You might be amazed at the large percentage of veteran poker players who practice before pitting their skills at the poker table.
It's a fact that you can never have too much skill at the game.
When I lived in Las Vegas, I had half a dozen top poker players admit to me that they spent hours dealing imaginary hands to other players in the privacy of their hotel rooms or homes before setting foot in a casino.
I can assure you the practice helps. I ALWAYS PRACTICE before I play. It makes the transition into a real game much easier...
...after you have spent hours dealing those imaginary hands. You get familiar with the way cards fall, and you realize that no hand is a sure thing before the flop.
Let's use THIS as an example:
Imagine that you are at the final table, and there are only two players left - you and an opponent. Let's imagine that each of you has an equal number of chips, and the blinds are $2,000 and $4,000 with a $1,000 ante.
You look at your cards and find a 7-5 of spades. Your opponent goes ALL IN. What should you do?
The answer is: call, of course.
The fact is that with only two players left, neither player has much of an advantage over the foe. No matter what kind of hand you have, your chances of winning are about 50-50.
If you don't believe me, that's fine. You can test my theory by taking a deck of cards and dealing out two or three hands. Turn the hands over and flop three cards. You may be amazed at the results.
Let's say the hands are a-5, k-9, 7-6. Which of the hands is a favorite? I say NONE of them.
Now:
If you have a full table of players, that is a much different situation. Then you have to go with high pairs or high cards, preferably suited. That is where the usual rules of poker apply. Your high cards and high pairs will win more often than they will lose.
I like to go into a game relaxed and practicing before the game puts me in that frame of mind. When you make the final table in a tournament...
...you are generally in the money and the antes are high. If you wait too long to make a play, you will basically ante yourself to death and that is NOT smart.
Poker players, and that includes veterans, sometimes dismiss luck as a factor whether they are playing in a tournament or a cash game. Nonsense!
Luck always plays a role in any game of chance, and that includes a skill game like poker.
One of the reasons I play poker is that I love the challenge of matching my wits against the other players. My many years of experience help me in a tournament situation or in a cash game. They may not be the deciding factor, but they do play a major role in the outcome.
If you ask me what is more important in deciding the outcome of a tournament or cash game, my answer would be "Both."
All I can say is:
If you want to give yourself the best chance of winning at poker, you should practice. It's fun and it's rewarding. Take it from somebody who knows.
