Archive for the ‘Holdem’ Category

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A Definition of The Good and The Bad Qualities of Poker Players

Sunday, February 27th, 2011

A very clever Soviet satire is written about a con artist set out to win a bunch of money from a small town chess club. He convinces the avid members that he is a traveling master of the game and wishes to organize a tournament for the assembled group. He, of course, charges an entrance fee from all the players and proceeds to play “twelve identical matches” without a clue as to what he is doing. This is the second chess match he has ever played, but he manages to place the pieces somewhat correctly and makes his moves to the awe of those surrounding the board. Like lots of folks when in the presence of greatness, they read a lot into the moves and pay close attention. Soon after beginning the games, he loses all of them but still keeps his sense of humor. The town is utterly amazed, but by then he has had the required time to run off with the entry fees. So, our traveling maestro may be a lousy player, but he is a winning one.

The novel is The Twelve Chairs of which there are both English translations and film adaptation DVDs actually available from Amazon.com. The first film adaptation of the book was actually a Mel Brooks comedy, which is a loose adaptation, recommended only for Brooks fans. The best Russian adaptation is the 1976 mini-series by Mark Zaharov, one of the greatest Russian directors of all time, though he may not sound as familiar as Tarkovsky.

The point is that the definition of a good player, in poker or otherwise, depends on what that player’s purpose is. As far the fictional con artist was concerned, he was an effective player since his strategy precisely achieved his goals – quick money. It is a subtler point, however, that he was a good player also because he knew he couldn’t play solid chess for more than the first five or so moves and because he prepared an escape route.

Now, a surprisingly large amount of poker players are reluctant to admit their less than average abilities. Ego is often central with poker players, it seems, perhaps because of the peculiar aura around the game. How they fail to realize that poker is a complex game one spends a lifetime learning is something of a marvel, but these pros-in-denial are exactly what makes poker a profitable game for the serious and talented players.

Some players play the game by rote and come out winners in the long run. They do not see the game as an ever-enlightening process of learning and growing. But they do win and if that is their purpose for playing the game, then they are good poker players.

For those players to whom poker is an art, the above types are not true poker players, not really bad, just not real. They are in the clubs but are not the stars. The good player is looking for growth and more and more insight to improve his already good game. He or she understands that the game is a complicated mix of skill, theater, and perception. They know their weaknesses and work hard on improving their good points while lessening their bad ones.

If you enjoyed this article you may also like to read the poker articles at Random Poker Thoughts or Poker Pro Blog

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Deciding Your Poker Game of Choice

Tuesday, January 5th, 2010

Omaha is an interesting game and, as many attest, is quite profitable, but there is comparatively little material you could find to learn safely from, and Hold’em is in fact a good place to start for anyone. At the present time Hold’em ranks as the most popular game in casinos and online and has received much attention in media and literature (online and in book form).

Having decided that, there are still several more personal questions to ask yourself before deciding which Hold’em variant to try. It is of utmost importance for any poker player to know whether they are risk oriented or not, or, to be more exact, to what extant they like to risk.

It is a very peculiar thrill, and those who cannot stand, having calculated your best chances, to make that step into the air, like Indiana Jones towards the end of The Last Crusade (he did not so much summon the faith the walk on air, but merely calculated that his father’s diary implies an invisible bridge), had better keep away from the poker table (watching others play might be the compromise to settle for). Nor is poker the right activity for people who cannot control themselves and play kamikaze-style. For those who feel they do not sufficiently understand themselves, there are tests which determine inclination towards risk. The more risky you are the more sense it makes to play no-limit cash and tournament poker.

Determine whether you are best at “math” or “psychology”: if you are a human calculator, best try limit games; if you can read the opponents hands by reading his body language, your best shot is at no-limit and in multi table tournaments(MTT).

If you are willing to devote the time, complex no-limit and MTT games offer the best means to develop as a player. If you are just taking a look around, at first stick to sit-and-go tournaments and limit games.

For those whose aims are to grow as players, limit offers the least potential. High-level limit games are much rarer than no-limit or tournament games. Tournaments make the most sense for aspiring champions.

Limit poker is becoming rarer in casinos and clubs and is more accessible online. Tournament poker is the only form of the game officially considered a sport, so that it may be important to pay attention to tournaments in public establishments.

