Vegas & The Aftermath - Diary

[MereNovice]

As a relative newbie, I've posted two fairly simplistic queries on PHA and received very useful replies including people expanding on the initial ideas that I posted. I accept that I may have been lucky (having seen some of the comments on other threads) but the responses were all courteous and  helpful with the exception of only one person. I think that's commendable and I appreciate the effort and thought that went into the replies.
However, on the other hand, I'm a shy sort of guy and can definitely confirm that I would have run a mile and never posted again if I had got some of the abuse that some other posters have received.
You can decide for yourselves whether that is a good thing or a bad thing.

[RED-DOG]

Whoa the PHA arguement is going in cycles, i personally agree with AndrewT's point of view on things. People like Alex Martin,Lucky Lloyd , Totalise, Flushy  etc have contributed more to PHA than most.

I think the above at times don't get credit they deserve and the sarky posts seem to overshadow the rest of their contribution they make to the forum. Many of the people who alledgelly despair at PHA make no contribution to that part of forum despite being very experienced in poker.

In that case I would like to congratulate the people you mention, and offer my sincere gratitude, to them, and to the countless others who put so much time and effort into the PHA board.

If you think I'm taking the piss here you're wrong, I really mean it.

Thank you.



Now, for the sake of clarity, I would like to quote myself.

I am talking about flaming or ridiculing novice players who ask for advice.

[TightEnd]

I think one problem on right now is that the guidelines in the sticky at the top are a bit useless. I know I wrote them and all that, but I think their time has passed.

The problem with them is they lecture as to how best to make a reply to a thread. This doesn't achieve much, especially for new users who are the only people who read such stickys anyway.

A better sticky would be some guidlines to new users as to how best to start a thread/post a hand.
Something in capitals like WELCOME, READ THIS BEFORE POSTING FOR BEST RESULTS.

Maybe some of the regulars on the board would be willing to offer suggestions as to what to include in such a post.

Great idea I think. I have some ideas in mind but contributions from all (seperate thread) welcome

[technolog]

I don't get why all posts on PHA (and anywhere else for that matter) apart from obvious trolling, can't be handled courteously. Direct them to a sticky on what's expected - do it bluntly if you must. Very, very few of us (I hope) would be abusive to beginners in a b&m cardroom and to do it on here smacks of keyboard warrior syndrome.

[Supernova]

Posted by: RED-DOG

For every one who stays and learns something, there will be two who go away and never come back, and two more who will be too shy to post in the first place when they see a fellow newby get a roasting.

This could be so. And I suppose that would be a shame. But we're not talking about refugees or anything, we're talking about people wanting to learn poker. Poker is a tough business I would say. The people who have the tenacity to take a bit of stick are probably those with the most potential. Some of the people dropped out of my martial arts class when they got hit with the stick. Maybe for every two who decided karate wasn't for them one stayed and really learnt to keep those hands up.

Having been flamed for one of my postings and being mortified by it, I quickly realised that it was it was the way I worded the question that was the problem. It's therefore down to me to pose a question to be read in the context it is meant correctly and until I'm sure I can do that I almost certainly won't be posting again, but that's down to me. It's not the end of my blonde forum life, I'm still here, just gone back a few steps that's all.

[MANTIS01]

Anyway, let's not turn this PHA tangent into one of negative focus. Tikay introduced this topic to his diary in a positive way saying fellow members found it a place where terrific advice was on offer. There's always going to be the odd firework when opinionated people offer their views, but it shouldn't detract from the overall quality of the board. It is a credit to Blonde imo.

Anyway, I'm still smiling about the image of 9 people sitting around a poker table wanting to rip each other's hearts out in a polite way. That just goes to show how tough the business really is.

[Royal Flush]

I agree with the notion the PHA Board has improved. Everyone is respecful to fellow members as far as I can tell though. I see the PHA section as a facility for members to improve their poker skills, and it's a very good place to do that. So people with the objective of improvement will achieve what they want. I have taken a lot of stick on there myself as a member of Blonde but I don't care because I want to improve my poker.That's why I'm using the board. I am also partial to a making a sarcastic comment or two and think that's ok because there's no malice in it. If I wanted social networking I would go to other areas of the forum. People need a bit of tenacity if they want to play good poker so they need to just get stuck in and use the board to their benefit.

