Poker for Amateurs

Most of you reading this column are never going to play poker for a living. You are amateurs, recreational players, and there is no shame in that. Poker is part of your life but it does not rule your life, and there is no reason for you to expect to compete against the Tigers of the poker world successfully. You want to win, of course, but you don’t have the life resources to devote to developing a professional quality game. You probably have a limited amount of time to work on your poker game, and the time you do have, you’d rather spend playing than studying. Very few of you will every pony up 10 grand for the World Series of Poker championship event, and most of you who might don’t have a realistic expectation of winning.

Enjoying the game and having a little financial success in it is probably as good as you’re going to get, unless you want to devote your life to learning poker. And even if you were to accomplish learning poker at a professional level, you would be faced with the “talking the wife into quitting your job and hitting the road” issue.

So, in an effort to aid the vast majority of poker players, those of you who lack the desire and resources to make poker your life, consider these Roy’s Rules for Recreational Players, so that you can get the most out of poker with the limited resources that you can put into it. No rocket science or fancy math problems are included.

The most important rule is to have fun but respect your money. Don’t get caught up in the action or the emotions of the game. Since you do not have the level of experience of many of your opponents, leaning toward the conservative side of most of your marginal decisions will help you to keep your bankroll intact over the long haul. When the game is not fun anymore, because the players you are playing with are not enjoyable or you have just had enough, quit and go home. Come back when you feel good and can enjoy the game.

Take stock of your strengths and weaknesses: Learn your weaknesses and either strengthen them or stay away from situations that expose them. Stay within your element. Know your strengths! Gravitate to them! Some players do well in tournaments but can’t play a lick in ring games, and vice versa. Do large-ante games serve your game well or are you very tight with your hand selection, making low-ante games more suited to your style? Are you comfortable at the limit you are playing? Some players play better (and enjoy the game more) when the money has meaning to them. Others cannot make good decisions under stress and fall apart when playing above their economic “comfort level.” Stud tends to favor those with good recall skills. Hold’em tends to favor those with good people and logical analysis skills. High-low split games tend to favor those with good math skills. Where do your strengths lie?

Think! Think about your decisions. When you make a play, analyze it afterward. Did it make sense? Did you bet it right? Did you get full value out of your hand? Could you have played it better? Learn and grow with practice … some people never do! They play year after year and never learn a thing, because they never try to! Watch other players. Learn from what you think they do right and also from what they do wrong. Set goals for yourself in regard to growth of your game. Make a plan of where you want to go with your game, and what you desire poker to be in your life — and be realistic. If you would be happy making an extra $12,000 a year playing $5-$10 as a hobby, make that your goal! If you want to subsidize an early retirement in three years, plan for it!

Read poker literature: The fact that you are reading this magazine is a good sign. There are many gaming outlets that sell poker books, and you’ll find many of them advertised in Card Player. Many bright guys have written poker books. When you find a book, don’t just read it, study it until you can actualize the plays in it.

Accept adversity: Realize that poker is not an exact science, that you will make mistakes, that dealers will turn the wrong card, and that people will outplay you at times. Make peace with yourself when bad events happen. It will make for a happier you and a more fun game, and will make you a better poker player.

Put forth your best effort: It is easy to give up mentally and lose focus when things are not going your way. We all have bad days mentally. (For some of us, they can go on for weeks.) If you are not playing a good game, come back another time when you can.

Get your ego involved: I am not saying that you should possess a false arrogance, but I am saying that you should take pride in your ability, recognizing it for what it is within the reasonable expectations of your lifestyle. Always play with confidence. Don’t lose faith in yourself.

Thanks largely to Jim, I’m finally breaking bogey in golf. Now, I lose by only 15 strokes to my best golfing buddy. I’ll never make the Senior PGA Tour, although I fantasize about it, but I am enjoying the game, and that is what is most important to me. Find that same place within yourself for poker. Come to terms with the place the game has in your life, your realistic abilities, and the time you have to commit to the game. And, hey, if you decide to take up golf, I can give you Jim’s phone number.


Roy Cooke played winning professional poker for more than 16 years. He is a successful real estate broker/salesperson in Las Vegas — please see his ad below. If you would like to ask Roy poker-related questions, you may do so online at www.UnitedPokerForum.com.

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