If you consider poker as a profitable profession, you will systematically target games with a high percentage of weak players. Because of accessible literature, the amount of weak players is particularly low in limit Hold’em. Focus on no-limit and tournament poker, training yourself accordingly, whatever you feel your inclinations are initially. Limits higher than $1/$2 may already prove too large a piece of cake. In SnGs, the beginner may want to stay bellow $20+$2, in no-limit bellow NL$100. Below these levels, basic knowledge of poker principles are likely to suffice. Higher levels will demand intense efforts to study the game, and even the studious player is not guaranteed consistent wining.

These considerations are a good preliminary to your first games, but the answers to the questions will become clearer as you accumulate experience.

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Posted in Holdem, Limit Holdem, No Limit Holdem, Omaha Holdem | No Comments »

A Poker Decision: Which Game Should You Choose?

Saturday, January 2nd, 2010

While Omaha is an attractive and profitable choice, there is so little literature on the subject that it is not your best option. You want to start with Hold’em with its rich body of literature both in book and online form. It is easily accessible to players because it is the most popular form of poker played today in casinos and clubs as well as online.

Now that that’s over, the next step is some personal soul searching to determine your proclivity for risk..

If you are the one that goes sky-diving and opens your parachute at the last minute, you thrive on risk. If the mere thought of sky diving at all makes you quiver all over, you do not. If you fall into the first category of risk but cannot control your impulses, just watch other people play the game the game and stay out of it yourself. If you are unable to figure out the degree of risk you are comfortable with, there are tests available to help you determine this. For the risk takers, no-limit cash and tournament games are the best bets.

Next in your self-awareness exercise program is to determine if you are a mathematician or a behavioral psychologist. You calculators are meant for limit games. If you are able to discern the cards that your opponents have in their hands by reading various bodily signals, you are the one that should be in no-limit and multi table tournament (MTT) games.

No-limit and MTT games are both very good poker forms for you to develop your game if you are willing to put in the time to learn them well. Due to the rarity of the high-level limit games, you won’t find as much chance to develop your skills as you would in no-limit and MTT. The best place for future world poker champions to grow their game is in tournament play.

The least potential for players reach the heights of fame and fortune is in limit poker. The best games for would-be poker champs are tournament games and high profile no limit games.

Limit poker is more accessible online than in casinos and clubs, where it is becoming rarely played. Your attention should be turned to public establishments and tournament poker as it is the only form of the game officially recognized as a sport.

If you are looking at playing poker as a major (or only) source of income, what you want to do is zero in on games with an excessive complement of weak players. Limit hold’em is not one of the forms of poker that fits this category because of the aforementioned plethora of literature on the game. Your target is no-limit and tournament poker, where of course you will focus on learning as much as you can about the game. As a beginner, stay below limits of even $1/$2. In SnGs go no higher than $20+$2, and for no-limit, below $100. At these lower limits, it is sufficient for beginners with a basic knowledge of the rules of the game to play without risking too much. Playing at higher monetary levels requires intense study of the game and a depth of experience. Even then, there is no certainty of consistently winning, but that’s why we play the game in the first place, lack of certainty.

The above suggestions are all well and good for first steps. With experience and continuing education, you will be able to answer many of your questions clearly on your own.

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Posted in Holdem, Omaha Holdem, Pai Gow, Stud Poker | No Comments »

What Are The Qualities of the Good Poker Player and the Bad Poker Player?

Saturday, December 26th, 2009

A very clever Soviet satire is written about a con artist set out to win a bunch of money from a small town chess club.  He convinces the avid members that he is a traveling master of the game and wishes to organize a tournament for the assembled group.  He, of course, charges an entrance fee from all the players and proceeds to play “twelve identical matches” without a clue as to what he is doing.  This is the second chess match he has ever played, but he manages to place the pieces somewhat correctly and makes his moves to the awe of those surrounding the board.  Like lots of folks when in the presence of greatness, they read a lot into the moves and pay close attention.  Soon after beginning the games, he loses all of them but still keeps his sense of humor.  The town is utterly amazed, but by then he has had the required time to run off with the entry fees.  So, our traveling maestro may be a lousy player, but he is a winning one.

