So, you want to be a winning poker player? Do you have any idea how difficult that is going to be? You’re going to have to do many things. These things include but are not limited to…
1. Manage your bankroll.
2. Play down consistently to increase win rate.
3. Find ways to reduce off-the-felt expenses.
4. Fold poker hands more often.
5. Eliminate Ego.
6. Eliminate Greed.
7. Prove to your non-poker friends and family that it’s worth the time and effort (you won’t have many non-poker friends after a while if you’re serious about poker and your family will never think it’s worth the time until you ship a big tournament).
8. Learn more about structures in poker tournaments so you know where you’re getting the best value.
9. Stay away from poker games where it’s all regs (regulars) and focus more on fishy environments, such as weekends in poker rooms.
10. Find a way into the business side of the poker arena so you don’t have to worry about #1-9 as much.
Did I cover everything?
Answer: No.
I forgot this one…
11. You must be observant at all times.
You caught that one before I wrote it? Impressive! But you just got cocky, and cockiness can lead to Ego. Ego leads to losses. When you’re in that tough spot and you know it’s a fold but you call anyway due to Ego, you’re heading down a dark and lonely road, called Bankrupt Road.
The real reason I wrote all that was to test you. But it’s not really me testing you; it’s you testing yourself. Sometimes the last piece to the puzzle is the hardest to find because it’s out in the open. Here it is…
12. Choose Your Opponents Wisely.
It’s in the title. If you got that one, then you should pop open a bottle of champagne and celebrate! But that would be Ego.
Okay, this game is getting way too fun. Let’s get to the poker. And if you actually popped open a bottle of champagne (or poured a glass of wine) or gave yourself a pat on the back, then you’re not getting the message here. But let’s move on. Who am I to judge? I drive down Ego Alley all the time.
No matter how many times I do it, and even though I know exactly where Ego Alley is located, I keep going back there. And the only way to get out of Ego Alley is to back up. If you’re backing up, you can’t move forward. You must first fix the damage you have done.
This kind of reminds me of debt, and debt impacts the way you play poker. Since some of you are living vicariously through me, this is important information because it has impacted the way I play. Up until very recently.
I’m not going to get into my most recent results. I had cashes in 2 of 6 events, which sounds good, but they were small cashes in small events. I finished in bubble territory in the two ‘bigger’ events. It was a losing trip. However, it’s incredible how much off-the-felt events can have on your poker play (I felt like I was 90% myself again).
Prior to one week ago, I had 11 projects and/or partnerships. I have since decided to eliminate three of them. Hey, every little bit counts. One of those cuts is a big one that I will announce soon. Most people will think I’m crazy, but I always try to go with my gut. If it doesn’t lead to happiness, it’s the wrong move. If it makes me happy, it’s the right move.
At the same time, we’re getting very close to finishing the script for The Dark Side of the Felt. Once the script is complete, we move on to financing. When financing is complete, I get paid. Then we move to filming.
The Dark Side of the Felt
On that note, I can teach you something today. What you might not know about the movie industry is that the people who made the movie make the majority of their money on the front end. It’s the investors who make the big money if the movie is a success.
In fact, the investors get paid before everyone else on the back end. Producers, Writers, Directors, etc. get paid last on the back end, which means they rarely see any of the back end money. This might not appear to be about poker, but look again.
If you’re reading this, then you might know how I built my brand from scratch beginning in 2014. Nobody knew who I was at that time, and I was incognito for a few years, but I was playing the long game. The simple version is that I built my online presence, began showing up at live events all around the country, and met all kinds of new people. This brand-building led to increased book sales and a movie.
Have you noticed that I play poker the same way? It’s always long-game thinking. Appear weak earlier to attract future prey. Wait until the prey is clearly within striking distance and then pounce. But it takes a long time to pull this off.
In regards to long-game thinking, this also applies to movies. Consider the above information and that the real money is made on the front end. If I’m a new writer who came out of nowhere, do you think the Hollywood Heavyweights are going to come out and invest in my movie? Probably not.
But why do you think we’re still working so hard to make sure it’s a winner? We know (myself, script writer, Producer) that if we nail it and the subject matter is cool (poker is viewed as incredibly cool by most non-poker players), they will want to invest in the next project that we’re involved in.
Here’s what I’m trying to tell you. We want The Dark Side of the Felt to be a home run. All three of us have put our hearts and souls into it. The primary reason is because we want to tell a great story. For me personally, it’s a legacy thing. And as a writer, I want people to love my stories. We also want The Dark Side of the Felt to be a home run because it leads to future projects, which means we can keep doing what we love, which is tell stories.
In simplest terms, we’re not aiming to make a fortune on the front end on The Dark Side of the Felt (although it could happen). We are aiming to make a fortune on the front end of the second installment if the first one is loved by many. It’s a long-game strategy. Hope you see the parallel. Like I said in my last article, who people are off the felt is who they are on the felt. If you apply this to your poker strategy, you will find it much easier to read your opponents.
I prefer to plan many steps ahead in order to lock up a win. It’s how I stay in the game. Do you really think you need to call a Maniac’s all-in with KJo when you have 20 big blinds just because he’s a Maniac and you’re not sure what he has? That’s how you exit stage left. If you want to stay in the game, play the long game. Wait for a better spot.
