Strategies – The Reality
Poker might seem like a game played merely for fun. There are very few who actually think about a game after it is over – fewer still who analyze what and where they have gone wrong in case they lose. In case a person wins a poker game using a ploy that he has never used before, it would make more sense using the ploy again only when you understand what circumstances forced you to use the tactic in the first place. A player who doesn’t understand his strengths can never master Poker, or any other game for that matter. There are rare instances when people have actually got to the root cause of a flaw in their game play. There are people who actually read the reason wrong and apply a solution that doesn’t really belong there. Players tend to skim the surface of a flaw and misinterpret the basic nature of the problem. The solution they have devised might work at times. However, a wrong solution is wrong and eventually, the pack of flimsy cards will collapse.
Most of you would have come across players who dole out stories of how they applied a strategy to win. For the untrained ear, these strategies might sound foolproof. However, a skilled poker player would take no time in discovering that these strategies are wrong in the first place. These are mistakes committed by players who don’t realize it. There are players that check the flop in order to check-raise. Now, instead of analyzing the failure of a misinterpreted strategy, they need to understand what the fundamental flaw in the tactic is. They have to get to the root of the wrong tactic to find out what is actually wrong. This is what separates good players from the mediocre ones. If you pay more attention, you would notice that the flaw is not with the subject or perhaps not with the strategy either. A careful analysis would lead you to a revelation that the player had committed serious blunders earlier on which had eventually led to the failure of the strategy. Remember to analyze the problem objectively.
It is always essential that you study your game play closely. Understand what your weaknesses are and identify the areas where you consistently go wrong. Quite often, it has been observed that players use the right strategy and make the right moves, yet do not win. What they have failed to see is that they have just used the strategy without understanding the purpose behind it. Strategies need to be modified and altered to suit a situation. Remember, a strategy is used to leverage a situation. You should not create a situation to use the strategy, which is one of the major reasons for failure in Poker.
For new poker players who might have tasted success, tactics like table selection, starting hands and other strategies might appear as the most important ‘dos’ in Poker. However, they fail to understand that these strategies might win you a few games, but may not help you achieve consistency in winning long-term. It is good to take risks, however know your limits and play accordingly. A player always needs to maintain self-control. There are basic things that people teach you while playing poker. You might have been told that you should never exceed your bankroll. You would also have learnt that 72o is not a hand you should be playing in Hold’em. Despite all the learning, if you still do it, there is no way you are going to improve.
All strategies have been made with a purpose in mind. If you do not use them wisely and apply them randomly to any situation, you are no better than a rookie who has just started his poker career. The first thing that is taught in the school of poker is self-control and you must abide by it.
