Assessing the Previous Generation of Poker Players

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I came up in the poker world before the Poker Boom, so I can certainly be a bit nostalgic when I reminisce about the “good ole days,” and today I’m going to do just that, as I spend the majority of the next 1,200 words defending my old school brethren.

So instead of strategy I’m instead going to offer you a bit of a history lesson, and why we should look on the past generations of poker players not with scorn and ridicule, but with admiration – I’ll try to mix in some strategy/theory where I can!

This entire column all started innocuously enough, with a reply to a Tweet:

Adam Small: ‏@AdamLoebSmall  · Very interesting at PCA how few of the “name” TV pros from the 2000’s are anywhere to be found

‏Jon Aguiar :@JonAguiar  · @AdamLoebSmall Because most of them couldn’t do basic division never mind grasping game theory

My problem (besides the snarky comment that they can’t do division) is you don’t see this type of patronizing attitude in say Basketball or Golf, where the predecessors of today’s stars are venerated and usually referred to as their heroes, the people who inspired them, but in poker this isn’t the case.

In poker, instead of the old guard being deemed trailblazers and being lauded for their contributions, we get Tweets about how terrible players use to be and mocking of their skill level and knowledge. How they can’t hack it anymore. So, is it wrong of me to wonder what poker players in 20 years will think of John Aguiar?

What goes around comes around

Considering how fast the poker world evolves, it’s extremely likely that the poker players of the next generation will be light years ahead of the players today, so does this mean that John Aguiar and his contemporaries weren’t the cream of the crop, at the cutting edge of the game’s strategies and theories, or that they didn’t work their asses off?

The answer is obviously a resounding no, so I don’t really think it’s fair to judge previous eras under today’s microscope. Yes, some of these players still compete (some of have adapted well) but they shouldn’t be ridiculed anymore than you would ridicule a past their prime ballplayer chasing a championship.

Judging someone by today’s standards simply doesn’t work. This thinking would be like saying that the Spartans were, “lol warriors! They didn’t even have guns! A modern seal team could wipe them all out in 20 minutes!”

Here is the problem with Aguiar’s thinking (and I don’t mean to specifically pick on him, or call him out, since he is far from the only person who has ever looked down upon old school poker players, it’s just that he posted the Tweet), and it’s the same flawed thinking that makes advocates of the “today’s athletes are so much better than those from 20, 40, 100 years ago” thinking wrong as well.

The reason you can’t compare the two is that the situation and circumstances have changed. How would someone like Johnny Moss understand Game Theory when the bulk of his career took place when game theory was only known in academic circles? How can you say Barry Bonds was so much bigger faster and stronger than Willie Mays when the training, ‘supplements’, and nutrition are totally different in the modern game.

Saying Wilt Chamberlain wouldn’t be dominant in the modern NBA because the players are bigger and stronger doesn’t make sense. Wouldn’t Wilt be stronger and more athletic if he had access to modern training?

So my argument vs. this thinking is simple:

Transplant the older player into modern times, with all of the training that the modern athlete has and how do you think they would fare? Do you still think Willie Mays would be a platoon outfielder, or that offensive lineman of years gone by would still be 260 lbs? Do you still think Kobe Bryant would run circles around Oscar Robertson?

Well the same holds true in poker. Poker players from previous decades were doing the best with what they had available. If TJ Cloutier was born in 1989 do you really think he would have trouble understanding the modern game? If he had access to computer simulations and other aids, access to forums and discussion groups, and could play millions of hands before he hit 21 do we still think he wouldn’t have a handle on game theory?

The only thing we can compare players of different eras on is how they fared against the competition they faced.

So instead of focusing on their deficiencies we should be celebrating their commitment and the way they advanced poker and pushed the envelope, even if their strategies and theories are completely out of date today. After all, we wouldn’t snicker and laugh at a golf club created by Jack Nicklaus simply because modern clubs are so superior.

Outdated shouldn’t mean irrelevant.

Essentially my argument is this: if a person was at the top of their field 10, 20, or 30 years ago they would likely be at the top of their field today, because the traits that make it possible for you to become one of the best don’t change: Hard Work, dedication, discipline, and drive to name a few.

The traits that will always lead to success

So let me bring in at least a little bit of strategy/theory to this post and talk about the timeless traits of winning poker players.

Being a successful poker player isn’t simply about understanding game theory or being the most aggressive player. These are byproducts of a successful player’s hard work and commitment to the game. Without being dedicated to improving oneself as a poker player you’ll never take the time to learn these things, and anyone who is dedicated to improving will seek out the latest strategies, and not only learn them, but try to advance them.

With that in mind, here is a short list of traits that all winning players possess; a list that transcends generations and anyone who possesses these traits will likely be very successful:

Intellectually curious

A passion and thirst to learn will always keep you ahead of the curve. It’s all too easy to blame a loss on a bad card, or a win on your superior skills. Truly successful players want to know the who, the what, and the why behind everything.

Have an incredible work ethic

In addition to being intellectually curious successful poker players also work their asses off. More to the point, they outwork their opponents, and work both harder and smarter.

Challenge themselves and what is thought to be possible

Successful poker players are also critical thinkers. Pretty much anyone can keep learning and working hard if they put their mind to it, but winners also absorb what they are reading, experiment on their own, and challenge what they are told.