Learn to play like a Pro

[Miami Vic]

Two small points from Miami:
We don't criticise players because they are also our customers. We all know when we play a bad hand. Sky Poker analysts and presenters are very careful not to rub our noses in it and that's that.
Tom Sambrook is also coming to the Boot Camp to offer advice and help and yet another Sky Poker personality to be confirmed will be added to the mix to work with Tikay, Matt, Nick and Kara.
See you in Brissle (flights from Orlando permitting),
Vic from Miami

[thediceman]

I think that quite a lot of the players who play Sky Poker would be quite happy to pay £250 for a weekend of poker tuition, they don't have bankrolls, they just stick £10 each time they want to play the open. They are not 'poker' players, just regular people who enjoy doing somthing different on a weeknight. They probably don't want to become a poker pro, just learn how to enjoy thier hobby better (and possibly win a couple of quid now and then).

That's says more about the individuals who are willing pay £250 for a bit of poker tuition rather define the boot camp as a value for money excercise and cost effective way to learn more about the game. Maybe they have more money than sense. Maybe they just want to go on a weekends jolly which includes their hobbie.

For what I believe you will learn from this boot camp I believe your better off saving your money.

[suzanne]

First of all thank you to all who replied.

Can I just outline my poker route up till now and explain why I thought this might be a good idea.

I started playing online about 3-4 years ago and did it purely for fun..$1 stts and had a great laugh at the table with no idea what I was doing. We were a fun group and I really enjoyed it, that was back in the VC lobby days.

Some of my online mates back then have gone on to be very good high stake players and I take pleasure in watching them from the rail now and again.

I wasnt and im still not in the position to up my game because I simply dont have the cash to do it. I wasnt brave enough back then to step up my game but more important I didnt have the time to study and learn how to improve so I was left behind.

The result is I gain more knowledge every day and improve as a player but playing at the stakes I do I get sucked out all the time and this has eroded my confidence to the extend that I find im folding to most reraises unless I have the nuts...not good.

I would like to think im an intermidate player at least so Im not sure how benificiary this course would be coz like Keithy said I would be sitting there thinking "I know that" but im just desperate to get back the confidence I once had.

I will try a couple of sats and see how it goes.

It looks like it will be a fun weekend and if I can get in cheap a hug from Tony will make it money well spent   

[Moskvich]

I'm sure you underestimate how much you know about poker. (It's only about a week since you won your last MTT isn't it..?) I'm absolutely positive you'd be better off, in terms of your poker education, reading a couple of poker books or spending a few hours trawling the main poker sites, than going on this course.

(Not to say the course won't be done well, I'm sure it will - but as a regular member of Blonde I'm sure you're well above the average "beginner to intermediate" standard that they're targeting).

[Graham C]

I have to agree with most of the posters in here.   You could join a training site (CardRunners, PokerXFactor)for a year for £250 and I'm sure you'd get more out of it.  Also, didn't someone say there was 120 people turning up?  That's a huge number for a training course, hopefully that wasn't correct!

You obviously know the basics to poker Suzanne, I thnk you'd be better off saving the money, unless you qualify via a satellie on the cheap of course   I'd be interested to hear a review from someone that went.

[tikay]

Two small points from Miami:
We don't criticise players because they are also our customers. We all know when we play a bad hand. Sky Poker analysts and presenters are very careful not to rub our noses in it and that's that.
Tom Sambrook is also coming to the Boot Camp to offer advice and help and yet another Sky Poker personality to be confirmed will be added to the mix to work with Tikay, Matt, Nick and Kara.
See you in Brissle (flights from Orlando permitting),
Vic from Miami

That's my Boss. Please be nice to him.....

[Laxie]

Two small points from Miami:
We don't criticise players because they are also our customers. We all know when we play a bad hand. Sky Poker analysts and presenters are very careful not to rub our noses in it and that's that.
Tom Sambrook is also coming to the Boot Camp to offer advice and help and yet another Sky Poker personality to be confirmed will be added to the mix to work with Tikay, Matt, Nick and Kara.
See you in Brissle (flights from Orlando permitting),
Vic from Miami

That's my Boss. Please be nice to him.....

Hi Mr. Bossman.  I'm sure you're a lovely lad and would agree that Tikay deserves a raise.  He's not getting paid half enough.   

[tikay]

Two small points from Miami:
We don't criticise players because they are also our customers. We all know when we play a bad hand. Sky Poker analysts and presenters are very careful not to rub our noses in it and that's that.
Tom Sambrook is also coming to the Boot Camp to offer advice and help and yet another Sky Poker personality to be confirmed will be added to the mix to work with Tikay, Matt, Nick and Kara.
See you in Brissle (flights from Orlando permitting),
Vic from Miami

That's my Boss. Please be nice to him.....

