Mentoring

Is it worth it...........

Many moons ago I decided to ask Rick for a little help with my game, this was just as he was trying to set up SPS a little over 6 months ago as far as I can remember.

Some will ask if mentoring is worth it, well heres my twopence worth.

The 1st EVER advice I got was from Rick, since then I have had mentoring off a few well know players that most of you will know.

Rick, Banksy, Jon Huckle, AJ (Paul Jackson)

I mostly play MTT's say 3 a day and only ever play a max of 2 at once, easier to see Table dynamics etc etc.

I have gross winning of around 45K in the last 6 months
which has led me to be a sponsored player with a nice daily limit of $800 a day and a split of 65%/35%

So thanks to Rick for starting me down a winning path.

Stats are Mansion = sp4nky
Ongame = _Johnc_

which shows a Net of around 33K

So is mentoring worth it???????
You decide, because I did

Very nice results m8.

I mentioned to Rick a while back that I would be taking a mentoring session. Looks like I will have to make it sooner rather than later.

Out of interest JC what were your results like b4 you were mentored? Honestly please.

in all honestly the best players are the ones who spend a long time learning the game themselves. if you listen to other people then you just play like them which also means developing their mistakes

Overated wrote:in all honestly the best players are the ones who spend a long time learning the game themselves. if you listen to other people then you just play like them which also means developing their mistakes

This is one of the main reasons why learning from watching videos (cardrunners, etc) isnt very effective - you are trying to emulate the play of other people.

Mentoring is different, if done properly it can make a huge difference to someones game, just by pointing a few things theyre doing badly, and making small adjustments.

The key here is that the mentor is focusing on the players game, and not their own.

Ive mentored quite a lot of players, and no 2 played the same. I didnt blindly tell them to all play like me, or in a certain way, I look at their game, how they play, and advise them how they could play their own game, but better.

A lot of the players i mentored were much looser than I play, but are now doing better still playing loosely, but by making slight changes to how they do it - focusing on table dynamics, bet sizing, noting other players tendencies more, etc.

At the end of the day, a player who can adapt to any situation, and play well however they do it is what everyone should aim towards - a loose aggressive player may need to improve his tight short stacked play for example, but it doesnt mean he needs to tighten his game up all round, just in certain areas.

In my own opinion, if you want a bit of entertainment, and something interesting to watch, then by all means watch some tutorial videos of big moves and good sessions. But if you're looking to improve your own game, then mentoring can provide a slight fasttrack to the improved version of your game that only hours and hours of practice can produce.

wow nice results JC, same question, how were u doing on your own without mentoring? Do you think you would of had the results eventuallty without it?

wp anyways, keep it up!

lol too busy answering overated that i forgot to say wd to you JC lol.

Fantastic set of results this year, well played m8.

And you're more than welcome, glad to have helped, and im certain the wise words of Huckle, AJ and Banksy will have you winning even more very soon!

wildrick wrote:This is one of the main reasons why learning from watching videos (cardrunners, etc) isnt very effective - you are trying to emulate the play of other people.

To be honest learning to play off them both. I think the videos are actually very helpful obviously though the problem comes when you try one of the moves off a video at the wrong time. But you can see what there playing and where.

Obviously mentoring's better because having someone like you to step in, when youre making a move, and say no and then go and explain why its the wrong time gives you a better a chance of working it out for yourself the next time. definately more helpful then" i think hes got aj im gonna let this one go". also a video really doesnt point out were your leaks are.

hoppy wrote:

wildrick wrote:This is one of the main reasons why learning from watching videos (cardrunners, etc) isnt very effective - you are trying to emulate the play of other people.

To be honest learning to play off them both. I think the videos are actually very helpful obviously though the problem comes when you try one of the moves off a video at the wrong time. But you can see what there playing and where.

Obviously mentoring's better because having someone like you to step in, when youre making a move, and say no and then go and explain why its the wrong time gives you a better a chance of working it out for yourself the next time. definately more helpful then" i think hes got aj im gonna let this one go". also a video really doesnt point out were your leaks are.

Depends who the video is by

Ok before the mentoring I won fk all of note.

I did by a few books (harrington etc etc)

Now I may differ with some but it ain't always about odds, Table dynamics, chip stack etc etc also have an effect.

I have seen some top class players make a total arse of themselves, but if you aren't prepared to lose chips then don't play.

Wether this is any good or average I don't know, but I make at least 6 FT a month and I don't play 100's of games.

Since mentoring I have won $24K in one tourney

Ongame GSOP series of 16 games, I came 4th Overall, I also cashed in 25% of these (not just NLHE)

I have won 8K (20K rebuy) twice
a few 2/3/4K tourneys etc etc

I also left my aliases so u could see for yourself.

Rick also said he would give me $1K if I posted this

well maybe not

Oh and by the way, I have also been muffed as much as any other person.

Would one adjustment make a difference to your game?? As I only made 3 in 6 months

Anyone who thinks mentoring would not help is either stupid or in denial.

Of course it would help if only to understand the minds of others but i doubt very much this would be the sole benefit.

I mean even the top pro's question one anothers plays and constantly learning something about the game.

Sure playing lots of games helps develop your game and provide certain scenarios that you think you know how to play but how do you know that the way your play these hands are the best way to one extract maximum value or two lose the minimum amount or indeed should you even be in that predicament.

Personally i feel my own game has got to a point where i feel it is "one dimensional" and not because it really is but because i have been playing that way for so long it feels automatic and therefore "one dimensional".

I have never been mentored but sure do intend to book a few sessions in the coming months.

I actually mentor a few players of my own (they are in my team)

trust me their game has changed, wasting chips and pissing into the wind with a bag of shite, that was me a while ago.

If you think the pro's are good, I may beg to differ, as there isn't Much difference.

only 1,,,,,,,,,,they have more $$$$$ than us, can enter bigger tourneys; therefore; have bigger wins

i have never had any form of help from other players,other than reading up on hands,reading books etc,chatting to people i consider good players.

i had thought about mentoring of some sort in omaha hilo,which is what i kind of specialise in(mainly as im chit at holdem lol)what exactly does mentoring involve,timewise,costwise,how does it work etc?

I have provided guidance for a few players, my approach depends upon the player, whether they have already played the game or if they know nothing about it at all.

I will get a feel for their comfort level with the game and try and find where thay are weak and not just by talking to them but by watching as not everyone can be honest about themselves. Some of my students have good skills with in the game and just need a little help with a certain aspect of the game or even just a little push into getting the right mental attitude to play well.

Pro mentors will probably talk to you about your game and what help you think is needed, then either watch you play a game or two or request some hand histories. After getting an idea for themselves they will discuss where they think you are going wrong and things you need to work on, maybe giving you some things to practice/try. More than likely they will watch you play live online, conversing through MSN or somesuch. At the end, they may give you a written review of their findings to help you in the future.