Poker Strategy

"Give Me One Reason to Stay Here"

If you are playing poker just for fun and you can afford to treat it as recreation only, more power to you. But if you want to get more serious about playing poker, whether it’s Hold ‘Em, Seven-Card Stud, Omaha or another game, you probably should have a clear goal and you should be playing with a purpose.

That’s the reason for the title, which I took from the Tracy Chapman song. If you are going to sit down at a poker table and play for real money, you should have a reason. If you are going to stay in a hand of poker to see another card, you should have a reason. If you are going to be successful and make money at the table, this reason had better be a good one.

Poker for the Money

There are several sources of good advice for this often-overlooked part of poker strategy. Of course, the legend, Doyle Brunson, writes that his reason for playing poker is to make money. He has used that as his motivation for decades, putting millions of dollars in his bank account and numerous tournament titles on his wrist and mantel. Is there another reason?

Poker for the Show: Get the Bracelet!

Well, Phil Helmuth, also known as the Poker Brat, has a slightly different take. In a television interview he said that he wants World Series of Poker bracelet No. 12 because Brunson is right behind him with 10 and Phil Ivey has 7. Helmuth also stated that friends and family members have congratulated him on getting into the “cash” at every WSOP for the last decade. But he dismisses this and says that the bracelets are his goal. That’s easy to say if you already have a lot of money. But he does have a reason for playing solid poker and it’s a good reason.

In Poker, Money Management is the Same as Bankroll Management?

Mason Malmuth, a mathematician and expert in gambling theory, takes this idea in a bit different direction. He writes that players shouldn’t be concerned about money management. What!? Does that mean our reason for playing should be to throw money away?

Malmuth substitutes “bankroll management” in the place of money management. If you are going to play poker for money, bankroll management should be one of the key factors. It may even be a reason for making decisions and that’s where a lot of players get into trouble. Before you get into a poker game, make sure you have a reason for doing so. If your bankroll is so “short” that you are playing with scared money, you have a reason not to play. So you see, “reason” may be as much a key to successful poker as “odds” and “bluffs.” Think about it.