Poker Articles

As we challenge ourselves, we invariably run across those who wish to share their wisdom with us, usually with good intent,  whether it be because we made a play they thought was bad, they think they made a great play, or they just want to discuss the game we all love.  We see it consistently on the virtual felt, on TV, and in our forum!  

Not every piece of information out there is sound advice, however.  Many of these tidbits of information are actually tidbits of MISinformation, and some of this misinformation has spread its way around the tables so much that it's nearly universally accepted!

Here are many examples of what's floating around out there that isn't always true!

MYTH:  Tight players are good players, and loose players are fish.

Tight isn't always right, and if you blindly respect a player who plays very few flops, or ignore a loose player's raise, you might be making a mistake!  The best players out there today are TAG and LAG, and they can switch between the two styles seamlessly.  The common denominator there is aggressiveness, and the players to respect and watch for are those who exhibit aggressiveness but seem to show down good hands much of the time they are looked up.

MYTH: The best players get all of their chips in the middle while ahead a great majority of the time. 

The truth is that if you are ahead more than 80% of the time when all the chips are in the middle, you are likely playing too tight.  The very best players pick up pot after pot, and those pots pay for those unfortunate times when they are looked up by  someone with the goods.

MYTH: Luck is responsible for your losing streak.

Many players give themselves all of the credit when they are winning but blame bad luck when they aren't.  Fact of the matter is, winning and losing are both a mixture of skill, decision making, and short-term luck.  When analyzing your results, don't forget that positive variance comes as frequently as negative variance.

MYTH: You can "play through" tilt.

If you aren't in the right state of mind, you should quit until you are, if at all possible.  This is where bankrolls are lost.  The time to stop playing is exactly when you are playing well, but one more beat will send you over the edge.  Since that time can never be determined, most players are well served to use a stop-loss, which is a daily loss limit, or take a break after a few good hands don't hold up.

MYTH: You can succeed by moving up levels to avoid "bad" players who call anything.

There are exactly zero people alive capable of beating a level that can't beat the level below that level that they are beating!  If you are unable to adjust to the mistakes of poor players, you have no hope in the sea of sharks that awaits you as you move up.

MYTH: Your "tournament life" has value.

Passing up a +EV situation in a tournament to look for a better spot, when you have more than 1-2% edge, is a severe mistake.  Any benefit you get from surviving now is more than negated by the chance you will lose later because you didn't take that opportunity to double up.

MYTH: It is never correct to play to "make the money" in a MTT or SNG, and always correct to play to win.

This one is usually true, but there are a few glaring exceptions.  In a SNG, with four players left, and a second-place stack, you need to be aware of ICM (Independent Chip Modeling) situations where making a play that gains you chips may be a play that loses you money!  Some spots arise, mostly all in call/fold decisions, where you should play tighter, even though you think you are most likely ahead in the hand.  In MTTs, when you are one or two spots from the money and very very shortstacked (say, 300 chips where the average is 10,000), playing to cash is often most profitable!

MYTH: Good players should forego small edges early in a MTT/SNG because they can usually find better spots to get their money in later.

The player that can find these spots later on can also usually play a larger chipstack with more ability and assertiveness.  Your superstack will invariably clash with another superstack after doubling, and in THAT confrontation, the better player will likely win all the chips.  Also, in these situations, any edge you have in your current tourney/SNG is negated by the fact that you have the very same skill edge if you have to start a new one because you lost!

MYTH: You should never bluff at the low limit games, because those players never fold.

Orphan pot?  Take a shot!  The lower the level you are playing, the easier it is to read the players left in the hand, and the more predictable they are!  Read em, then make 'em weep when they have a hand that isn't quite even mediocre.  They are probably not able to decipher your cards and the story you are telling, making your bluff more likely to succeed than against the player who can see the big picture and get a more accurate read of the range of hands you may have.

MYTH: You should raise the same amount preflop every time, to disguise your hand strength.

