Common Game Selection Mistakes
Game selection is perhaps the most under-appreciated skill a poker
player can have. No one is heralded for their impeccable game
selection, but like it or not, game selection is very often the only
thing that determines a winning player from a losing one. Consider
this Weekly Shuffle an 'ode to game selection'. In it, we would like
to give you some food for thought regarding common game selection
mistakes and how to improve this part of your poker arsenal. online
poker 468x60 Game Selection Mistake #1: Failing to Reassess a Game's
Profitability We are creatures of habit and inertia. When we discover
something that is profitable for us, we tend to assume it is always
profitable. In other words, our minds turn off. Consider the following
example: a good no-limit player starts playing $1/$2 on Full Tilt
Poker. After several thousand hands, he has won a couple dozen
buy-ins. Because of this, the logic in his mind goes something like,
"$1/$2 no-limit on Full Tilt is good for my wallet," and his thoughts
end there. The trouble is, this thinking could lead the player to
continue operating under this assumption even if it is one day no
longer true. To avoid this, be sure to constantly assess whether or
not the games you're playing in are beatable, and don't allow your ego
to influence this assessment. I'm sure there are plenty of "name"
tournament players who were firmly +EV in World Poker Tour events six
years ago but now are -EV or only marginally +EV but are unwilling to
admit this to themselves. This lack of awareness can be incredibly
costly. Game Selection Mistake #2: Playing Too Many Tables Generally
speaking, I think online poker players overestimate the number of
tables they can play for an optimal profit. In the past few years,
it's become kind of sexy to play an incredibly high number of hands or
tournaments. But how much are you paying to be 'sexy'? Every online
poker player has a certain number of tables they can play for a
maximum profit. For many players, that number of tables is zero; not
playing at all will result in them having more money at the end of the
day than they would if they played. But even winning players probably
tend to overestimate how many tables are optimal for them to play. For
example, let's say Joe Grinder is a winning sit-'n'-go (SNG) player.
Joe can play two tables at once no problem, so he decides to start
playing three. After a while, he starts playing four, then five, then
six all at once. At some point, Joe will open up a table that is
actually -EV to open up. In other words, Joe might actually make more
money playing "just" five tables instead of six. Make sense? One way
to figure out your equilibrium number is by paying attention to how
many "hurried" or "panicked" decisions you make on account of feeling
rushed. Also take note of how often you are timing out at tables. You
really should never time out and only rarely feel "hurried" to make a
big decision. If these feelings are common for you, consider closing a
couple of your tables because they're probably doing you more harm
than good. Game Selection Mistake #3: Not Scouring for Juicy Games on
Other Sites Many online poker players play on "just" Full Tilt Poker
or "just" Party Poker. In doing so, they could be missing out on some
really juicy games. Remember, there are tons of online poker rooms and
if you look hard enough, you might find some diamond-in-the-rough
games to jump in. Try a smaller site like PKR or 888 Poker. Who knows?
You might find your new bread and butter. Game Selection Mistake #4:
Trying to Beat the Best For every player who takes down Tom Dwan or
Phil Ivey for a quarter of a million after taking their "shot", there
are ten that try and fail and go broke in the process. If you want to
be the best, you've got to beat the best, and if you want to beat the
best, you've got to have the money to do it. How do you get this
requisite money? By playing people who aren't the best! Poker is not
about glory, it's about a grind. It's about focusing on beating John
Q. Fish, not Phil Ivey. You should never play someone you don't know
you can beat. And remember, in any poker game, almost every player
"knows" they can beat everyone else. Someone at the table is fooling
themselves. Is it you? Game Selection Mistake #5: Failing to
Capitalize on Optimal Playing Hours On a Friday night at 9:00 p.m.,
Bill Murphy might very well be a winning $0.50/$1 no-limit player.
However, on a Tuesday afternoon at 2:00 p.m., Bill might be a loser.
It would be wise of Bill to be aware of this and not quit his day job
just because he's a smaller winner every Friday night. Play when it is
profitable to play and go for a jog when it isn't. Game Selection
Mistake #6: Playing Because You Think You're "Pretty Good" Being an
average or even "good" player doesn't mean you're going to be a
winner. Remember, poker is a highly negative sum game because of the
rake. In order to come out ahead for a sizable amount in the long run,
you have to be really good. Being just "pretty good" isn't enough to
cut it. You're better off doing something else with your time. Unless
of course you just play poker for fun, in that case, have at it!