Most poker players, like most people, don’t understand different. If it isn’t what we are used to and comfortable with, then something must be wrong with it. With the boom of online poker and online poker communities, the evolution of the game has increased exponentially. Players can quickly and effectively improve in a very short period of time by studying, reading, discussing, questioning, and probably most importantly, playing a tremendous number of hands in a relatively short period of time.

What has evolved is a generally accepted form of play and often it is easy to fall into this style without really understanding why you are doing it. It’s even easier to assume that anyone who isn’t playing like you is a bad player or making mistakes. A lot of times they are and sometimes they are not. If you want to be an average, breakeven player, then following the herd may work for you. But who really puts in the time and effort it takes to be good at poker just to be an average player?

Phil Hellmuth just won his 13th bracelet by taking down the WSOP Europe Main Event. I am not a Hellmuth fan and don’t care for his demeanor and attitude, which I often preach against in my articles and to any up-and-coming player who asks me for advice. Not only do I not care for his antics, I also question some of the play I see from him. Many others go beyond that, calling him horrible and saying the game has passed him by.

Right now, of the thousands of players who entered WSOP events this year, Hellmuth is the leader in the Player of the Year race. So say what you want about him in other forms of poker, but in tournaments, he is, and has been, doing something right that almost none of us can understand or duplicate. It is a combination of image, personality, and timing that is baffling to many.

I’m definitely not going to start acting like Hellmuth (pictured). I’m not even going to alter my playing style in any way to reflect his. What I am going to do is make sure I force myself to stop thinking that anyone who plays differently than I do is inherently a bad or less developed player. I’m going to stop attributing their success to luck. I’m not going to waste any of my time verbalizing or even thinking internally about beats they may put on me or someone else.

What I am going to do is try to figure out how it is possible that what they are doing is working for them. Some level of understanding will improve my game and give me the information I need to be able to combat what this player is doing. And while I won’t copycat a style of play without being able to explain why it would work, I will implement strategies and techniques once I have my head around the “what” and the “why.”

A key factor in the success of players whose styles that seem to buck up against the norm is their understanding that all of their opponents aren’t playing like they are. Starting with a blank slate on your opponents allows you to adapt your game to them instead of starting from the assumption that there is a certain way you “should” play and developing your game to combat how you think someone ought to be playing.

Successful players with out-of-the-ordinary styles have a knack for understanding and exploiting their opponents that is often lost on the average, by-the-book player.

Read, study, and understand generally accepted strategies. At the same time, be open to constantly adapting your style to the game around you and don’t get caught up in what other players are supposed to do. Instead, focus on what they are doing and find ways to be different that give you an even bigger edge over your opponents.

Court Harrington has worked on the business side of the poker industry in roles including tournament reporting for PocketFives, radio hosting for PokerRoad Radio, coaching for the WSOP Academy and privately, and a variety of behind-the-scenes responsibilities for poker media businesses. He also plays in cash games and tournaments. Harrington is currently doing consulting work and exploring business opportunities outside of the poker industry. You can contact him at Court@CourtHarrington.com.