Poker Articles

Everyone who is successful at poker has at one point or another discussed poker with another player or asked for help from them. One of the most common questions or topics discussed among poker players or in a forum is, “How can I get better.”  Most of the times, issues such as aggression, position, patience, knowing your opponent, and good bank roll management skills are discussed. 

When a player who claims to be a serious about poker asks me, “How can I get better,” strategy is not the first thing I like to discuss.  I tell them "Environment, Environment, Environment!" The environment in which someone plays online poker is just as important as knowing their opponents or their understanding of position.

Webster defines environment as: the circumstances, objects, or conditions by which one is surrounded.  For example, think about what is going on around you when you are playing poker.  If you are a college student, are you in a dorm or apartment where there is constant partying and drinking around you while you are playing online poker?  I myself was in one of those environments for 2 years, and while I had a blast at college, I was certainly not winning at poker.  The two situations need to be separated. 

Once I was nearly done with school, I moved back home, and that is when I truly became a winning player.  Without a doubt my game had improved over time, and I believe having the professional/work environment has helped me become a winning player.  The same is most likely true if you have to watch your young kids while you are playing online poker.  I can’t speak from experience, but I can’t imagine keeping an eye on your kids and all of the games you are playing is a productive way to win at poker.

Sitting at a desk with a desktop computer with dual monitors is the way to go.  Get yourself a nice desk and find a good place to put it.  The ideal place would be a room or area you can treat like an office.  Buy yourself a nice, comfortable leather chair.  Don’t be cheap; buy a good one where you will be very comfortable. 

However, you don’t want to be too comfortable while you are playing.  I have not had a lot of success while playing on a couch or bed with a laptop.  I get too relaxed or laid back, and I don’t always make the best decisions possible.  I also have a friend from my home state on P5s (who will remain nameless), who would be able to feed a small country with the tourney buy-ins and potential winnings he has lost by falling asleep late during a tourney.  While I was in Vegas this summer, I did not have my normal setup, and I played on my laptop either on the couch or table of the house.  I lost during this time, and while it could be a bad run of variance, the environment did not feel right to me. 

I am not suggesting that if you are a great player and you lay on a couch with a laptop, you will lose, nor am I suggesting sitting at a desk in a good environment is going to make a bad player a winning one.  However, this has worked for me and 100% has improved my game and my overall approach to treating poker like a job.  The important thing is finding a situation where you feel comfortable and will not be bothered.  Poker is a game where it is essential to make the best decisions possible, and playing in a good environment will guarantee you are able to use your poker skills to reach the best possible conclusions.