When You Must Change

A poker player must not play the same all his life. He changes, the game changes, and he starts losing. The losses continue and it seems he can't do anything right. The cards and winning hands just stop coming to him.

What should be done to change his luck?

Don't continue playing the games you have been losing at. Let's say you have been playing low-limit Holdem. One day you wake up to realize you have been losing steadily. Something has to give and something must stop.

You need to step up your game to higher limits, maybe even no-limit. It will cause you to give your game the needed tuning and expand your range of playable hands.

You need to, of course, observe the players to see who is bold, who is timid and who is in between. This strategy will change your game to the most advantageous plays you must make.

If you are dealt pocket aces or ace king, you must play them to the river. In most cases, you should win.

When you have a huge advantage over the other players, raise the pot to the maximum. This will increase your big winnings.

Play your rushes

You never know when they will come, but when they do, play them to the hilt.

Play your players

If you find one who hesitates to call raises, stay in the driver's seat and be the aggressor. But if the mild-mannered player suddenly comes out betting, you can wager he has the goods.

If you flop top pair with a weak kicker and there are five other callers, you can pretty well bet your hand is second best. Play it carefully and if you don't improve, you can be pretty certain you are beat.

Know when to quit

If you find yourself misreading your cards or misplaying your hand, it's time to count your winnings and go home.

If you are playing in a game when you are winning big, stay in that game until it closes. Opportunities like that don't come along that often.

This is one of my personal favorites. Never take another player's last chips if you have the winning hand. It's bad luck and it doesn't serve the best interests of the game.

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 ).