Playing against poker dopes? Annoyed? Try to calm down first

Poker question #1

Dear 888 Poker,
I don’t normally write to any kind of forum, but I am so cheesed off at a succession of “poker dopes” I seem to have run up against over the last few weeks that I had to ask whether I’m the only one who finds them frequently going all-in with absolute junk?

What makes it even more annoying is the number of times one of them get lucky and hit the jackpot with their long shot hands! Is it just me or do others suffer the same fate?

An exasperated Les P
Hull

Hey Les,

May we suggest that you re-read your email because I think you’ll find you’ve answered your own question.

Most of the people you’ll encounter at low limit tables are casual players who are playing for fun, not in anticipation of making the WSOP. They tend only to call because they know that every now and then, their long shot comes off. In other words, they haven’t made an assessment of the odds they’re getting, nor sought to consider what you might have: they’re driven by the adrenalin rush they can get from hitting the occasional flush or straight, not by any inherent risk associated with the relatively modest amount of money they’ve staked.

You’ve probably noticed too that after they’ve landed that lucky hand, they’re all the more likely to call the next time a drawing hand comes around; if you make note of this, you could have them out of your game sooner than you think…

The Poker Guru

Poker question #2

Dear 888 Poker,
I cannot complain about my recent poker play as I have been enjoying a great run, but have yet to turn what I think is solid play into consistently winning play. I’m ahead of the game, money-wise, but feel I should be moving on and converting my decent small tourney finishes into winning ones – or should I be content to keep getting into the money?

Vitmar, London

Hi Vitmar,
Never knock it when you’re making some bread; there’s absolutely nothing wrong with that.

However, as you say, you’re in a pretty decent position right now, making some money, enjoying comparative success, but only you can determine whether you want to go further.

You’re clearly a good player and if you are content with finishing in the money in the majority of the tournaments you enter (and who wouldn’t be?), then I promise you will continue to enjoy playing poker. However, if you have ambitions beyond this, then may I suggest that you attempt to get a little bit better each time you play?

How do you do this? After every session, sit down and assess plays that came off and those that didn’t. You should recall the occasions when you felt supremely confident and those times you were uneasy and merely scraping by. If you can eliminate these latter elements from your game (assuming you want to), you could become a great champion, although to do so, you must make a commitment to improving your game.

The Poker Guru