Poker Philosophy
by Bodog Poker | Sep 2 2010
You can know the name of a bird in all the languages of the world, but when you're finished, you'll know absolutely nothing whatever about the bird. So let's look at the bird and see what it's doing - that's what counts. I learned very early the difference between knowing the name of something and knowing something.
- Richad Feynman
Poker players are people and people love to collect. It's human nature to try and gather as much data as possible, and poker is a game that is literally just about information - getting it, using it, guessing at it, manipulating it - and so poker players are even more susceptible to that mental packrat mentality.
They love to gather bits of information, tips, tricks, strategies and throw them into a bouillabaisse and quote them and cite them and offer them up to each other but how many times does a poker player actually use the information they've been given effectively? At some point, players need to learn how to separate the wheat from the chaff and figure out exactly how they are going to approach the game.
Schizophrenic picking-and-choosing isn't likely to work, simply because a random amalgamation of "you should do this and you should do that and maybe a bit of that over there if it's a Thursday" doesn't give you a solid foundation to build from. Most new players benefit most by playing in a tight-aggressive style. It allows them some flexibility in the hands they choose to play - they might go in on a K7, for instance, if they've seen some lackluster betting before their turn - and still keeps them in check by keeping them away from things like reckless bluffing or aggressively trying to dominate a pot when you don't have the hand. Know your bird.
Sticking to a methodology, particularly at the beginning, can be both a boon and a curse to the player. While it allows them to focus on the game and mastering a single playing style, it can also make a player predictable. This is less of a problem in online poker, where the new player will frequently be playing against a much larger group of opponents, but higher-stakes games require a player to be careful - fewer players mean that it's much more likely for someone to remember your playing style and work against it.
In other words, it's more likely that your bird is going to be known, which means that you need to find ways to counteract this. While it's inadvisable for the non-pro player to become erratic at the table, it's possible to use your knowledge of things such as pot odds and poker theory to subtly alter your playing style to cover your activities. It's recommended that you play cards that are normally just outside of your usual range for position, for instance, and if you don't see a card at the flop, fold to minimize your losses. By looking like you're more daring than you are and taking advantage of acceptable losses, you can make yourself look like someone who is willing to take a bigger risk, someone who may be bluffing, giving you the chance to lay out a trap for the opposition.
In other words, look like a bird of a different feather and you can benefit greatly.