I’ll get to the poker now, but all of the above relates to the information below. Keep that in mind. Everything you do: poker, business deals, relationships, etc. relates to people. If you want to win, build as many bridges as possible and make sure you always take care of those bridges.
Once in a while, a bridge will become a hassle and start falling apart. DO NOT repair it! Put TNT under it, blow it to smithereens, and move on. If there was a problem in the past, there will be a problem in the future. Minimize your problems like you minimize your losses in poker games. As you know, minimizing losses in poker is one of the best poker rules for winning.
The Maniac
It’s all going to add up now. You will see why with this question: Would you want to do business with The Maniac? This refers to someone who plays like a maniac at the poker table. If you’re wise, the answer is no. Who would want that kind of headache? It’s only a matter of time before he blows up and ruins his part of the deal due to self-destruction.
I just gave you the answer for how to play against this guy. If you missed the poker strategy here, please read the above paragraph again. If you tried that and you still haven’t figured it out, it means that you need to wait this guy out, especially if you’re playing Texas Hold’em Poker. The Maniac should really be playing faster poker games than Texas Hold’em Poker, but don’t tell him that. Let him blow up and take his chips. Another one of our key poker rules for winning: Wait for them to blow up.
The NIT
Would you want to do business with The NIT? It might not be a bad idea, but it won’t make you rich. If you give him $10,000 to invest, he’s going to aim for a 3% return on a year-over-year basis. If you’re collecting dividends, maybe a little more, but you’re not going to change your lifestyle.
This person (not player) is risk-averse. Load all cannons and aim them at him. Then fire. Again and again. The NIT has no counterattack. You will lose a few hands in the mix, but you’re going to win the vast majority of them if you can isolate this player. And don’t worry about the losses. That’s only going to lead to a false sense of confidence for The NIT. In his mind, he will be saying: This punk thinks he can beat me. Let him keep coming at me. I’ll trap his ass!
Dear Mr. NIT,
I regret to inform you that poker doesn’t work like that. You can’t just wait to set a trap because you’re usually not going to get good cards. Therefore, you must do other things, such as steal blinds, bluff, check-raise, min-raise, check-raise bluff, squeeze, jam the turn, etc.
If you are not comfortable with these circumstances, then I recommend not playing in poker tournaments. Then again, you might have a bunch of min-cashes, which can be seen as exciting. You might not want to listen to me, but one 1st Place finish and a ton of losses is going to be more profitable than a bunch of min-cashes and losses.
I know you’re set in your ways and only play premium poker hands. I’m only trying to help. I also respect your way of life. However, are you truly living? Sorry. Not my place. There is nothing wrong with only playing premium hands, driving in the right lane, listening to classical music, and always putting your napkin on your lapkin. It’s a fine way to live. The excitement overwhelms me. What could be more exciting than looking forward to an exquisite cappuccino in the study after supper?
If you’re a NIT, it’s all good. I play like a NIT sometimes (not really/only faking it as a long-term trap). One thing is for certain: If you’re not good at Texas Hold’em Poker and you don’t really understand anything about poker strategy for tournaments, then be a NIT because you will never get crushed.
The TAG & LAG Players
The TAG player is the toughest player to play against. Some of you might say the LAG player is the toughest to play against because he is more unpredictable, but the LAG player is NOT more unpredictable than the TAG player! That is a myth. Look closer.
The LAG player gets involved in many hands. This means he has to show many hands. Every LAG player is different, but if they’re showing that many hands, you’re consciously and subconsciously registering their patterns. You are constantly gaining information.
The TAG player, on the other hand, rarely has to show his hands. Since he plays fewer hands, you would first assume he’s more predictable, but this is an enormous weapon for the TAG player. If he’s wise, he will once in a while three-bet with a hand like 65. Most of these situations will be folds, but he can minimize his losses.
One of the best poker tips in the world is to minimize your losses as early in the hand as possible. In fact, if you go in with that mentality alone, you’re probably going to win. Not every time, but most of the time. When you smash the flop with 65 after a pre-flop three-bet, you are getting PAIIIIIIIID!
The TAG player has more of an opportunity to fool his opponents than the LAG player. If you’re seeking poker tips with a different kind of thinking, here it is. Want another one that relates to poker strategy for tournaments? Do you really want to scoop massive pots?
As crazy as it sounds, you get paid the most when you begin the hand behind, but this is a whole different topic and a subject for another time. DO NOT try this at this time. If you’re stubborn and you want to test it out anyway, try to make sure your hole cards aren’t similar to the leader’s hole cards.
Another tremendous factor here (I’ve done it many times) is that when you win a hand like this (assuming you don’t bust him), it’s going to put your opponent on tilt. His chips will be gone within an hour (usually 30 minutes). Yes … if you want to get a good player on tilt, call a few of his raises in position with marginal hands. If you hit, he’s toast. He will fall apart/blow up.
Final Thoughts
I’m going to sum up this article with one poker-related thought: “Things aren’t always as they seem, but you should do your best to make sure they appear to be.” See you at the WSOP!
♠ pokerjournal.org
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