Online grinders have emerged as stars and drive the evolution of the game today.
Math is very important in poker; in fact it's the very foundation everything else is built upon.
But there are other skills in poker as well, like reading people.
And reading yourself.
Art on a Foundation of Math
When I started playing poker the math was undeveloped. The game was about soul reading and self-awareness.
Those are still skills that can take you to the top if you know your math.
It's harder and more abstract to learn those kinds of skills. In school we learned to stuff our brains with facts, hence that is what we do in poker, too.
We stuff it with percentages and ranges. The results are apparent at once, and gratifying, so that's what we study.
Mapping a person's body-language patterns for six hours in hopes of picking up the perfect tell, just to see him get knocked out of the tournament, can be frustrating at times.
Many times the work is fruitless. But the work put in will yield results in time. That part of poker is art, standing on top of the foundation of math.
I'm amazed every time I play with very successful stars that don't even look at their opponent.
I'm telling you, poker has a long way to go in its evolution and anyone with the talent who puts in the work will prosper.
I've put in thousands upon thousands of hours studying tells. I can always compete in poker because the math is simple compared to the lost art I master.
Reality Shows = Education in Human Behavior
I've always been curious and inquisitive. I've always enthusiastically tried new things.
I told you that I missed the World Series in 2004 because I participated in Riket, a medieval form of Survivor.
To participate in a reality show is for most people a fun and rewarding experience.
All of the contenders in Riket loved living in another (medieval) time and another place, without a watch and without any of the daily problems everybody seems to have, and in tune with nature.
Even more rewarding is the education in human behavior - how other people behave and change, how group dynamics work, and how you work through ups and downs.
I already knew the benefits because I had already participated in a reality show. The first ever was Real World: New York on MTV.
I was on Real World: Visby in 1996 and I learned much from it.
Ask JRB About Survivor: China
The first winner on the EPT, Alex Stevic, will tell you the same. He was on a reality show called The Bar. They were supposed to run a bar but mostly drank the free beer instead.
Stevic was successful and finished second, but missed out on the first prize of 500,000 SEK ($60,000 USD). Too bad; we needed that injection at the poker club.
The best reality show ever would have been to film the poker club. All they had to do was to put some cameras in and air it 24/7.
The name was already there: One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest.
Maria Ho and Tiffany Michelle participated in The Amazing Race in 2009. Even though they've both had deep runs in the Main Event I still think they would call Amazing Race the adventure of their lives.
Just like Riket was mine. If you can find Annie Duke I'm sure she would tell you that Celebrity Apprentice in 2009 was the best education she ever had.
Jean-Robert Bellande is not hard to find, and he talks all the time. Ask him about his experience on Survivor: China.
His poker has benefited greatly from participating. He probably got a couple of mill from backers out of it.
I Also Heard He Can Make a Knot
You should definitely take the chance to be in a reality show if you get it. But a lot of people apply so it can be hard to pass through the needle's eye.
Four thousand people applied to Real World: Visby. I made it as one out of seven.
Six thousand applied to Riket. I made it as one out of 16. It's harder to make it to the final table than to win it.
It's quite tricky to even get to the interview. Once there you need to stand out.
If you don't have charisma you need to do something crazy to stand out, like getting naked and eating a live goldfish you brought along.
To even get to the interview you need to stand out on the written application, like for example with a picture of you naked.
I've heard that's how Bellande got on Survivor. I also heard that he can make a knot.
They Never Tell You That Detail
For Riket in 2003 I wrote that I was a professional poker player. That's probably not good enough today.
For Real World: Visby in 1996 I wrote that I was going to be a professional poker player. That's definitely not good enough today.
Or maybe I'm wrong. Vanessa Rousso will participate in Season 17 of Big Brother premiering on CBS on Wednesday.
If she succeeds and stays in the house for a long period time she'll need a psychologist afterwards.
They never tell you that detail – that you need therapy because it's such a tough mental challenge. But experiences like that make people grow.
Vanessa Rousso will be a much better poker player when the counseling is done.
You need to be creative and think out of the box when answering the hundreds of questions you will get.
When asked if I played any instrument I answered “Skin Banjo," which is the same thing as the solitary form of “Skin Flute."
I've heard that it was Bellande's favorite instrument, too. Supposedly he was very talented but he stopped playing after the fame of Survivor.
Bad Play Just Good Marketing
The written application is the first hand in the tournament.
As long as you don't go broke a bad play is just good marketing.
Good luck with your application. And good luck to Vanessa Rousso at the final table.
About Ken Lennaárd:
Sweden's most controversial poker blogger Ken Lennaárd has been around the professional poker circuit for almost 20 years. Among his numerous accomplishments are Swedish Championships both live and online, three WSOP final tables and over $1.5m in live earnings. He's now bringing his singular poker voice to the English world via PokerListings.com. Look for new posts every Monday, Wednesday and Friday.
Note: Opinions expressed in this blog are those of the author and do not represent the views of PokerListings.com.
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