Poker Articles

ARTY'S POKER Q & A
By Art Santella

I'll play "go fish", if it will get me into the action faster.

Are you bored waiting around for a seat in a bigger game? Do you ever get the feeling that you have to play, and play now, this instant? You know the feeling, you will play "Go Fish", if it is only game with a seat open. I have seen many people, that are regular players, some of them close friends who practically live next door to a poker room, and they will still rush to do this. It's like they only play 12 hours a day 7 days a week but still can't wait to sit in any game at almost any limit, just to get into the action. I have also seen others who would wait two hours to get into their selected game or level. These people are patient and have the discipline to wait. Just thinking about it might make you wonder if this is not a good trait to have in poker. If they have the discipline and patience to wait, they most likely utilize the same factors in their game.

Question

I am struck by something people are always doing. While waiting for a 15/30 game they will play for several hours in a 1-5 stud or a 3/6 hold'em game, I never do this. I find that it tends to drain energy that I will need for the game I had originally intended to play. The other reason I will not play at a lower level game is because of the disproportionate rake compared to the stakes. I find that waiting for the game I am interested in, is in the long run, more profitable and less frustrating. The transition between games and stakes can also affect your mindset. Therefore, I am curious, why do people do it, and can it have any effect on their game?

Opinion 1

If I plan on playing longer than 6 hours, I never play any game other than my target game. I never play longer than 10 hours anymore, unless other factors such as the game being too good to leave, forces me to stay. I think that almost every poker player overrates his or her own ability to play optimally for longer periods of time. Even those who realize that their skill level slips downhill with passage of hours played, tend to not correctly assess how quickly this slippage can occur, and how dramatically negative the effect can be on you when you finally do get into your mid or high limit game.

Opinion 2

I don't get to play as often as I would like. When I get to a poker destination on vacation, I have only a limited amount of time to play. I don't want to waste any of it. As a result, I cannot stand waiting around in the poker room for a seat. I will play up or down in limits while waiting for my preferred mid-limit game. If you are a winning player you can win at other limits. You must just adjust to the game conditions and limits you have decided to play in.

Opinion 3

I use the time in the low-limit games as a warm-up, not unlike an athlete's preparation. If I can muck my small blind at 3/6, when there is no raise, and seven people are in the pot, I know I am in the proper, patient mindset to do well at $20/40. I have total respect for all money and all players in all games. I don't turn my nose up at the lower limits. Poker is poker. There is something wrong with the reasoning of some high limit players who claim that the low-limit games are unbeatable because everyone chases.

Opinion 4

When I play it's usually at one of the very large cardrooms in my area. When I cannot get an immediate seat in my desired game I will play one limit up, or any game down in limit. I feel that gaining a little proficiency in other games helps in my favored game. In general, understanding a variety of games tends to make you a better player at any one of them. This includes different limits of the same game. With respect to fatigue, I usually go to play for a certain amount of time. Sitting in a game, or standing at the rail does not change the time I planned to depart, but I do find nothing as tiring as standing at the rail, watching others play.

Arty's Opinion

I love poker, and I sometimes rather play and just break even rather than stand around doing nothing. The problem is that playing just to get into the action even if you break even, is not good practice. It can fatigue you, aggravate you, and even put you on tilt. I don't need the aggravation of playing at a level where the players will play any two cards. Many enjoy this type of game, but I much rather save my mental and physical strength for the limits I prefer to play in. I might also add that after a year or two of playing the mid-limits (15/30, 20/40) you will find that the players are essentially the same bunch. Usually when sitting down at a nine handed table there might be one or two players that you may not have played with on previous occasions. After four or five years its unlikely to find a player you have not played with before. If you are lucky enough to live in an area that supports a large turnover of tourists you may be able to disregard the previous statement to some extent. If you are lucky enough to live close to a casino cardroom it's no problem, but if you have to drive three or four hours, or fly to the nearest poker room, the temptation to play as much as possible is very strong and difficult to overcome. If you happen to be running bad at 3/6 it may screw you up mentally for your mid limit play, to some extent, and the dangerous part is that you may not even realize it. I prefer to just sit and relax while watching the players in the games at the limit I am interested in, and try to gain some information that I can find helpful to use later. "Haste can really make waste."

"If You Ain't The Lead Dog, The Scenery Never Changes"

Now go win money.

Questions & Feedback to: arty@optonline.net