Best Poker Advice ever?

[JohnBond]

The following 2002 column arose from a conversation Roy and I had at a time I was getting clobbered (There have alas been too many such times.) It still ranks among best ever poker advice for me, and I keep a copy on my desk. For density of quality info per column inch, it's a monster.


Some of my Best Advice
by Roy Cooke

People are always asking me for advice. They want to know about this play or that situation. Generally, they are looking for simple one-dimensional answers to complex questions. And, of course, I don’t have simple answers. There are no set rules. All poker decisions are situational. Hands play differently based on the styles of your opponents, and no two situations are ever identical. That is why there is no basic strategy that will turn you into a world-class player. You need to be able to adjust your strategy based on the current situation. That said, there are several basic concepts that govern my play, which I can recommend to you.

The most important poker decision you make on a day-to-day basis is choosing your game. The best game for you is not the game with the biggest pots. Rather, it is the game in which you have the biggest overall edge. Choose games in which you have a large edge over your opponents. You may make more money playing much higher with a smaller edge over your opponents, but if you choose to do that, you should have a proportionately larger bankroll and be highly capable of handling the downswings appropriately.

The value of position is often stated, but in the plays I observe most players make, it is nonetheless underrated. Always take your position into consideration when determining a play. This includes position in relation to a bettor and the playing styles of the players yet to act behind you. Having an accurate feel for this will add great value to your poker game.

The blind structure is a factor that dictates how you should play. If the game has a two-chip/three-chip blind, you need to play more aggressively, since the small blind is almost always correct in calling. A two-chip/four-chip blind structure makes trapping a play with higher value.

There are two major errors players make: They either call when they should fold or fold when they should call. Most players tend to have an M.O. and don’t change! It is best to try to make players who call too much call more, and players who fold too much fold more. The play of your hands and the plays you make against them to gain/lose more/fewer bets should incorporate this concept. Also, psychological edges can be found with many of your opponents, and can be a major factor in these types of decisions.

Accurately handicapping your opposition is a key element in winning poker. When observing opponents, try to determine their weaknesses and which plays will work best to take advantage of those weaknesses. The ability to outplay your opponents is an important factor in determining if you should play a marginal hand. The greater your ability to read/outplay your opponents, the looser you should play. The better your opponents play you, the tighter you should play. I find that most players have a tendency to overrate themselves and underrate their opposition in applying this concept. If anything, you should take the opposite approach. Give your opponents a little more credit and yourself a little less. That is, be conservative in your handicapping.

If you’re going to be a winning poker player against experienced opponents, you need to be a playmaker. Always consider how a hand will play in the current situation. Is it a hand that does better with a few opponents? With several opponents? Will it play better if you isolate? Make a play that is your best option, if possible. When determining the play to make, always consider the playing styles of your opponents, including those who are yet to act. When making a play, determine what you want your opponent to do for your best interests, and then make the play that manipulates him into doing it. This includes psychological ploys. Think moves ahead.

Compute the price on all of your plays. It is a very important concept, and will help you gain feel. When analyzing a play, count the bets and the expectation you gain/lose from them. Think in terms of expectation. When considering a call with a hand that you think may be second-best, determine the implied price you are receiving from the pot. This includes the chance that your hand will win, the likelihood (based on who your opponents are) that you’ll win additional money beyond what is already in the pot, and the true price of the call, including the possibility that it will get raised behind you. When determining if you should call without the best hand, take into consideration the chance that the hand you are drawing to will not be good. Even if there is a small chance that your hand will not be good, your odds required to make the call must increase considerably.

Your play should vary significantly depending on how loose or aggressive a game is. Furthermore, your game selection should at least in part be based on what type of field you do best against. If you are playing against aggressive players, induce bluffs from them and take away some of their aggression. The looser the game, the less aggressively you should play your medium wired pairs. When playing loose, passive players, play lots of hands. You will get a lot of volume and opportunities to make hands cheaply that will result in large payoffs. When playing loose, aggressive players, play very solid cards. You will make the best hand more often than your opponents will, and the action will always be available. Carefully pick your spots, based on reads of your loose, aggressive opponents, to make plays against them. In loose, aggressive games, position yourself tactically so that you can raise a bettor to protect a hand that you may make. Don’t make a marginal raise preflop that puts you in a precarious post-flop position. When playing in a very loose game, try to keep the pots small preflop with your marginal hands. Don’t take marginal edges. This removes value from your post-flop plays by giving your opponents a better price to draw at you.

Determining if you should slow-play a hand is contingent upon a combined analysis of the size of the pot, the likelihood that your opponents will draw out on you, and the likelihood that your opponents will fold if you bet. You almost always should bet a draw if you think there is any chance you could win the pot with a bet. When you bet a draw, you give yourself another way to win the pot (if everyone folds, currently or subsequently). Also, you might win a bigger pot if you make your hand. It also creates deception in your opponents’ minds. If you are in position and playing a field of intimidated opponents, consider raising for a free card. This play works well with players who have the M.O. of checking to the raiser. It does not work against opponents who like to lead. Use your cards to randomize your play. You should be able to utilize deception in your game without having to make plays that will cost you a lot in the way of expectation.

The larger the pot is, the more you should play your hand in a manner that will protect your hand. This includes taking more risk in an effort to protect it. Winning a big pot without competition is not a bad thing, unless your hand cannot be drawn out on. The smaller the pot, the more important it is to trap and make plays that will garner you extra bets. That is because the bets have more value than the current size of the pot.

When reading hands and players, determine if a player is capable of making the kind of play you are giving him credit for. Base your plays on his capabilities, on how he thinks, on his emotional state, and on how he reacts. Make deceptive plays against players who put a lot of emphasis on reading hands. Do not make these plays against players who don’t notice or understand them.

The vast majority of poker decisions add or subtract only a very little from your day’s/week’s/month’s/life’s expectation. But those little bits add up, and can make the difference between being a winner and a loser. That said, it is the minority of key decisions that will make the biggest difference in your results. When you are unsure of a situation, don’t make plays that may put you in a position of having to make a tough decision. Inevitably, some of those tough decisions will be errors, and many of them will be big-volume errors.

This may be some of the most comprehensive poker advice I’ve ever crammed into one column. It by no means covers everything, but an awful lot of key basics are here. If I were you, I would probably cut this out and save it, and maybe even laminate it.