The top 5 reasons why you play poker... and the top 5 reasons why you should play poker!
DEAL ME THE TRUTH It’s always a toss up how honest people are going to be when you ask them questions about their motives or behaviour. Do they give you the answer they wish they meant or do they give you the truth. I ask almost every player I meet, “Why do you play poker?” Here are the answers in order of popularity:
1 I play for fun. 2 I love the thrill of gambling. 3 To enjoy the company. 4 It’s a mental challenge. 5 To win money.
Call me a cynic, but I’m not sure about the honesty of the above order. I rather warmed to the chap who looked me straight in the eye like an East End hitman and said, “I enjoy ruthless, uncompromising greed and taking other peoples’ money!” All of the answers given are of course correct. Every poker player has a measure of all those answers within them but the critical issue is pin-pointing which one is the real motivator. Why? Because it’ll decide whether or not you turn into a long term winner or not. Perhaps surprisingly, ruthless greed is not actually the smartest route to success. For one thing it locks you into a narrow mindset. The real talent is to become the persona which each individual game requires. The greatest footballers can hold up midfield, defend when necessary and score from thirty five yards out if the opportunity crops up. Flexibility of skill. Over the last few days within the column I’ve looked at tight and loose play and suggested learning how and when to change gears. To wrap things up I’d say the best five answers to the question “Why do I play poker?” should be:
1 It’s a mental challenge (Because this will lead to the understanding of the need to develop a flexible mindset) 2 It’s fun to win.(Dah!) 3 I enjoy the company of losers.(That’s my idea of socialising.) 4 It’s the only entertainment where I am the Star. 5 It beats the hell out of television.
MONEY MAKING TIPS Tip 1: Take the time to select the right table to play online. Railbird a while and seek out conservative players, especially if you are a naturally aggressive player. These tables will be more fruitful. Tip 2: Look to enter big multi-table tournaments with small buy-ins. These can be very good value and if you’re a reasonable player you can win big. Your risk capital is low and your potential reward is high. That’s the ratio you should always be looking for when playing tournaments.
