Poker Articles

As admin, moderator, and operations manager for CardRunners.com, I see this question played out every day with our members and pros.  Obviously, the answer is different for everyone.  In fact, there is no right answer.  We all play for various reasons and motivations, but determining your own reasons why you play can help your game immensely.   Not adjusting your game strategy and game selection to incorporate your reasons can be detrimental to your game.  Ultimately, its about knowing yourself.

The main element that I distill from all the reasons most often given to play poker is ego.  It has many manifestations, but often boils down to our own ego.  The greater we can understand and control that aspect within us all, the better players we can be. 

So how does ego manifest itself in the reasons we play poker?  I break it down into several groups of reasons we play: money, fame, competition, and fun/entertainment.  Your approach to how you play the game would and should be different depending on which combination of factors are important to you.  Players who seek money often learn that cash games are where the most consistent money can be made and gradually build up their multi-tabling skills to maximize their edge.  Players who seek fame generally focus on reaching the finish line associated with MTT's, hoping one day to win the big ones on the WPT and WSOP.  Players who seek competition can find it at all levels and types of game and revel in the skill  and strategy necessary to beat their opponent, no matter what.  The last category makes up the most players; casual players with various motivations, but who all generally see the game as fun and entertainment.

One of the aspects that drew me to CardRunners a year ago (as a member, first) was that the ego of the pros and members seemed to be in check.  These were very successful players who chose not to smack talk at the table, generally.  They were players who won with class.  They remained pretty humble considering the great sums they were winning at the tables, and yet each had the desire to share that knowledge with others.  They recognized that having interests outside of poker---and having some balance in life---was important.  And most importantly, they stressed that the greatest tool to keep your ego in check and prolong your days playing poker was to practice well-disciplined bankroll management.

Getting back to my initial question about why you play poker; is it to bash your opponents into submission?  Is it to be a winner?  Is it to be the last one standing?  Is it to make lots of money or just a little?  Is it to pass the time playing  the latest 'cool' game?  Is it a stress reliever, or perhaps a stress maker?  When you can answer those questions and truly understand your inner motivation, then you can try to plot out achieving your goal in a realistic fashion.   

In my opinion, it is the same element,  our ego, that can contribute to our achievement of these goals or contribute to our failure.  It can drive us to succeed or cause us to play above our roll and tilt away all our hard work.  So how do we harness the good that our ego can provide and avoid the dark side?  The answers have already been mentioned: knowing why you are at the table, having a plan/goal, and playing within your bankroll.  Until you match who you are with what you want from poker, you are bound to struggle.

I will use myself as an example.  There are several reasons I play; fun/entertainment, competition and making some money.  I only started playing poker in my mid 30's as a result of watching it on TV. I've always enjoyed playing cards, competing in sports, and showing something concrete from my efforts.  I am married with kids. I own a business and generally have many responsibilities elsewhere.  While I dreamed early on of making it big, I quickly realized I couldn't be one of the young whiz kids who can devote all their time and energy to being the best possible player, because I had other priorities to balance. 

Now, as operations manager, admin, and moderator of CardRunners, my days are filled with many emails, posts, and problem solving that don't allow a lot of time to play uninterrupted.  Additionally, I have always been financially conservative, so the disciplines of good bankroll management always came easily to me.  After evaluating my situation and priorities, I tried to set goals for myself within poker.  One goal I set was to never have to redeposit ever again.  Another goal was to keep studying and improving my game, which had led me to CardRunners in the first place.  A third goal was wanting the experience of playing poker to remain fun and never become a grind, or work-like.
 
As a result of answering the questions of why I am playing and of setting clear goals, I have found an approach to playing that suits who and what I am.  It is not as flashy or profitable a style as many other players, but I'm okay with that.  I play cash games, as I rarely have the opportunity to play for long blocks of time.  I tend to play a tighter version of the LAG style that CardRunners' successful pros advocate, because I find it more comfortable to minimize the tougher decisions at the lower levels.  I play with a larger bankroll (50X) than necessary, because it gives me comfort when I lose a couple of buyins.  I single table usually, because I have found I focus best that way.  I look to grind out a respectable return and avoid big swings.  Obviously, with this approach, I won't ever be the best or greatest, but I will continue to develop and play profitably, keeping it fun and enjoyable for years to come. 

Through this process I have been able to remove a lot of the destructive force of my ego from the equation and accomplish my goals. I don't find myself playing above my roll.  I don't usually play when tired.  I spend time exhibiting good table selection.  I can accept defeat at the hands of a better or luckier opponent.

Obviously your answers to why you play, what your goals are, and how to accomplish them will be different from mine, but the exercise of asking yourself these questions will further you along that path.  Good luck at the tables.


This article was written by Bill Seibert, AKA Zimba32, who is operations manager for the popular poker instruction site, CardRunners.com.