Gauging Your Growth: Signs You’re Getting Better As A Poker Player

Growth is not exactly easy to measure when it comes to poker, but certain signs can help you gauge your development as a player. As you read this list, be honest and see if any of these relate to you.

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Are You Moving Up In Stakes?

One of the most tangible signs of your growth as a poker player is if you can consistently move up in stakes as you play poker hands. This is a sign that you’re becoming more comfortable with higher risk levels and have learned how to manage variance better when playing at different stake levels.

If you’re not, it means you have some way to go. On the other hand, if you try higher stakes and then move back down to the stakes you’re more comfortable with, this is still a good sign that you’re continuing to improve. Eventually, you’ll be comfortable enough with the higher stakes to stay there.

Are You Making Pre-Flop Adjustments?

Another sign of growth as a poker player is if you’re making pre-flop adjustments to your strategy based on your opponents. That means you are adjusting your opening range, position, and bet sizing based on the other players’ tendencies at the table. It’s because you can only change your strategy accordingly if you understand the game well.

Also, while we’re on the topic, you must know how to adjust your strategy anytime during the game. If you can do that based on the current situation at the table, this is a huge sign that you have grown as a poker player.

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Are You Winning More Often?

One of the most apparent signs of growth as a poker player is if you’re winning more often. It means that your skills are developing, and you’re learning how to make better decisions. At the same time, you also need to remember that you can’t win more often than you lose all the time. After all, many factors are at play in every poker game, so it’s impossible to win and have the best poker hands every time. However, if your win rate is steadily increasing over time, this indicates that you’re improving as a poker player.

The key here is to have a realistic view of your win rate and ensure that it steadily increases over time. If it isn’t, you must improve certain aspects of your poker game.

Are You Playing Against Better Players?

You also need to take into consideration the skill level of your opponents. After all, even if you are winning more frequently and consistently, it’s not much of an indicator of your improvement if you mostly play with less experienced players. So, you must challenge yourself and try to play against better players who are more experienced than you to see if you have genuinely leveled up your skills.

If you can consistently beat opponents with the same skill level and experience as you, especially in {{online poker}}, you’re truly moving up the ranks. On the other hand, if you find yourself struggling against these players, you still have some work to do.

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Are You Getting Involved In More Advanced Strategy Discussions?

If you have discussions with other players about more advanced poker strategies than when you first started playing, this is a good sign that you’re improving your understanding of the game. It means you’re truly passionate about the game and understand it well enough to discuss complex topics with other players. It also means that you’re willing to learn even more about the game, as discussing it with your fellow poker hustlers is a good way to learn.

Are You Applying Poker Game Theory Concepts To Your Strategy?

Another sign of growth as a poker player is if you can apply fundamental poker game theory concepts to your strategy. If not, then it means you still have some ways to go in terms of understanding the strategic side of the game. To help you get started, here are a few examples of them, what they are, and how they’ll help you:

-Pot Odds: the ratio between the size of the pot and the betting cost to play a hand; knowing your pot odds will help you make better decisions when facing bets or raises.

-Expected Value (EV): This is the expected return on an investment, which can be applied to poker hands. Knowing your EV can help you determine whether a decision is profitable in the long run.

-Outs: This is the number of cards that will improve your poker card hands, and knowing how to figure out your outs can help you make better decisions.

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Are You Gaining Confidence?

Finally, growth as a poker player can also be measured by how confident you feel at the table. If you’re feeling more comfortable and confident with your decisions, this is a sign that you have improved over time. It’s also important to remember to keep your confidence even if the poker odds are stacked against you. Don’t let it be shaken if you make the wrong decision or get unlucky with your hands.

A good way to prevent that from happening is to look at the bigger picture. Look at how much you’ve changed over time and how far you’ve come. Doing this will help boost your confidence in yourself and your decisions. That way, any temporary setbacks don’t take away from all the progress you’ve made so far.

Watch Out For These Signs In Your Poker Journey

These are signs you should look out for when gauging your growth as a poker player. The most important thing is to be honest with yourself and understand where you currently stand regarding your ability and skill level. This way, you’ll know what areas of the game you need to work on to become a better poker player.