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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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