“To be or not to be.” Today’s advice is from an unlikely source: Shakespeare. Hamlet, to be exact. The title character is contemplating suicide during his soliloquy. But, by simply adding “in this hand” to the aforementioned quote before you put any chips in the pot is a great way avoid your bankroll’s premature demise.
One of the most common holes in a player’s game is the simple fact that the gambler plays too many hands. Action junkies at the table find themselves seeing every flop. Even if they make good decisions on the flop, turn, and river, they end up losers at the table—because they never should have been in the hand in the first place with anything less than a premium hand.
In a brick-and-mortar card room, you are only allowed to occupy one seat, at one table, and only one hand at a time. This can get quite boring when you find yourself on a cooler. After an hour or two of being dealt K2 and 73 off-suit, a juicy J9 suited can morph into AA’s the way a mirage can appear on a 120-degree day in the Sahara. Calling a raise with a speculative hand out of boredom is a sure way to cause your buy-in to evaporate.
Shift to your “home game” to your favorite online poker site. I have given you a lot of tips about the pitfalls of playing poker online. Don’t play when you are tired. Don’t play when you are sick. Don’t play when you are angry. But, now I would like to share with you a unique perk of the game always going on inside your laptop. You can fold all day long and not get bored. How? The unique advantage of playing multiple tables!
Nothing wards off boredom at the table like the next hand. But just like when you take granny to bingo, only you can decide how many cards you can watch and keep your concentration. Start with a couple and work your way up. Fold in early position unless you have pocket pairs 66 or higher and AK. Loosen up in later positions. Keep your bluffs to the button. Or better yet, don’t bluff. Just play premium hands and cut bait if you miss or get out flopped. Remember at multiple tables, the next hand is seconds away.
In fact try it. Pick a night to binge watch a show on demand or watch Rounders for the 100th time. Open up a couple tables. Relax, and only play your high pairs and royalty suited. Keep hearing Matt Damon’s voice saying, “You only play premium hands.” You will fold the majority of the night. But, I bet that you turn a profit. Remember a successful poker player wins the most money not the most pots!
If you find yourself in a sticky situation at one table, make sure to give it all of your attention. Unlike live poker, there is the timer at the online table. Nothing is worse than getting your aces timed out because you were at another table playing jacks. If you get distracted easily, it may be necessary to auto-fold your other tables during a big-money hand. Trust me, there is always another table to join. Also for quick reference, have a cheat sheet out of profitable starting hand from any position. Take a small break after a big hand. Don’t lose all your profits from one table at another. Never stay at a table you think is bad for any reason. Eventually you will find a couple great tables to be a rock at.
If you still find yourself bored at the tables, Google how many times a gaming columnist used Shakespeare, Rounders, and Kenny Rogers in the same article! Happy hunting, my friends.