The satire is titled The Twelve Chairs and has been translated into English and even a film adaptation on DVD available at Amazon.com.  Mel Brooks was featured in the first film adaptation, a comedy.  This was a very loose adaptation and for those of you are not Mel Brooks fanatics, it is best avoided.  See instead a Russian adaptation of a 1976 mini-series by that great Russian director, Mark Zaharov.  Though not as familiar a name as Tarkovsky, he is a directorial genius.

At the crux of the matter, a good player is defined, whether in poker or some other area of life, by his purpose.  The chess conman was a good player because he effectively used his wiles to achieve his goal of making a fast buck.  An important side story though is that he knew his skills well enough that he could not endure much scrutiny and had a plan for a hasty escape route.

There are numerous poker players out there who do not recognize their lack of ability.  Poker players are blessed with an overactive ego, possibly due to the riskiness of the game giving the players a certain bravura.  Unfortunately for them and fortunately for the good player, they didn’t get the concept that poker is a complicated, demanding game which requires education and hands-on experience to succeed at all.  For those who are clear on the concept, the game can be most profitable.

Some players play the game by rote and come out winners in the long run.  They do not see the game as an ever-enlightening process of learning and growing.  But they do win and if that is their purpose for playing the game, then they are good poker players.

For those players to whom poker is an art, the above types are not true poker players, not really bad, just not real.  They are in the clubs but are not the stars.  The good player is looking for growth and more and more insight to improve his already good game.  He or she understands that the game is a complicated mix of skill, theater, and perception.  They know their weaknesses and work hard on improving their good points while lessening their bad ones.

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Posted in Gambling, Holdem, Poker, Poker Psychology | No Comments »

Defining the Qualities of Good and Bad Poker Players

Thursday, December 24th, 2009

In one of the top masterpieces of Soviet satire a brilliant con artist, to win a bit of money, convinces a local small-town chess club that he is a traveling maestro and organizes a tournament. He first gathers the fees from the awe-struck yokel-enthusiasts and then plays “twelve identical matches” without understanding much of what he is actually doing, this being the second chess game of his lifetime, but placing the figures more or less correctly, with the terrified locals reading too much into his banal moves. Very soon, however, he good-naturedly utterly loses all twelve simultaneous games, to the amazement of the town. Buy then, however, he has gained the time he needed and escapes with the money. He is not a good player, but he is a winning one.

The novel is The Twelve Chairs of which there are both English translations and film adaptation DVDs actually available from Amazon.com. The first film adaptation of the book was actually a Mel Brooks comedy, which is a loose adaptation, recommended only for Brooks fans. The best Russian adaptation is the 1976 mini-series by Mark Zaharov, one of the greatest Russian directors of all time, though he may not sound as familiar as Tarkovsky.

The point is that the definition of a good player, in poker or otherwise, depends on what that player’s purpose is. As far the fictional con artist was concerned, he was an effective player since his strategy precisely achieved his goals – quick money. It is a subtler point, however, that he was a good player also because he knew he couldn’t play solid chess for more than the first five or so moves and because he prepared an escape route.

Now, a surprisingly large amount of poker players are reluctant to admit their less than average abilities. Ego is often central with poker players, it seems, perhaps because of the peculiar aura around the game. How they fail to realize that poker is a complex game one spends a lifetime learning is something of a marvel, but these pros-in-denial are exactly what makes poker a profitable game for the serious and talented players.

There are also the players who have simply learned a set of rules they strictly follow without applying much thought or trying to improve radically. They conceal their inferiority carefully enough to convey the impression of competence and mostly win in terms of overall profits. If that is their sole purpose for playing, than they may be called good players.

In poker as art, however, all of these people are not real players (to avoid calling them bad). They are on the set somewhere, but theirs are not exactly the leading roles. A good poker player is one who is eager and grateful for yet another insight which might still improve his already nuanced game of thought, skill, showmanship, and perception. He or she admits his weaknesses and strives to have as round a set of skills as possible.

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Poker: How to Improve Your Game

Wednesday, December 23rd, 2009

If you wish to improve your game, ditch the arrogance and ego involvement, and don’t depend on the constant repetition of a few rules you learned to get you safely by.  The basic step to improvement is to recognize the need for it.  Introspection is at the core of every good player as much as technique, luck or insight into their opponents’ minds.  Perfectionism is not the answer.  The answer lies in the ability to be self-critical and correctly and precisely define your strengths and weaknesses.

