The Commuting Factor

By Nolan Dalla

(All Rights Reserved)

Introduction:
One important factor rarely addressed by poker theorists is the commuting distance we all must travel getting to the cardroom. I view this as a critical oversight. Whether you fly 3,000 miles and arrive on an airplane, drive an hour through rush hour traffic, or walk two blocks to get to the nearest poker game, "the commuting factor" has a profound impact on many games.

If you don't believe geography has a significant impact on your game -- both from a personal standpoint as well as in evaluating your opponents' abilities and thought processes -- then think again.

What is "The Commuting Factor?"
When we speak of "commuting," we are talking about the time, distance, and amount of effort it takes getting to the game.

• Did the person next to you work all day long, then battle rush hour traffic before arriving at tonight's game? If so....how might that affect his table decisions? Will he play aggressively, or will he wait for the best hand to make a bet?
• Did the player across from you just return from his hotel room upstairs after a lengthy nap and is now feeling fresh and alive at the poker table? How might he approach this poker session under the circumstances?
• Is the person at your side the typical "tourist" who just came to the casino to gamble it up and have a good time? How can you use this information to your advantage?
• Does the player across from you live three blocks from the poker room and play here every single day? If so...what might it mean when he bets or check-raises?

And what about you? How much physical and mental energy did YOU burn up getting to the game? As you can see already -- geography, or the commuting factor, plays a role in almost every poker game.

The Three Poker Player Sub-Categories:
Essentially there are three types of poker players found in most cardrooms today. They are as follows:

1. Locals -- Players who play frequently in the same cardroom over an extended period of time. These players spend minimal time commuting.
2. Intermittent Players -- Players who may play regularly in the cardroom, but not on a daily basis. They also may appear sporadically in different cardrooms, but are commonly seen during predictable periods, such as weekends and holidays. These players spend variable amounts of time and energy commuting.
3. Tourists -- One time drop-in players, usually visiting the cardroom infrequently or playing perhaps the very first time. These players usually spend greatest amounts of time and energy commuting.

The Invisible Time Clock,
and How it Gives Locals an Advantage
Players who visit the poker room infrequently are usually not accustomed to the distracting influences within a gambling environment. The most common behavioral problem for many tourists seems to be impatience and a lack of personal discipline. They often allow an invisible time clock to take control of their behavior -- so much so, that they may feel pressure to perform within limited parameters.

For example, many tourists (and intermittent players to a lesser extent) adhere to a mentality that -- to use a prime example often seen in Las Vegas -- because their flight is leaving in six hours or it's Sunday night and there's only an hour before it's time to leave (or whatever the terminating influence on the game may be) -- they've got to get back even! And, they have only a short time to do so!.

Locals do not feel this type of pressure. For locals, the game will be there the next hour, the next day, and the next week after that. This is why you often see locals playing much tighter (on average) than tourists and intermittent players who usually seem more in the gambling spirit.

On this subject, 1978 World Champion, Bobby "the Owl" Baldwin wrote (in Winning Poker Secrets):

Deadlines tend to be so psychologically devastating to unskilled players who are losing, that many pros have devised strategies to take advantage of this fact. As the losing player is faced with the termination of the game, he tries desperately to get even. He plays recklessly. Usually, he loses a lot more than he should in his futile attempt to recover in a short time.

Translation: If you see a player or group of players who are pressed for time or may be leaving soon (particularly in Las Vegas, Atlantic City, or other tourist havens) and they are sitting in a poker game, that could be an excellent opportunity to win money.

The bottom line is -- time should have no bearing on our table decisions whatsoever! Whether we have ten hours of playing ahead of us or ten minutes, the proper poker decisions are almost always the same -- totally irrelevant to time considerations (unless we are taking advantage of an opponent's known vulnerability to time pressures). Yet, how many times do you hear the line, "Since this is the last hand of the night, I call." Or, "This is the final round, so I am going to get my money in and try to get even." It happens all the time.

Locals Versus Tourists
It is generally accepted that players who live closer to cardrooms have advantages over players who must commute longer distances. From a fatigue standpoint alone this point seems obvious. A player who has arrived off an airplane, or has driven three hours is not going to be as fresh and alert as the player who drove ten minutes to the cardroom. That's a fact.

Compared to tourists, locals enjoy the added benefit of knowing where the best games can be found and usually have knowledge about patterns of play by other regular players. Conversely, tourists view all opponents as strange faces. They have no idea, for example, that the player in the three seat is a chronic bluffer or the player in the five seat is a rock that only plays the nuts. In this case, the advantages to being a local are obvious.

Indeed, long term poker success may depend on one's proximity to the nearest cardroom. It's hard to become a good player, and impossible to become a great poker player, unless you play poker regularly (Note: With poker now played online, this may be changing). Having several games from which to chose gives certain players distinct advantages over other players who have fewer game options.

