Evolution

Distributed By Wise Hand Poker, Dec 2007

Today’s no-limit hold’em games are much tougher than they were five years ago. And with so much easily accessible poker information, they will only get tougher.

Straightforward ABC Poker to NASCAR Poker

A few years ago, straightforward tight-aggressive poker took home the money in games featuring predominantly loose and passive players. You could be a very successful player without ever having to change gears. Today, ABC hit-to-win poker will work in some games, but surviving in poker’s continually evolving playing conditions requires flexibility and open-mindedness. You need:

· An understanding of the underlying theory
· The ability to read and adapt to your opponents
· A willingness to think outside the box

Hand guidelines and strict playing algorithms are meaningless. So are blanket generalizations such as “raise to three big blinds if you’re the first one in the pot.” You really need to dig deeper and think about your opponents’ hand and action distributions. Also realize that poker isn’t just about the cards. You need to shift gears like a NASCAR driver and do whatever’s most profitable in the particular circumstances you find yourself in.

Screw the Pundits!

Suppose you’re playing no-limit hold’em. A raiser on a wide distribution will fold everything except AA and KK to a 3-bet, and action folds to you in the big blind. A 3-bet is profitable in the long-term regardless of your cards because of the huge fold equity you have. Thus, you reraise with K2s, treating it pretty much as a one shot bluff preflop.

Your opponent calls your 3-bet, you flop quad 2’s and stackalack your opponent who’s holding AA. The table sees your K2s, and your opponents, incapable of higher level thought, scoff. They all comment about how overvaluing suited kings will cost you in the long run. But guess what? You don’t need the respect and acceptance these or any players. Let the nitty pundits coddle themselves to financial ruin.

Never allow your opponents’ words to change how you think about the game. But always be aware of your table image and the adjustments your opponents are making in response to it. After all, reading and opponent and having the willingness to make adjustments against that opponent are two different things.

Flexibility and Open-Mindedness are Key

Successful ABC players of the past are today’s poker dinosaurs. To avoid extinction yourself, stay flexible. Take in advice from as many different sources as possible. Question the validity of traditionally accepted ideas just as much as you question the validity of wildly radical ideas. Continually think about all the angles, and your game will be like a fine wine that gets better with time!