is poker simple?

is the game of poker as simple as it sounds?

Bet when you think you have the best hand, call when you think you have the odds and fold when you don't.

Is this really all we are doing at the lower levels?

of course reads fit in to the above statement to determine if we have the best hand, drawing hand etc


maybe this is a theory question.

anyway....I'm just curious.

[TheBlueMonster]

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is the game of poker as simple as it sounds?

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quick answer: no.
Longer answer: no, because there are soooo many more factors than the ones you listed.

[bernie]

Poker is easy.

Playing longterm winning poker isn't.

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Bet when you think you have the best hand, call when you think you have the odds and fold when you don't.

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If it were really that simple, wouldn't more people be doing it? Although, some people really do think it's that simple and have screwed up their lives because of that thinking.

Many people don't realize just how small the edge is. They'll go on a nice run early and think that's how it will always be. 'Yeah, it's easy, look how much I just made in my last 3 sessions.' Then the downswing hits and all of a sudden it's everyone else's fault. If they survive that, then the grind of it sets in. Poker has a way of weeding out those people eventually. Reducing them back to the casual, system to beat craps type players that they are.

b

[b33nz]

If it was that simple.... how would it be possible to make a living off of it? This question doesn't even need to be asked.... it's kind of an obvious answer.

It is exactly that easy. Once you figure out how to see your opponents cards, that strategy is undefeatable.

Yes, it is that easy. Easier than that even.

Please tell ALL your friends how easy of a game it is. Tell them to deposit lots and lots of money.....and to join me at the tables. Please?

[AlexHoops]

I think it is exactly that easy. Is that not just the fundamental theorem restated?

[stigmata]

At the lowest stakes it is "easy", depending on how you define easy. You have to know the value of position, and which hand are statistically playable in which positions according to the action before you & the table conditions. After the flop, you have to know how to protect your hand and how to draw correctly. If you can do these things (a short 200 page book will do) you can play winning limit poker at the lowest stakes. However, the edge is small and the variance is high. You will hardly be able to grind out a living.

Therefore you need to play mid/high stakes to earn a decent wage. But now you have the problem that there is a lot of money at stake. People like money, and you will find that the majority of people at your table have read a few poker books themselves. They also know how to protect their hands, draw to odds, the value of position, and a whole bunch of other tricks: Blind stealing/defense, semi-bluffing, when to run a bluff, how to leverage a table image, etc.

So as you move up, your edge becomes increasinly thin. Whilst table selection is important - you need a donator or two - you don't want to be giving your profits away to the better player. You have to start reaching a higher level of thinking -- what hand does my opponent have? What does he think I have? What does he think I think he has? How can I use this information to make him misplay his hand?

At the lowest stakes, poker is easy to beat in the long run with a small amount of technical knowledge. At the highest stakes, it is a hugely complex blend of maths, psychology and strategy. Like chess, I doubt that most people have the capacity or willpower to master the game at the very highest level.

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you can play winning limit poker at the lowest stakes. However, the edge is small and the variance is high.

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Is there an optimum Level of Limit game that is a compromise between "beat-a-bility" and "Profitability"???

If you were to plot "beat-a-bility" against "Profitability", would it be a straight line, through the various limits? Or is there a point where it suddenly becomes MUCH harder (for your return) if you step up?


I assume that if you are a pro (ie you survive on poker) you need to make the maths stack up and play at appropriate levels. But if you just do it part-time as a "second income" you can place yourself at a level or 2 below this and have less variance?

[POKhER]

Learning ABC poker is simple,
Passing beyond ABC is tough.

I played ABC at 0.02/.04, 0.05/.10, .25/50, .50/1, Then got to 1/2 and this is when more skill came in, tighter opponents.

Then i moved to 6max and everything comes into play it seems.

2+2 wouldn't exsist if poker was simple, Everyone would play it if it we simple.

Theres Bet, Raise, Call, Check, Fold - 3buttons(Check/Call similar as Bet/Raise) ... But whcih one to press takes alot of knowledge to get a good win rate.

When i first got here and heard 2bb/100 was a good winrate i laughed so bad assuming everyone sucked [img]/images/graemlins/laugh.gif[/img], Then i read a micro post about "bet the flop, Fold to raise blah" god i was thinking "These guys are wacky... or i've alot to learn" turned out to be the latter(Ok some guys are wacky [img]/images/graemlins/laugh.gif[/img])