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Lesson: 17
Not Playing By The Book
Phil Gordon
July 11, 2005
Once I am involved in a hand, many of the actions I take after
the flop are automatic, or nearly automatic. Therefore, the most
important decision I have to make in No Limit Hold 'em takes place
before the flop:
Should I play the two cards I've been dealt?
When I first started learning how to play, I reviewed the standard
charts that suggest which two cards to play from each position.
But while they provided useful guidelines, the charts don't tell
the whole story.
Poker is not a game that is best played by the numbers. Poker is
a game of situations.
In blackjack, there is always a correct decision to be made - a
"perfect strategy." Once you have compared the strength
of your hand against the dealer's "up" card, the odds
will -- or at least should -- dictate whether you should hit, stand,
split, etc.
Poker, however, is a game of incomplete information. There are
many factors to consider that go above and beyond what "the
book" tells you to do. Some of them include:
My opponents' tendencies
My state of mind
My opponent's state of mind
Our respective stack sizes
My image at the table
Computer programs can look up hands in a chart. Real poker players
analyze situations and make their own decisions after processing
all of the available information. I might raise with A-J from early
position in one game, and fold the same hand from the same position
in another.
A good chart can help give a very specific set of circumstances,
namely:
You are the first person to voluntarily put money into the pot
and are going to come in for a raise of about three times the big
blind
You don't know much about your opponents
All the players at the table have an average-size stack
The blinds are relatively small in relation to the size of the stacks
When the above things aren't true, you'll want to look beyond the
charts.
If you're a new player, these tables are a great place to start.
The more poker you play, however, the more comfortable you will
feel letting your experience and your instincts serve as your guide.
Phil Gordon
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