Thanks all for the replies...more than I expected
The reasons why we play are as individual as ourselves.
I didn't have an answer to this question myself but with your help I've come to a conclusion for me.
What we find special about poker/playing is what generally drives us to play, well for me anyway. I couldn't put my finger on it, as I thought there was a multitude of factors.
Playing the pros: Nice, who wouldn't enjoy this, even to get beat, what then if you put three out in one game. An emotive experience for sure and one that would undoubtedly drive you onwards.
The win: Very nice, who doesn't enjoy winning, not only would that drive you on, but would give you the financial basis to do so.
The ambiance: The sum of the experience is important, whether thats the chat, the amount of alcohol
, the player type, the site you play at, the game type you play in etc
The Challenge: Pitting oneself against stronger opponents (maybe pros) or in higher buyins, to me thats either an exhilerating experience or a dangerous one
Not to be shyed away from but not a mainstay for me.
These are all important factors in your overall enjoyment in a game, I agree, but to me 'special' has to be available in each and everygame that I play. If the pros don't sit down or you can't get in their game, if you don't win or place, if you haven't enough alcohol, if the chat isn't what you expect, maybe you clicked on a turbo SNG rather than the deep stack MTT you would have preferred, where then is the 'special'?
I guess the only factor that is guaranteed in any game you play in is YOU (and on some days even that is missing
) and when we talk about not making mistakes, making those outstanding calls, playing to the best of our ability etc I guess we are on the right lines.
In the original post I asked what if you got to sit in a game with the likes of Phil Ivey?
What is the 'likes' of Phil Ivey? The man that can play any 2 cards like AA.
If we assume that if you're dealt AA everytime then you have a +EV of 2.32 BB's per hand.
The likes of Phil Ivey then would be if we could play any 2 cards and have this expectation?
I played a game last week, and posted that it was special to me. I've had wins before, I've enjoyed many games more and I've lost in them, but the response in me at the end of this was different. What made it special?
Was it the win?
because it was against tough opponents,
the money,
the game type,
the fact that I'd hit a second in the NON US game just hours before,
because it was at a site I have difficulties with?
If i had taken the subjective view of all of the above then yes those would have been enough to make it special.
It wasn't until I analysed my play in that game that I got the answer.
I was dealt 281 hands in the game and I saw AA once. I won 2.5 BB with that hand.
Over the 281 hands I had an average expectation of +2.61 BB's/hand.
Is that in itself special?
NO, its a singular event
If it were to happen everytime I play then yes, maybe this is what makes Phil Ivey special.
To me then its not playing like Phil Ivey or sitting in his game, even beating him,
its the opportunity to play, to play to the best of my ability, and if I do or don't, to understand the reasons why, and to become
better not
bitter.
Cheers,
NF4.
What makes the 'PERFECT/SPECIAL' tournament?
Rounders Team (Season II)
Tops