Some first-timers may get a baptism of fire. The guy this week who flopped the nut full-house and was unsure about his hand got a strong lesson. I don't know if that's so bad. A friend of mine started his first day working at a factory and the other guys stripped him naked, tied him to a wheelbarrow, and wheeled him into the canteen at lunchtime. That's pretty bad. From my own perspective the blunt, curt manner of some of the responses is quite helpful. Actually the fact that it thickens your skin is very helpful. If you want to learn and someone gives you a strong lesson then that should be pretty helpful to you. When I learnt martial arts as a teenager the mad Korean guy running the class used to smack you in the head with a bamboo stick if you dropped your hands. Damn you kept those hands up.

For every one who stays and learns something, there will be two who go away and never come back, and two more who will be too shy to post in the first place when they see a fellow newby get a roasting.

They would never be able to improve if they couldn't bear to hear when they have mangled a hand, the ones that do stay improve rapidly.

For the sake of improving members skillz, it's deffo better this way around.

Do you ever read it?

But Flushy you gave a far better answer later - one that was good advice on maximising the hand & one that led to better questions. So if you'd thought beyond 'played bad' without others asking sensible questions could you have been as constructive without being cruel to a noob? If someone plays a hand bad and wants advice should they not ask?

Because it tilts me up when people just post a bad beat story but waffle on for 2 paragraphs meaning it takes me 5 minutes to read a bad beat story, why should i waste more time on them when they aren't even asking for help, they just want to unload a BB.

I think perhaps its time that PHA had its own mod who can move these posts into the whine thread.

[ShatnerPants]

Anyway, let's not turn this PHA tangent into one of negative focus. Tikay introduced this topic to his diary in a positive way saying fellow members found it a place where terrific advice was on offer. There's always going to be the odd firework when opinionated people offer their views, but it shouldn't detract from the overall quality of the board. It is a credit to Blonde imo.

Anyway, I'm still smiling about the image of 9 people sitting around a poker table wanting to rip each other's hearts out in a polite way. That just goes to show how tough the business really is.

Reminds me of many moons ago when steve Davis was on the old pnl as a guest.

I think he comes across as a terrifically nice guy, and I forgot quite how good he was at snooker at his best.

When asked what sort of snooker skills could be used in poker he said something like ;

You're trying to get on top of the other guy mentally.  And when you've got him down, you've got to ram your foot on his throat and keep him there.

And I bet there isn't anyone nicer on the tables

[gatso]

I think perhaps its time that PHA had its own mod who can move these posts into the whine thread.

don't you dare. I was with you up to that point but don't put them in the whinge thread either. put bad beats in a bad beat thread please. put this thread wherever you like but preferably somewhere where I can't see them, maybe on a special board and give access to the 2 or 3 people who might care.

as for PHA, the tone of replies is pretty much spot on. useful analysis is always given as long as 1) the question is put correctly and 2) the hand is in any way worthy of analysis and not just a sob story.

tank's comments on new posting guidelines are spot on imo

[MereNovice]

If there's going to be a forum solely for bad beat tales, I'll happily respond to each one personally at a very reasonable price of £1 sterling per post. I promise to give a considered response which is as heartfelt as I can muster. I'll even throw in the maths to show just how unlucky you were.

[TightEnd]

If there's going to be a forum solely for bad beat tales

I can safely say its highly highly unlikely there will be

[MereNovice]

If there's going to be a forum solely for bad beat tales

I can safely say its highly highly unlikely there will be

So no need to give up hope yet, then? 

[Compo]

Where are the trains?

[Dingdell]

Where are the trains?

Tikay internet challenged for 2 days - enjoy it while you can!

[Colchester Kev]

I BLAME TIKAY AND RED !!

You blokes have made me take photos of things that I would normally just walk past