Your optimal raise preflop can be altered by a lot of table conditions.  Most notably, the number of limpers in a pot, the vulnerability of your hand, the deepness of the stacks in relation to the blinds, whether you are playing from the button or the blinds, and the size of the pot you are looking to play!

MYTH: Making a raise that might pot-commit you if reraised is bad.

The best players are picking up pots that noone wants, ending up in 100%-0% situations after their opponents fold.  The converse is also true.  Those 0%-100% situations where you raise a hand and have to fold later in the same betting round are those that are better to avoid.  While being pot committed, in totality, didn't work out quite right, the final decision you make in that hand, calling because you are committed, is +EV.

MYTH: You should never go allin on a draw.

While I certainly don't advocate shoving all your chips to the middle every time you have a draw, some draws are favorites, and in those situations, it's often best to avoid a spot where you may have to fold on the turn, when your draw becomes half as strong and your odds aren't as good.  Often times, it is correct to shove if your read on your opponent is reliable, that read being that he is only semi-strong, and the chance you will win the hand combined with your fold equity presents a +EV situation.  Your draws act as insurance if your opponent calls.

MYTH: Chasing is bad.

While often it IS bad to chase, if your opponent can't fold a second-best hand or if the implied odds dictate your draw could be very profitable if you hit, chase away!

MYTH: When someone is allin, it is always correct strategy for the remaining players to check it down.

There is a play out there that advocates this, and Harrington dubs it "The Co-Operation Play" in his famous books.  However, there are several times this play is bad strategy.  Most notably when your hand is strong but vulnerable (say, A8 on a 8 7 6 board), or if your hand is weak, but may very well beat many hands in the player who is allin's range.  If your chances at the main pot improve dramatically by making a bet, you are nearly always correct to bet.  After all, your chip stack is always top priority, miles more important than the elimination of a single player.

MYTH: Shoving allin before the flop, early in a tournament or SNG is always a bad play.

While making such a strong play isn't usually the optimal method for chip-building, making such a strong reraise, especially in the lower limits, can help to ensure a sizable pot!

MYTH: Small blinds aren't worth stealing.

Risking 60 to win 30 is the same as risking 2000 to win 1000, though on a much smaller scale.  I often get asked what level to turn up the heat in a SNG or MTT, and the answer isn't a level, but rather your position in relation to the blinds.

MYTH: You should never show your cards under any circumstances.

While you should tread very lightly with this one, a few main reasons to show your cards are when you feel you have made an awful play that is contrary to your normal style, or when you are planning a swift gear-switch from loose to tight and are bluffing, and when you are sure you can tilt a player with a show. 

MYTH: Playing two tables instead of one eliminates boredom, and therefore can be profitable.

Even most players who are successful lose a bit of equity when playing two tables, because they see less.  Those who become bored with one table aren't far off from being bored with two, and are likely to start playing bad hands on two tables instead of one, and finding ways to distract their attention, costing themselves the advantage of paying attention on not one, but two tables!

MYTH: Calling an allin when you know you are behind is always bad.

If you are behind in a hand, but the pot odds are favorable, it is better to call than to fold!
Here's the math equation:  If your chances of winning the hand are better than your call divided by what the pot will be, you are correct to call.  Therefore, it is often possible to have only a 40% chance to win the pot, but since you are getting 2-1 odds, taking the chance is advisable!

MYTH: Playing with money that "matters" increases your chances of winning.

Often times, playing with money that you can't afford to lose will cause you to incorrectly err on the side of caution or affect your mental state after the game, causing you to play poorly for the rest of the day.  If you are going to take a "shot," be sure you are well-rested, have a good reason to challenge yourself, you are willing to make a courageous play no matter the result, and you are prepared to call it quits for the day if things don't go your way.



Next time you hear a piece of advice at the tables, beware!  Don't fall victim to common knowledge that isn't good knowledge!

I hope you all enjoyed it!

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