How long does it take to know if your poker playing is any good?

Question

You can't tell after one hand. Can you tell after one night of poker? How many games do you have to play before you can judge whether or not you are any good?

Answer 1

That's like saying, how long does it take to know you are good at driving.

Well you can't possibly know on your first lesson.  Even after passing your test it's still hard to say.

The old expression that gets banded about on TV is that poker takes a few minutes to learn and a lifetime to master.

Doyle Brunson, one of the most famous poker players alive, said that even after playing for 50 years, he learns something new every time he plays.

So you will not really know if you have a natural aptitude for the game for about a year of regular playing.  Then you should have an idea.  But even if you are not a natural at it, poker is a game that can be learned.  Not everyone has the capacity to be a world class player, just like anything else, but most people with average intelligence or better, could become pretty good if they put in the time and effort.

Of course, most people don't put in much effort at all.  They don't read the books, they don't truly learn the game.  They just show up and play once a week and drink at the same time.  Even playing a few hours a week is not really going to make you good.  It take a lot of effort.

Answer 2

Most poker players look at the long term as far as weather they are making money or not, but you are not asking if you can make money at poker, you are asking am i a good poker player? In the end poker is not about winning the most hands, or the most money, poker is all about making the right calls, in the right spots. If you can do that money will come to you. Now everyone has off nights where you just make bad reads and bad calls, so one tourney is not enough to see how you play. But maybe a few events would give me enough info on how good or bad you play. Now judging yourself should not come down to, did i win or lose the event i was playing in, because a lot of times you can make all the right calls and you can still lose your money, or vice versa, you make a lot of bad calls and win anyways. I myself keep 2 log books, one is for keeping track of my money, i.e did i win or lose cash for the day. And the other book i write down notes on my play and other peoples play as well. This helps me know when i mad a mistake or an area i can do better in as a player. We all make mistakes, but knowing you made one is the key to not doing it again.

Answer 3

If you're playing online, the general rule is to wait until you have 30-40,000 hands to get a good view of your game with minimal interference from variance.

You can seriously run hot or cold for this amount of time.  If you are getting your money in consistently in +EV situations, then over the long run you're going to be a good player.  Download the software on http://www.pokerevsoftware.com to get an EV analysis of your game.

Answer 4

Play at least a month. Keep track of how much money you win or lose. If you are up double your money you are pretty good. If you are at a loss, quit!

Answer 5

In short, you look at long term gains, over the period of years sometimes.  With that being said, good is a very vague term.  I have been playing poker since before it was in vogue, and I still don't consider myself good enough.  That is what makes poker so fun, you always are striving for that extra edge, you are always learning.  Before poker became the rage, good solid tight play was the norm, once I felt comfortable with that, the styles changed, people started playing looser, etc....I had to relearn new styles, etc.   Every card room I play in the styles are different, basically, the game  you are in dictates your style, so you are always changing, adapting, looking for a new approach.   I am a winning player and have been so for quiet awhile, yet I do not consider myself good, I consider myself fair and that is all I will probably ever consider myself.  Once you think you are good, then you cease striving to be better.  Good luck.

Answer 6

You can play for free on http://www.ourfreebie.com and analyze your hands. They have the best analysis tools, so you might want to check them out if you want to get better.

I think they even have a promotional World Series of Poker qualifier this month.

Answer 7

Play online for awhile.

Then go to officialpokerrankings.com and see.

The main thing about poker is that anyone can get lucky and win.

So a good way to tell, is if you are putting your money in at the right time with the best hand. All pros will tell you this is a very important factor.

Also being able to read other people good. Even if you are not in a hand, always pay attention. Always have guesses as to what your opponent has to see how close you are.

And in time it will all come together and you will tell within the first 20 hands if someone else is a good player or not and you know where you stand.

Most of the time it is much easier to see how good, or bad your opponent is.

Answer 8

Most online pros will tell you go 100,000 hands, and use something like PokerTracker or some other software to make an analysis of the hands played.

Answer 9

The answer to this question is based on the number of hands played, not how long you've played poker.

It takes thousands of hands to give you a semi-accurate picture of your poker skill.  The best way to track your poker play is through PokerTracker.  It tracks every hand you've ever played and allows you to look at a variety of statistics.  Do some internet research on PokerTracker and you'll see what I mean.

Anyways, the answer to your question varies depending on how accurate of an answer you want.  After 10,000 hands you'll have a rough guess of whether you're a winner or loser.  After 50,000 hands you'll have a rough guess of your winrate.  And after 100,000 hands, you'll have a pretty decent picture of your winrate.

I know, this answer isn't the fun one to hear, but it's the truth.  It takes MANY hands to prove your poker skill.  It's basic statistics and sample size.

Answer 10

If you are playing online, you may never get a good guage of your skills.  Online games seem to excelerate the frequency of Playable hands, and it just doesn't accurately mimic the live game.  Most people shouldn't make a go of Gambling for a living.  But if you win or place in the money a majority of the time, and come out significantly ahead on a regular basis after say 50, 000 hands.  I would say you have a chance, but its still very risky.

Answer 11

I have been playing poker for over 30 years, and I am still learning the game as it evolves. I have won many tournaments and cash prizes over the years and I play online and at casinos.

The question is not how good you are, but how good you are in relation to the other players you play with. There are online sites where lesser skilled players play a lot, and if you are good there, it does not mean you are good on other sites, where the play is at a higher caliber.

Learn and practice the fundamentals and develop your game. Practice and play at the best sites you can find.

The link below provides a lot of FREE tips on how to play.