Other than arrogant amateurs and those that play by rote, there are some players of talent who find that the skills they have will do them just fine.  They will not improve because they do not see the need for it.  These players lack inspiration and place their hopes on a few brilliant moves and lady luck to capture a few wins.

Neglecting weaknesses and relying on a few strong points is perilous behavior for a poker player.  Opponents aren’t all nitwits and can zero in on the fact that you constantly make the same moves, although successfully, and can figure out a way to get around them.  They will eventually surprise you with one large move against you.  Such players have paid attention to more facets of the game and have improved their skills.  They have confidence in the variety of moves they make.

There are no successful one-armed boxers.  There are no successful poker players with just one or two moves.  A good player is at work to constantly sharpen all his poker skills.  At the same time he recognizes his weak points and works at overcoming them, no matter difficult that may be.

The first step to enlightenment is to understand that the game isn’t worth playing if you don’t play to win.  Secondly, improvement is based on acquiring the discipline to form a habit of undertaking tasks you would rather not do.  This is not a mechanical exercise, you must understand why it is you are doing it, otherwise you will give up.  Following a routine without knowing why and relying on only one or two skills in the hope that the stuff you don’t like will just go away, is not realistic and not playing an engaging game of poker.

Get a vision in your mind of what it would like to be a totally competent player, the rush you get when inspired, the thrill of winning, then you can decide for yourself whether this is a feeling worth pursuing or not.  If the imagination to perceive this is lacking or if you do perceive it but find it not worth the battle, you need to be honest with yourself and admit that you haven’t a clue how to be successful at poker.  Maybe you don’t even want to be.  On the other hand if this vision inspires passion, begin the hard work it requires to see successful results.  Just possibly, the energy required to force yourself to work on things you don’t want to work on will give you the confidence you have been seeking.  This is rewarding all by itself.

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Improving Your Poker

Monday, December 21st, 2009

The first step towards becoming a player who does not merely build his poker ego on baseless arrogance and luck or a player who never deviates from a few set rules in order to stay safe against better players, the first step to becoming a good player is to realize that there is always room to improve. Poker is a game of introspection as much as a game of skill, luck, or of “reading” opponents. You must first decide whether or not you want to take the winding way of the tireless perfectionist (who never achieves his goal) in the first place. Then you want to learn to be frank with yourself and define precisely your current strengths and weaknesses.

Besides bad amateurs and those playing by a fixed set of simple rules, there are those players who discover they actually have a talent, but who do not then try to improve much in any direction. These are rather lazy and uninspired players who prefer to hope that they will eventually knock their opponents out cold every time with one or two great moves.

A good player never neglects his weaknesses. Usually nobody is good at every aspect of any complex activity, but to rely on one or two superior skills is dangerous and is more likely to be your ruin in the long run. Once opponents have singled out what you do best, and that it is about the only thing you do, they will maneuver around your good hand. And if they are good players, they will consistently execute the maneuver even if it means giving up a they own good hand, so to speak, to land you one on the nose form the direction you hope it will never come. Because their skills are better rounded than yours, they can afford it, feeling confident enough with both their right and their left.

No boxer ever boxed with just one hand. Hone your best qualities, but do keep sharpening as many of the other required abilities as you can. The next step towards progressive improvement after you recognize your weaknesses is to learn to do that which, as Bartleby the scrivener would say, “you would rather not to.”

To learn this takes two basic things: to realize that a game isn’t worth it unless you intend to win and to acquire a disciplined habit of doing things you dislike. The first may be a subtle point. Some people mechanically try to acquire a habit without know why they are doing it and they eventually give up or don’t get far. You must see that to blindly follow a routine or to rely on a single great skill in the blind hope that you will not have to deal with the rest of the game is not engaging the game for real.

The thing to do is to imagine as well as you can what it would be like to be a fully competent player, imagine the rush of inspiration which leads to success and hard-won triumph, and decide for yourself whether the possibility pleases you or not. If you can’t imagine the triumph and glowing detail of the struggle than be frank with yourself and admit that you have no real idea how to succeed in the field. But if imagining this makes you passionate, start working hard and you will definitely see results, and the effort to work at things you don’t like (perhaps you are an introvert technician who might benefit from better communication skills and face-reading abilities, etc) is guaranteed to be rewarding.

