No matter how good a poker player you think you are, there are people out there you could never-ever hope to beat. People who play better than you do even when you're on your best game. People who seem to have something inexplicable around them which makes them successful. We generally like to refer to this "thing" as talent, but can talent be further dissected? What exactly makes these players talented?

Poker Talent

When I was a poker rookie, I figured I had some talent at poker. Not long after I learned the rules of the game, I was already beginning to see myself at the WSOP final table in a little over a year's time. I was secretly hoping my talent would surface sooner rather than later and prove that I was better than the majority of the "untalented" people. Years have gone by since that moment and even though I'm a pretty good player nowadays, I have long realized I'm not any more special than the next guy when it comes to poker! I learned that most improvements that I made over time came as a direct consequence of hours upon hours of experience, hard study and stamina. Now, I can really say that my "talent" wasn't of any help at all. What it turned out to be was a rookie's delusions!

What I also realized in all this time is that I was probably not alone in the way I viewed online poker skills. I'd probably be amazed to find how many players start out in much the same way I did. It is all part of the attraction and magic of being able to play an online skill game against real human players. The possibility of fabulous winnings always looming around plus my personal drive made me feel superior and that attitude can actually become a weakness.

Becoming a Poker Pro Requires Experience

If you are in the same boat now and you feel like you're an extremely talented player who could become the next Doyle Brunson, I'd like to point our that there's probably a few hundred thousand other new players who feel the same way. If you think you don't need advantages like rakeback, table and game selection, solid blind play and so forth, because you'll be able to make up for them by raw talent, think again. Great poker players are great because they let nothing slip away, but they're also great because they're in possession of something you just don't have access to as a rookie: experience.

Even though, as a rookie, you'll sometimes have an advantage over seasoned veterans via the luck-factor, do not think little of the experience these players have accumulated over the years and they'll beat you most of the time.

Obviously, a huge chunk of the "talent" great poker players possess, is made up of experience. Contrary to experience, discipline depends on the psychological build of each individual player. Some people find it easier to keep their emotions from becoming a hindering factor in poker, than others. They manage to supress their emotions temporarly, until the game is over. The best time to let those emotions out is after the game is done, not during the game. This requires discipline.

Reading Poker Books is Easy. Applying Poker Concepts is Harder

Learning the theory is not exactly the biggest challenge in online poker. Anyone can read a book and learn about poker principles and tactics. It's What you do with the knowledge and how you apply it that matters. Discipline and expericne has a lot to do with that. What's the use of knowing what to play and how to play it, if your emotions keep preventing you from actually doing it right?

There's No Room for Emotions in Poker Games

Poker is a game designed to push you to your emotional limit. That's why being able to control your emotions where others lose it is absolutely imperative. You won't get to be the next Doyle Brunson without discipline and experience, and if you're just starting out, there's no better place to learn and gain experience and discipline than playing online poker.

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Things you won't learn with poker theories