Hi Mr. Bossman.  I'm sure you're a lovely lad and would agree that Tikay deserves a raise.  He's not getting paid half enough.   

Laxie gets the idea fairly rapidly.......

[Indestructable]

It was a no goer for me as already taking Mrs Indy away for the weekend. But i think there are a lot of players like me that would like to be better, and could read poker books,  could make use of various poker sites such as card runners,  could read my poker magazines properly etc. Many things that i could do, but don't do. I am in favour of poker boot camps as having face to face training forces you to learn. Also bearing in mind you have paid for it you would imagine that you would be giving it your attention. only thing I am unsure of is cost in that i have no idea what a good price is for a boot camp including accommodation. Not aware of any cheaper than £250?
Good luck to anyone trying this, would be interested to read feedback for future events.

[suzanne]

I had the pleasure of playing live tonight...first time since the womens tour back in November and I can honestly say I played sooooooooo bad.

It was a £25 freezeout with 24 players so nothing too scary but im sitting here thinking I played like a complete donkey. Admittedly I was a bit card dead but I folded too many hands that were raised to me..only decent hand I got was TT and the flop came down AAx with 3 of us in the pot LOL.

I didnt take advantage of position, I didnt even try to bluff and now Im wondering why?? Im counting on my fingers here how many live games I have played..3 p4c games, 1 charity game Matt D ran, 2 blonde bashes and 5 games in the women poker league (which have been my last 5 games)..is it possible I was scared off by a table full of men? Its got me thinking.

It was good fun anyway and it was nice to see Matt, Nick, Lee and Robyn again, I enjoyed the evening so thats the main thing :-)

I still havent had a bash at the sats yet but I will, im not sure if the course is what im looking for but im a bit like Indy..I dont have the time or patience to sit down and read books or study the internet, something like this would force my attention so im still quite keen to give it a go...if I get in cheap.

[jakally]

IMO £250 for two days / 1 night, with activities and food laid on for all of this time is decent value - if you are really interested in poker as a hobby.
The fact that you get to meet some people off the telly, and improve your game as well is an added bonus.

If you want to try and judge it on an EV basis, against Cardrunners / books etc..., then go ahead, but I think you are seriously missing the point.

Poker is a fun game that can be a way of meeting / interacting with like minded people. This sounds like it's right down that street.

I had not played any live poker up to last September, but decided to trip down to Bristol for the Sky Live event, in order to break my duck.
I had a good time at a really well organised event, and met some really nice people.

When Sky do something, they tend to do it very well.

[jakally]

We have lots of interactive sessions, a gala tourney, dinner,

Self deal?

[tikay]

We have lots of interactive sessions, a gala tourney, dinner,

Self deal?

I should cocoa!

The Tourney will be fully Dealer-dealt. Hope to see you there.

Did you know that there is a Brunel Ship iin Bristol, on display? And that the Clifton Suspension Bridge was one of Brunel's masterpieces? Or that Bristol has two Railway Stations, the newer Parkway, & Temple Meads, the latter being another of Brunel's creations? I'm thinking of having a Brunel morning on the Sunday, we could go & look in awe at the Bridge, & I'll do a talk on railways & bridges. Should be fascinating. The Bridge has a Samaritans 'phone at each end, too.

[blonde17]

Two small points from Miami:
We don't criticise players because they are also our customers. We all know when we play a bad hand. Sky Poker analysts and presenters are very careful not to rub our noses in it and that's that.
Tom Sambrook is also coming to the Boot Camp to offer advice and help and yet another Sky Poker personality to be confirmed will be added to the mix to work with Tikay, Matt, Nick and Kara.
See you in Brissle (flights from Orlando permitting),
Vic from Miami

I see your point of view Vic and I fully realise that Sky is all about entertainment and not aimed at teaching people to "Earn a living at poker" but...
If people actualy knew how badly they had played a hand then surely they would benefit from constructive criticism ...Of course making them feel silly is not what it`s all about, but being honest about their play in a tactful way is surely the way forward.
And to do that...the Analyst has to have a total understanding of all aspects of the game..ie not misread the situation he or she is trying to explain to the viewer..

[Claw75]

Is it invite only?  I'm not sure I've had one.  I may well be up for something like this if anyone else is going along and it looks like it's going to a fun weekend.  I don't think a back to basics lesson would do me any harm at all.