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Cash game strategy the long run defines a winner

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Friday December, 4th 2009 by fullhouse

It is quite cliché to say that the long run is all that matters in poker. While it is an absolute truth that the long run does indeed matter much more than the short run in poker, many players tend to generally disregard it. At some point in time virtually every poker player has sworn that his or her bad luck was worse than anyone else’s. The fact is that most solid winners have learned to accept that runs of terrible luck are an unfortunate reality of the game and that there is nothing they can do about it. What separates these players from the players who constantly whine about their luck is a deep understanding of the game. There is a reason that Phil Hellmuth always complains about his luck while Phil Ivey never does. Phil Ivey has an infinitely more thorough understanding of the game than Phil Hellmuth. Accepting that you will inevitably run bad is one of the hardest things you will ever have to do as a poker player, but it is also one of the most important things you will ever do.

Pretend like you are making an investment

Players will frequently be involved in pots where they are all in with a draw. There is nothing wrong with being all in on a draw, but there is something very wrong with cheering for your cards to hit. If you need a spade to complete your flush draw you will be extremely let down when the turn and river come diamond, club. Now, would you have been nearly as upset if you looked to another table as the turn and river were dealt? Probably not, and this is because you will know that you are all in and your odds are 65:35, or whatever they may be. That 65:35 percentage actually means something, but far too many players completely ignore what it means. 65 out of 100 times you will win the pot, but you will also lose the pot 35 out of 100 times. That is a lot of losing! What frustrates players when they lose a big pot is not the fact that they “should” have won (usually), but the fact that they lost money. Even if you offered players 65% of the money once they were already all in there would be quite a few who would prefer to gamble. The gambler’s perspective is terrible for a poker player. When you sit down to play at a craps table you have no edge and should not be expecting to win. When you sit down at a poker table you are likely to have an edge and should be expecting to win. There is no use in cheering for cards to come because the fact is that they won’t come a large portion of the time and you will be unnecessarily upset.

Getting over your loss

When you lose a pot you will either be upset or indifferent, and maybe happy if you tend to have some misaligned emotions. Your goal as a poker player should be to remain indifferent each and every time you win or lose a pot. Emotional involvement is never going to get you anywhere as a poker player, it will only further complicate an already complicated game.