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The Blossoming Appreciation of Games of Cash and No-Limit Tournaments

Tuesday, December 15th, 2009

Among the variations of poker games, no-Limit tournament has far more popular appeal than either cash or limit poker games.  Tournament holdem and its variations is the game of choice among 75% of online players.  No-limit is the go-to game of all cash games and those who have a great deal of experience with tournament games will find the transition takes little effort.

Because the tournaments have gotten so much exposure, the new and naïve players flock to this arena where they are easily taken advantage of by their more experienced opponents.  Free-roll tournaments abound because they demand no deposit for the wary beginner to try his hand and maybe with a few passes from lady luck, the novice may find a new career or at least an addictive pastime.

Cash games are far more stressful than the sit-and-go games often found at tournaments.  In sit-and-go, the player forks over a fixed amount of deposit and then plays the ensuing hands for chips only, making for a relaxed game among friends.  One can easily find access to a tournament game as they are well advertised and may even lure in some players seeking a certain amount of celebrity status.

The frequent and rapid-paced SnG (sit-and-go) tournaments must be distinguished from the less accessible MTT (multi table tournament) games.  The most important distinction being that in the MTT, every game has the potential of going on forever and a player cannot depart the table without kissing his entire investment goodbye.  Add to that the length of time and the difficulty of the play that must be endured.  The players must be absolutely aware of these factors, else he may sink into despair, become too inert to leave, and lack the high-level of concentration necessary for skilled play.  Of course, those who can take the heat will wind up with quite a haul.

MTTs are also inaccessible even in the online situation.  Depending upon where you are playing (which country) you may find yourself able to locate such a game only in the wee small hours.  Add to that the fact that little is written about tournament and no-limit games, and the literature that does exist is mostly geared toward psychological strategy rather than strategies of technique.

It is not that difficult to transition from cash to MTT.  There is a close resemblance between them  Actually, there are less drawbacks to cash games than to MTT.  Lots of players are of the opinion that no-limit cash games offer more capability to foresee results than in any of the other online games.  It is in any case the easiest form of the cash game to find on the net with an abundance of players on fire to join a game and come out as huge winners.  Because there is so little written about it, there is ample opportunity for the talented player to use their skills of perception to successfully manipulate their less talented opponents.

On the other hand, literature on cash games is booming, but even the good stuff is fuzzy on teaching technique and concrete guidelines.  It relies rather on gleaning the expertise of the  human potential of ones individual opponents.  The only way to become a master at no-limit cash games is to practice, practice, practice and become very sensitive to the ways of ones opponents, thus building a vast memory bank to draw upon whenever one becomes involved in future and equally unpredictable games.

Dispersion rears its ugliest head in no-limit games which puts even the best players in serious jeopardy of losing many buy-ins in just one session.  In sum, the game is not cheap and not for the weak.

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Posted in Holdem, No Limit Holdem, Poker Tournaments, Tournament Poker | No Comments »

No-Limit Tournaments and Cash Games – The Growth in Popularity

Monday, December 14th, 2009

Generally, cash games and limit games are far less popular than no-limit tournament poker.  At any point in time, there may be 75% of online players indulging in some variation of tournament holdem poker.  Those who have played many tournaments can more easily make the trade to the world of no-limit poker.  Of all cash games, no-limit is the most-played variation of poker.

Tournaments, due the media hype, are where the inexperienced novices go to play and where they are taken advantage of by the more knowing players.  Free-roll tournament poker is readily available at every venue day or night making them easy to find for the cautious rookie.  They can then make an attempt at a few hands with no ante and even luck into a win or two.  This can be a most addictive beginning to poker mania.

In a sit-and-go tournament game, the player enters with a fixed deposit and then only plays for chips, not money.  This makes for a much less stressful game than the cash game.  This relaxing nature accounts for its popularity as well as media coverage, and one may even gain his 15 minutes of fame as a celebrity poker player..

