it comes much easier for some other people.

Also some people just don't give information. I am always think I am giving away my hand by my actions, though I really don't, it just feels like they are seeing right into my soul sometimes, and can tell exactly where I am at.

[chris]

I would say NATURAL poker talent comes from a varitey of other characteristics that some of us are born with less or more of. For instance some people are ver observant they are more attenetive then others, that comes into play in poker. Others know people well, and when they see something unusal they recongnize it. Others naturally can tell about people from body language and that helps people in poker. So fora card talent i think it is a variety of other things working together that give people there "poker skill"

[johnf]

that is a really good question..... it eludes me that I see people in the room everyday, and they never seem to do anything to better their games or have the ability to do it, wheras sometimes I see someone come in for the first time, and after a few months they are a different person. I honestly believe though that alot of poker players are just gamblers who dont consider poker a 'skill game' so much as they think it's a giant luck circle. they come to the casino, play slots, carribian and then head to the poker room. You see them yell to there wife saying something like "LOOK HONEY!!! I GOT A FLUSH" ..... "BUT I LOST TO THAT FULL HOUSE" and you look down at the board to see

As Ac Td Ts 9s

right next to a 180 dollar pot in 4-8 limit.

I think some people just dont care to be good.

[norshvind]

I agree somewhat with the original post. I tend to think of poker as being more like sports. The top poker players and top athletes got to where they are with plenty of hard work, but I believe they also have that something extra-natural ability- it's the difference between being good and great. You can work hard and learn to be a good poker player or athlete, but without natural talent, you will never be great. I also believe that if you don't have the natural talent, you have to work all that much harder just to be good. I have seen some interviews with professional poker players who claim to have never read a single poker book and they couldn't even tell you what pot odds are. I spent a lot of years learning poker the hard way. I did pick up on a lot of things, but if I never took my game to the next level by reading and studying, I would probably be a break even player at best.

The one big difference I see with poker is that you can be merely good and still make a living at poker. Merely good doesn't cut it in the world of professional sports.

[BigAl]

I guess it depends. Some people have an instinct, they can fish out tells, spot bluffs and so forth. This can make them very effective players and yes, it is part of being a natural player. However, I think that ANYONE can become a reasonable player. Learn the math, spend time at the tables and anyone can play a solid, profitable game.

It does hinge around personality traits, but with some patience and effort anyone can be a good player, no excuses.