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People play poker for many reasons. Some people just enjoy
tossing chips around and don't care whether they win or lose. Others enjoy
the challenge of matching wits with other players, relishing the rush they
get when they make a big bluff or slowplay a monster. Then, of course, there
are those players who just want to make as much money as possible. They know
that giving yourself the biggest edge possible in every situation is the
surest way to make money in the long run, so they look for situations where
they can maximize their expectation and exploit them. If you're not playing
for pure entertainment, you'll want to adopt this approach for yourself.
Master the Basics
It's impossible to exploit an edge if you don't have one. It's not just worth
it to read up on your game of choice to learn the strategies used by winning
players, it's an absolute necessity.
Poker books
are some of the most valuable resources out there for players who take the
game seriously. Once you hit a certain level, a knowledge of the most
respected poker books is necessary to compete with most of your opponents
because they have all read the same books and regularly implement
strategies
they've learned from them. At lower levels, such knowledge isn't necessary
but playing without it most often means leaving money on the table. In 4-8
games and below this is crucial - the rake hits you worse than it does the
middle- and high-limit players, so if you want your
bankroll to rise steadily you'll have win more often.
Not only are poker books helpful, but there are hundreds of poker message
boards and weblogs on the internet today where you can learn about the game
as well - for instance, the
forum here at Blind
Bet Poker is an excellent place to discuss the game with fellow
players. In one sense forums and weblogs can be even better than a book
because they're interactive - you get to ask the questions you want
answered, and you can follow up with more questions. With so many online
players writing about the game today, the wealth of knowledge available is
sometimes stunning.
Track and Study Your Play
It used to be that there were very few ways of being able to tell if you were
actually making the most of the knowledge you gain from reading poker books.
Even if your bankroll were to grow steadily, you can have a serious leak in
your game that had been covered up by either winning big pots or having your
opponents make more mistakes than you do. Today's online players aren't at
such a disadvantage. Thanks to software packages such as
Poker
Tracker, you can track your own play and quickly identify holes in
your game by studying your results.
The best way to learn from using such a software tool is to make a habit out
of applying it. After every session, take a look at choice hands from the
day's play. Look at your biggest wins and losses and try to figure out if
there was anywhere you could have saved a bet or made a play for additional
value. Often you'll find that your play is solid, but the times that you
don't will be extremely helpful because of their educational value. Over
time you should see yourself making the same mistakes fewer and further
between.
Exploit Your Edge
Once you have an edge, you're ready to put it to its fullest advantage by
playing at a loose table. Profit in poker comes from making your opponents
pay for their mistakes, and you won't find more opponents making more
mistakes more often than you will at a loose table. Sure, your opponents may
get odds to call with a draw and hit their hands here and there, but they're
apt to regularly make the initial mistake of coming into a pot with junk
cards hoping for a miracle. Exploiting your edge here is a matter of table
selection - not all wild games are created equal. When you log in to your
favorite card room, pull up several tables at your limit of choice and watch
the games for a while. Look for games where people regularly cold-calling
raises before the flop. Identify opponents who regularly chase draws without
proper odds. Look for the table with the greatest number of mistakes being
made and make sure to get a seat there. Your bankroll will thank you.
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