A POKER UNIVERSITY? It’s a fact. There is a Poker University and it’s run by the “Mad Genius of Poker” Mike Caro. In his early days Caro was simply known as “Crazy Mike” but he has now reached truly legendary status. Even the likes of Doyle Brunson and Phil Ivey defer to Caro when it comes to in-depth strategies and statistics, evidenced by Brunson’s commissioning of Caro to write a whole section in his own ground breaking work: Super Systems 1 & 2. Mike runs an online campus so anyone in the world can join up for his wild and wacky lectures. The best piece of advice I ever picked up on from one of Caro’s seminars was simple, like most good lessons. His advice was to treat each game of poker with exactly the same degree of focus whether you were on a winning or a losing streak. Having studied losing streaks he noticed a common characteristic developed in the player concerned. If someone had lost $500, their attitude was often that another $50 wasn’t going to make much difference. It’s exactly that attitude Caro seeks to surgically remove from a poker player’s mind. The annualised financial result of a regular poker player not understanding this concept during losing streaks would after twelve months scare the pants off them and their bank manager. Mike has the research and stats to prove it. Every $50 matters as much as the last and if you don’t feel that way as you enter a game of poker, don’t enter it.
MORE TERMS EXPLAINED Q: What is a “cold deck”? A: It’s a term used to describe a deck by players who are convinced they are not getting their rightful share of playable or winning hands from the cards dealt to them.
Q: What is a “cold call”? A: This is when a player who has no money invested in the pot apart from the “ante” or one of the “blinds” calls a raise and a re-raise.
Q: What does it mean to “double through”? A: This is when a player doubles the amount of his or her chips by being all-in and winning an amount equal to what was invested.
Q: What is a “draw out”? A: A draw out occurs when a player draws a card at a late stage in the game and jumps ahead of an opponent who up to that point had the stronger hand.
Q: What is meant by a “crippled deck”? A: This expression describes a deck which has almost nothing left within it that can save a player’s hand. A good example would be if a player held a pair of Kings and the other two Kings were already in play, then the deck would be said to be crippled.
ALL THE ACES poker column: Tuesday, August 29, 2006: "The Poker University"
