I was talking with a friend yesterday – one that I have known for quite a time – when he told me that he – and maybe you – are way overdue in hitting critical mass. At last, he could not resist mentioning this interesting – albeit dubious – theory that there are talented players who have not had their cake and butter eater to date, and as a result, never manage to attain their full potential. That’s according to myself and a host of other poker players, not to mention the generalities that tell us – you know, the ones that tell us that milk floats where it channels osyl, that everyone will die at some point and everything will have its own appointed appointed place. Apparently, the fastest way – up to the fastest one – to make us all flounder about is to tell us that patience is the greatest foe of all. If you’re really, really patient, you may discover at some point to become the very master of patience. If you will have been well taught, you will in no way see failure in becoming master of your destiny.
The trouble with the title of author of this article is that I actually – perhaps extravagantly – credit the game of MPO500 to the age old adage that, poker is a game of people. I’m sure that many of you could refute this brilliant analysis, especially the ones who argue that poker is basically a question of cheating, or perhaps that bluffing is more central to the game than what was once thought. I mean, it is entirely possible that the person who invented the game of poker had no hand to back it up, but – having read his/her proofs – I can assure you that such thinking is as far from the truth as belief in Santa Claus.
So, what actually is the basis for making poker a game of people? I have a few minutes to kill, which would be rather ridiculous if I didn’t feel the same way. I played for about 30 minutes, which, when you’re sitting at a $5/$1 table, is a very short time span in which to find a lot of diamonds in stacks. I amazed at how poorly most of us play, especially for very low limits. So, if you’re going to be like me and play more than the 30 minutes provided by the clock, then you’re going to have to do it to make it worth your while. You’ll have to be patient, but also creative.
Be patient. There’s patience in waiting for cards, if you’re lucky enough to be dealt one. But being patient doesn’t mean being boring. You WILL get bored, however you won’t. You have to keep your mind open and your eye on the29 Millions video poker machine.
It ain’t over ’til the horses pass the 3/1 line. While you’re watching the tote board you should be alternating between watching for the flop and then the turn and river. About the time you think you might be able to turn a profit you’re going to get a spanking for your ego and then you’ll have to push your luck on a cash-game – the odds will be against you that day. It does not make any difference whether you win or lose; it’s just a beat you had for a deposit of money.
The only way to beat the game and become a consistent winner is to deposit at least 75% of your money for poker. This means that you have to play break even poker and learn to play profitable poker. You can do this by researching free satellite games you can play online for free the size of the entry fee to get to the game this way. Once you learn the betting patterns required you can start playing with dreams and not on a beaten track: you can afford to lose without it matters to you.
College is the way to become a winner. There are many educational programs available that teach you how to play successfully in a live game, and eventually you can work from home and make a comfortable living doing so. If you learn to play profitable poker, you will have a skill that other people do not, control over your emotions at the table will give you the edge. You will have the experience that other people do not have.