Play Fewer, Play Better

Are you losing at poker?

Let me rephrase that question: are you losing regularly at poker. Because if you are and if you have won in the past, I think I can identify your problem.

You are probably playing too many hands.

Poker games are structured in casinos to get action in a pot. This is done with blinds and sometimes antes. Players will often straddle the blind to make it more expensive for people to enter a pot.

All of this is done for a reason: to make the average player play more hands.

This is good for the House. The more money in a pot, the better the House cut. Never mind that it costs you money out of your pocket. The Casino wants your game to go on and on.

If you have been losing at poker, go to the Dollar Store and pick up a packet of three by five-inch index cards. Then write the following initials across the top of one card: PBPYCWC.

Those letters stand for 'Please be patient, your cards will come.'

Then each time you fold a hand, make a mark on the index card. After five marks, draw a line through to connect all the marks. Then do it again...and again...until you find a playable hand. When that happens, place a zero on the card and start all over again. If you are playing more than one hand out of 10, that is too many. The fewer hands you play, the more your game will improve.

Sometimes the cards will run over you. This is called a 'rush' in poker and when that happens, take advantage of it. But keep track of the hands.

Players often notice when I am keeping track of my hands. I explain it away by saying I write poker stories for a living and this is the way I take notes. I don't think I am fooling them, but it's fun to have an excuse.

A top poker instructor told me about one of his players.

'He was a good player. He knew the value of cards. But he played too many hands with poor cards. You can't give away bets and expect to win in this game. It just doesn't happen.'

The cards will average out over the long haul, delivering as many good hands to you as poor hands. It's what you do with those cards that make the difference.

If you are playing Omaha High-Low and you see A-3, that isn't enough for a calling hand. You need another A...or a 2...or a suited ace to risk your money on a bet.

PBPYCWC. Please be patient, your cards will come. And they will if you give them the opportunity. Try this system out and then let me know how it worked for you.

When you get an exceptional hand in a high-low game, that is generally worth a raise. Exceptional is pocket aces with a 2-3 or 4, and hopefully double suited. Hands like this will turn out positive for you in many cases and will add to your stack.

Good luck. Keep track of your hands. Let the games begin.

Author: Geno Lawrenzi Jr.

(Geno Lawrenzi Jr. is an international journalist, magazine author and ghostwriter and poker player who lives in Phoenx, AZ. He has published 2,000 articles in 50 magazines and 125 newspapers. If you want to share a gambling story or book idea with him, send an email to glawrenzi@gmail.com ).