The importance of distinguishing between the oft-played and fast paced SnG tournaments and the less readily available MTT where the games go on stressfully forever, cannot be overstated.  A player taking part in an MTT will not be able to leave the table without losing his investment..  This requires that the player must have the endurance for endless hours of complicated play.  These games require tenacity and a marathon-like endurance to avoid lapsing into a depression, becoming too inert to get up and leave, and yet too unfocused to play one’s A game.  Add to this high dispersion, even though the final three remaining at the table stand to gain a lot.

Also, you can’t expect to walk into a poker club and find an MTT going on.  Even in online poker rooms, you may find yourself only able to play very late at night, depending on your country of play.  The literature available on tournaments and no-limit games tends to be scarce and dwells on the psychological and subjective aspects of the game rather than any precise techniques and strategies.

The transition between cash and MTT is not particularly difficult.  No-limit and cash games do have a lot of similarities, but there are more drawbacks to the MTT.  No-limit cash games are thought to be the most prospective of all online games by the majority of players.  Among all the cash games no-limit is by far the most available and can be found at all places and at all times with no lack of gung-ho players.  You can be sure that not all of those eager beavers are experts.  Because the game is not well documented in literature, the talented  players have an excellent opportunity to practice some psychological manipulations.  Those less talented need to be aware of this and proceed with caution.

With cash games, the literature is more available and growing, but even if it does have merit, it is not precise, lacks substantial guidelines and weighs heavily on the potential of the assorted individuals gathered around the table.  The only way to become expert then at no-limit cash games is through the experience of playing and closely observing your opponents, thereby piling up a memory of observations to carefully draw upon when involved in future, and just as unpredictable games.

No limit games offer the fiercest dispersion for even good players.  Experts have been known to lose five or six buy-ins in one round of play.  This is not a cheap game or one for the faint of heart..

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Limit Hold’em: The Good, The Bad and The Ugly

Friday, December 11th, 2009

To help you understand the advantages and disadvantages of particular poker games, I offer the following brief analysis.  Those who have ever played poker online are aware that limit poker was once the most avidly played game on the net.  The internet still offers quite a few low and medium limit games, and a few in the $100 to $200 range.  The limit game is still easily found online and will continue to be in the future, particularly since only a few players are of the $20 to $40 level of expertise.

There is a plethora of literature available devoted entirely to the game of Limit Hold’em poker.  This is a major advantage as even the novice player can avail himself of these books while experiencing actual play and if he is a good student will gain much knowledge of the game.  This abounding literature allows decisions to be made more easily and most of those decisions can be explained with basic mathematics and become a tool for instantaneous in-game mental calculations.

To add to this, dispersion is not the factor in limit games as it is in others.  Dispersion is a coldly calculating entity that determines who is lucky and who is not.  With limit poker, even the lousy player with lousy cards can be the lucky winner sometimes.  To understand more about how dispersion affects the game of poker and the game of life, read any of Terry Pratchett’s Rincewind novels.

As a rule, any and all poker games are subject to the mathematical phenomenon of statistical dispersion, i.e. major losses are part of even the most expert player’s game, and it is this fact that stops folks from indulging in any game of poker.  Limit poker is not as mentally intense as no-limit and tournament games, which involve high dispersion.  You don’t need a lot of funding to play Limit Hold’em and like the large quantity of literature on the subject , there are computer programs specifically designed for limit poker – Poker Tracker and Poker Office will help low limit players especially.  These programs can be used both during the game and after whenever an analysis of any part of the game is called for or to make statistical calculations.

Now for the bad and the ugly.  Because of the quantity of information available on the game, there is a large and ever-growing number of knowledgeable, skilled players.  So the game while it is easy to find, is not very profitable.  Poker rooms make their money from the small amount taken out of the pot for each hand.  So, poker rooms earn money not from the number of players, but from the percentage of the total number of hands played at the end of a long series of poker hands.  This sum more often than not turns out to be quite a tidy one.  Limit games which include good players can wind up with minimal profitability or even a loss.

While the availability of limit poker is not a problem online, off line is another story.  There is little exposure in the non-virtual world because limit poker does not include the features that make a poker game attractive to casinos and card clubs.  It is the camaraderie around the table, the laughter and chatter, that makes the game rewarding and memorable to most people.  This cannot be found online but requires a group around a table.  The limit player gets his thrills from the true essence of poker – the combination of cards.

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