allaboutpoker

Hey!!!!

Well, it’s the day before thanksgiving, and I’m having a few brews, sittin’ around playing music and hangin’ with my dog Moon.  He’s a good dog.  He loves fishin’ and swimming, especially swimming!  Can’t keep him out of the water!  He’s filled with doggy goodness!

So in honor of the holiday weekend, I figured I’d go ahead and discuss two of my favorite poker topics, Boozin’ and Schmoozin’.

Boozin’

Alcohol at the poker table is a double edged sword.  Double edged meaning good for them, bad for you!  When I search for a game to play in, I am always watching to see what everyone is drinking, and if anyone is getting drunk or not.  Why? Because people tend to make worse decisions in poker while drinking than they do while sober!  It’s not rocket science here folks, ain’t like I’m some kinda Super-Genius figuring this out all on my own!  Basically I want my opponents to be drinking because I know I’ll make better decisions than they will if they’re not fully concentrating on the game.

Drinking also has another effect on the game, it makes people relax their guard and be more friendly most of the time.  A friendly game is usually a good game.  When people are friendly, they are less aggressive, thus giving you more opportunities for free cards!  Plus you’re going to be facing fewer bets and raises, thus making your decisions generally easier.  After all, it’s better to be the aggressor, and alcohol usually makes people play less aggressively.   This is not an absolute truth though, often times a young male will become more aggressive as he drinks more.  Either way, when alcohol changes the way you’re playing, I have an easier time making decisions against you!

One note about a really drunk game: it may not be as good as you think.  If everybody at the table is drunk, the game might be very slow.  Also, if there are several players at the table who are very drunk and getting very aggressive, it could be a very difficult table to play against, especially if you’re not experienced and don’t know the types of adjustments to make in such a situation.  Finally, an extremely aggressive, drunk game will probably be a roller coaster ride of very large pots, so be prepared to win and lose a lot of money in these games.  A drunken aggressive $3-$6 game will often play more like a $6-$12 game, as far as the stakes and swings go.  Some people seek out these extreme games, but I strongly recommend you don’t until you’re an advanced player, and have the bankroll and stomach for it.

So remember, drinking is good, when it’s your opponents doing it (within reason).

How about yourself?  Well, if you’re intimidated or nervous, a drink or two might be a good way to loosen up.  However, if you have more than this, your decision making skills might deteriorate greatly before you even realize it.  Therefore I recommend you either don’t drink, or drink very little at the poker table.

Schmoozin’

Friendliness is of paramount importance in poker.  A friendly game is usually a good game. People bet less, raise less, and give up more easily.  A table full of sourpusses is likely to be a lousy game, and you should probably quit the game and change tables as soon as possible!  Also, people tend to specifically play less aggressively against people they like.  Thus, it is in your best interest to be liked when you’re at the table.  If everyone hates you, they’ll tighten up and play better against you.

Don’t be too nice though.  Remember, there are no friends at the poker table!  You must bet and raise when appropriate to do so!  Don’t be too nice, and definitely don’t get upset if someone else plays aggressively against you!

Something I consider more important than any of these points at the poker table is this:

Poker is a game, and poker is supposed to be fun.

If you’re not having fun, you should probably quit the game.  Only someone who is trying to play for a living (believing it to be a good game, despite the tension), or doesn’t have the sense to quit, will stay in a game when they’re not having fun.  If you’re not having fun, leave, winner or loser.

In future blogs I’ll discuss “leaving a loser,” aggression, playing against drunks, and other such topics as I’ve touched on here.

PokerGuru

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