Is discipline the most important quality to have as a poker player?

jamby · #1 (**permalink**) 04-05-2008, 07:52 PM

Is discipline most important to one's overall success in poker? If not, what is more important and why?

NoFear · #2 (**permalink**) 04-05-2008, 08:05 PM

In the long run yes.....

IMO, knowing the player behavior and reading skill is essential to success.

imperial10 · #3 (**permalink**) 04-05-2008, 08:14 PM

I would say if you were to break down the most primary source of concentration, I would agree with you Jamby that discipline like in most other aspects in life is the key to success.

Discipline creates patience
Discipline controls mood
Discipline relieves stress

Overall it's a method of absolute zen, if you can comprehend that method in your mind.

I wish I could easily control my mood after every hand bad or good. I have no balance. I need to figure out how to stay at zero at all times.

I'll tell you what when I am in that piece of mind, boy is it sweet. OH OH OH, it's magic, you know, never believe it's not so!

jamby · #4 (**permalink**) 04-05-2008, 08:18 PM

Just to clarify, I'm not contending that it is most important. Just laying a platform for discussion and bringing up discipline since most seem to recognize it as the ultimate key to poker success. I'm sure that I'll enter into the discussion at some point though.

Quote:

Originally Posted by imperial10

I would agree with you Jamby that discipline like in most other aspects in life is the key to success.

dap325 · #5 (**permalink**) 04-05-2008, 08:27 PM

Discipline in the area of patience is a big part of being consistant IMO. When I don't see any good cards for a while, whether it is a tourney or cash game, I find myself playing marginal hands preflop and overplaying marginal hands when I've caught a piece on the flop. I think patience along with being able to get a good read on your opponent create the most success in the long run.

jamby · #6 (**permalink**) 04-05-2008, 08:30 PM

Good point. I thought about saying discipline/patience in the OP since they are so related. For purposes of this thread let's consider them related if not the same. Aggression, math skills, observation, experience, etc. being alternative qualities.

Quote:

Originally Posted by dap325

Discipline in the area of patience is a big part of being consistant IMO.

dap325 · #7 (**permalink**) 04-05-2008, 08:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jamby

Aggression, math skills, observation, experience, etc. being alternative qualities.

For the sake of argument, I think that math skills and aggression are important, but still think that without discipline/patience, those skills won't get you consistantly deep in tourneys, so I say that discipline/patience is still more important to have.

mike33 · #8 (**permalink**) 04-05-2008, 08:51 PM

I'm going to repeat what Doyle said in one of the HSP interviews when he was talking about Todd. He said that he believes discipline and memory are the two most important skills in a poker player. Discipline is self-explanatory and, I agree, that patience is a key by-product of it that is crucial. Memory in being able to recall previous hands and apply that knowledge to the current one, whether it be personal knowledge of your opponent or the particular way the hand is playing.

geewhiz41 · #9 (**permalink**) 04-05-2008, 11:48 PM

One of the things about poker that I find fascinating is that there are many different ways for someone to be successful at it. To me, the notion of discipline/patience in poker is sort of analogous to having a good defense in football. It's very difficult to win without it, you'll be competitive most of the time, occasionally it can win a game for you, but generally speaking, it won't get it done if you don't have other facets to your game to supplement it.

So I'd say that it is a necessary quality, but not sufficient. I'd also say that a lot of good players have this quality, and then what do you say? Oh, I'm more disciplined that you and that means I'm better? I think if you have a whole bunch of players who are smart and disciplined and patient, then all the other factors come into play. Stuff like aggression, math skills, reading ability, etc.

If I had to pick what I thought was the most important quality for a poker player to have, I'd say it was courage. Or heart, if you like that term better.

cleverpiggy77 · #10 (**permalink**) 04-06-2008, 12:52 AM

I think the most important factor is Aggression. You can have any of the other factors but you won't win without aggression.

However I also think that poorly timed aggression will lead to a major loss in chips.

Discipline to know when to be aggressive is important but I also know that those who win, don't always have the best discipline. i.e. many of the past big winners of major events.