Players who live in remote areas (and by this I mean away from multiple cardrooms) are unable to enjoy the benefits of good game selection. In other words, players who live in areas where there is a greater quantity of poker games generally have better opportunities to: (1) make money, and (2) improve their skills (and thus make even more money in the long run).

Why is This So?
After all, isn't it possible for a player who plays exclusively at an isolated cardroom in a remote area to be a winning poker player? The answer is clearly -- yes. If you have a higher degree of skill than your opponents, you will generally be a favorite in any game. Some players make money in places not commonly thought of as poker enclaves -- regions where there are few, if any, legal cardrooms.

Years ago, Texas and the Deep South were prime examples of this. Back in the 1950s and 1960s some of the most profitable poker games in the world were to be found there. Even today. regions limited to private and underground games routinely produce world-class talent. For instance, North Carolina and Ohio (states where no legal poker exists) have produced some excellent poker players in recent years.

Am I implying that players who do not live in poker rich regions are at a disadvantage when they play? Yes and no. First, just because you do not live where poker is legal does not mean you cannot be a winning poker player. Tournament champions routinely include the names of players from cities and states where no legalized gambling exists. But as an infrequent visitor, you must try and use what would seemingly be a "disadvantage" and turn it around into an advantage for you. Let's address these advantages and disadvantages -- and how you can counter the negatives:

For Local Players (Regulars):

Advantages --

• Familiarity with local customs and playing conditions
• First-hand knowledge about other regular players and their playing habits
• Able to identify the good games from the bad games based on quick review of the players at the table
• Freedom to play poker at any time of day or night, or day of the week
• Shorter commuting distance (less fatigue) (Possible) preferential treatment by floor and seating coordinators

Disadvantages --

• Opponents become familiar with your habits and playing style
• Tendency to become complacent
• Unwarranted biases against unfamiliar players and a general tendency to underestimate their abilities
• When running badly, other locals will surely notice and may take advantage
• Closer proximity to cardroom means more discipline and money management is necessary

Recommendations --

• Look for tables with known weak players
• Keep accurate records of days of the week and times that you play, along with detailed financial records, in order to learn when the best playing conditions exist
• Alter your playing style occasionally -- especially against other regulars (good players)
• Visit other cardrooms and master as many games as possible -- in order to have more profitable choices
• When running bad, take a break from the game (or change venues)
• Exercise sound money management

For Intermittent Players:

Advantages --

• Some familiarity with local customs and playing conditions
• Some knowledge about other regular players and their playing habits
• Some ability to identify the good games from the bad games based on quick review of the players at the table
• Freedom to play poker semi-regularly
• Time away from poker allows for reflection and educational opportunities

Disadvantages --

• Irregular playing activity may hinder opportunity to improve skills
• Running badly tends to be more psychologically devastating, since the losing cycle may seem more lengthy than it is -- as strings of infrequent play may run into the weeks or months
• When running badly, locals (and occasional players) may notice and take advantage

Recommendations --

• Look for tables with known weak players
• Keep accurate records of days of the week and times that you play, along with detailed financial records, in order to learn when the best playing conditions exist
• Visit different cardrooms and master different games so you can practice optimal game selection
• When away from poker, study and think about the game
• Use the commuting time constructively to reflect and develop new ideas and strategies

For Tourists:

Advantages --

• Opponents will very likely underestimate your poker abilities
• Opponents do not know your playing style or habits
• When running bad, you will eventually be forced to leave the game and return home (giving you a built-in stop loss)
• Opportunity to play in disproportionally higher-stakes games because funds are normally replaceable

Disadvantages --

• Unfamiliar with local customs and playing conditions
• No first-hand knowledge about the strengths and weaknesses of regular players
• Longer commuting distance (and associated fatigue factors)
• Greater difficulty practicing good table selection, because of a lack of local conditions

Recommendations --

• Play when you feel rested (not jet-lagged)
• Think of yourself as the "stealth" poker player. No one knows anything about you, which give you some advantages
• If you are in town for a specific period of time, break down your bankroll into several sessions (however many you intend to play) so you will not go bust in one long session
• Look for games with other "tourists" -- where there is laughter, table chatter, and drinking (alcohol). Avoid quiet, serious games
• Use extended periods away from poker to improve your skills
• Always play your best game -- no matter how much time you have left to play

A few final thoughts:
While not everyone has the luxury of picking and choosing from among dozens of juicy games in multiple poker establishments -- in order to develop into your full potential as a poker player you must be willing to expose yourself to different circumstances. That means new games, new faces, and new playing situations.

That also means occasionally playing in strange cardrooms, or making regular excursions to poker epicenters -- such as Las Vegas or Los Angeles. It might mean making a trip to London if you are a pot limit player. Or, it may mean playing at Foxwoods or Atlantic City if you want to improve your 7-card stud game.

Every player's path to poker success is a different avenue, and takes different turns, and includes various destinations. In a sense, we are all commuters of one kind or another on the path to poker excellence.

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This article was published at an earlier date on PokerPages.com and is being rerun due to popular demand.