So you've read all the books by Phil Hellmuth, Doyle Brunson and the other big time poker players and you're still losing. You've memorized starting hand charts and calculated pot odds until your brain can't hold any more and you're still losing. You've watched hours of.... Well, you get the idea, you're STILL losing! So, why, if you go to the table armed with all the background and information you've gathered does it seem you can't crack the nut and start winning consistently? You've seen guys on TV that, if you met them, you'd have to dumb down everything you say just to talk to them. And they show up again and again, coming out on top and walking away with big money. So why aren't you?
The biggest problem most people have is trying to over analyze every move they make. Yes, pot odds and starting hands can be helpful tools, but poker isn't an exact science. If it was, nobody would EVER beat Chris "Jesus" Ferguson. Ferguson is, most likely, the greatest math mind to ever sit at a poker table and he has the titles and bank account to prove it, but he does get beat. His math skills definitely give him a huge advantage over the average player, but A + B doesn't always equal a big pot.
Loosen up a little. I don't mean that you should play wildly and throw money at the pot hoping to get lucky. I mean that using a poker strategy, any strategy, exclusively can be disastrous. There are thousands of poker strategies out there and most of them are good. But if you grab on to one strategy and use it without changing, it will eventually fail you. Being predictable at a Texas Hold'em table is like playing every hand with your cards face up on the table. You have to be able to change it up and keep your opponents guessing.
For instance, if I'm playing a single table Sit-N-Go I like to start off playing very tight. Of course, if I'm dealt a killer hand that connects on the flop, I'll play it. But during the early stages of the game I want to fold so many hands that the other players don't even consider me a part of the game. Later, when I start jumping into the pots with good sized raises, they will be convinced that Mr. Squeaky must have the nuts, even if I'm playing garbage. This usually works online where the chances of running into someone I've played before are slim and none. However, in a home game with the same players every time, this will only work once, maybe twice.
When sitting down at any table you have to go through your mental list of Texas Hold'em strategies and pull out three or four, depending on the situation. Approaching a home game is different from approaching a tournament or an online game or any other game. Every situation calls for a different strategy and not just one. You have to stay fluid, keeping the other players unable to put you on any hand.
The biggest problem most people have is trying to over analyze every move they make. Yes, pot odds and starting hands can be helpful tools, but poker isn't an exact science. If it was, nobody would EVER beat Chris "Jesus" Ferguson. Ferguson is, most likely, the greatest math mind to ever sit at a poker table and he has the titles and bank account to prove it, but he does get beat. His math skills definitely give him a huge advantage over the average player, but A + B doesn't always equal a big pot.
Loosen up a little. I don't mean that you should play wildly and throw money at the pot hoping to get lucky. I mean that using a poker strategy, any strategy, exclusively can be disastrous. There are thousands of poker strategies out there and most of them are good. But if you grab on to one strategy and use it without changing, it will eventually fail you. Being predictable at a Texas Hold'em table is like playing every hand with your cards face up on the table. You have to be able to change it up and keep your opponents guessing.
For instance, if I'm playing a single table Sit-N-Go I like to start off playing very tight. Of course, if I'm dealt a killer hand that connects on the flop, I'll play it. But during the early stages of the game I want to fold so many hands that the other players don't even consider me a part of the game. Later, when I start jumping into the pots with good sized raises, they will be convinced that Mr. Squeaky must have the nuts, even if I'm playing garbage. This usually works online where the chances of running into someone I've played before are slim and none. However, in a home game with the same players every time, this will only work once, maybe twice.
When sitting down at any table you have to go through your mental list of Texas Hold'em strategies and pull out three or four, depending on the situation. Approaching a home game is different from approaching a tournament or an online game or any other game. Every situation calls for a different strategy and not just one. You have to stay fluid, keeping the other players unable to put you on any hand.
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