Ask The Doc: Poker

Jamdog

Ok, Give me one good reason why I should play poker.

Doc

I can give you lots of good reasons - but for starters it is a nice little earner.

Jamdog

How much are we talking?

Doc

Well that depends on how good you are, what level (i.e. stakes) you play and the standard of the opposition. But, as an approximation, playing with a $25 buy in (a $0.50-$1 table), I'd say you could be earning $3 an hour per table within a month or so of starting.

Its sounds like minimum wage or worse doesn't it?

Jamdog

It does - why not flip burgers? You’ll make more than that!

Doc

Well that is for the minimum buy-in. As you build your bank-roll you can move up in levels. Also as you develop your skills you’ll be able to play more than one table at once. An hourly rate of $50 or $60 is quite achievable in my opinion.

Jamdog

Still not megabucks, is it?

Doc

No, but nice money for an enjoyable hobby. You can make more than that if are good enough and have the bankroll to play at a higher level. The above might be achieved by 4-tabling at $3-6 table. There are tables available up to $100-$200 or even higher!

Jamdog

That would be for the high rollers I guess. What separates a winning poker player from a recreational (i.e. losing) poker player?

Doc

I wouldn't use those distinctions to be honest - you can be a recreational player and still be a winning player. But if the question is what separates a winning player from a losing player, I'd say it is an understanding (even intuitive) of how probability works. Which means you're at a big advantage if you start from a successful background in sports betting - you already know about things like variance, money management, value etc - even if you don't use those words to describe them!

Jamdog

Reading some of the posts in the poker forum, Poker feels like algebra. I'm no good at maths - won't this hinder me?

Doc

Not really - many very good poker players wouldn't know one end of an equation from another. If you can do basic addition and multiplication, and can memorise/understand a few basic concepts you can do well.

Jamdog

Ok. what are some of the common newbie errors?

Doc

There are tons - we could list hundreds, but they'd require us to know specifics of the various games We can sum them up in one thing though - Taking bets which aren't value!

Jamdog

Are there popular misconceptions about certain hands being stronger than they really are then?

Doc

Hmmm - that is actually a complex question. Let me answer it in parts

Firstly, most people who play know what the 'hand rankings' are - e.g. that a Royal Flush is the best hand and that 2 pairs beats 1 pair etc, so in that sense the answer is no.

However, many (most even?) players don't really appreciate how likely particular hands (for their opponent) are, so in that sense the answer is yes.

Jamdog

Yeah, that's what I was getting at.

Doc

But the comparative strengths of various hands (or at least the estimation of what your opponent could have) are very different in different variations of poker. The fundamental principles of value betting are still the same though - it is just the numbers (one) and the amount of guessing/estimation you have to do (two) which change

Jamdog

Yep. What would you say are the main differences between online play and face-to-face play?

Doc

The biggest differences are:

A) online play is much faster - typically twice as many hands per hour, plus you can play several tables at once if you like

B) online play is generally cheaper - you can play stakes which are way lower than would be economical for anyone to run in a 'bricks and mortar' environment

C) you can play for as long (e.g. 24hours) or as short (5 mins) as you want - there are almost always plenty of games available

There are probably more I’m not thinking of right now.

Jamdog

How about looking out for tells face-to-face? Do you try and read your opponent?

Doc

I've no doubt the best players do, but in my opinion most players don't.
Again, in my opinion looking for tells is difficult and is chasing a small edge, where most players could better focus on their fundamentals.

I think you can observe patterns in the way certain individuals play - but that isn't really the same as a tell e.g. some players always bet strong in certain situations etc but you can do that online, albeit having a real face across the table makes it easier to remember - rather than some computer avatar called Bob50233!

Jamdog

What about ‘style’. I hear people talk about aggressive and conservative styles. In general, is it better to be aggressive or conservative in your play?

Doc

I would advocate being aggressive - but it has to be selective - i.e. there are times to go for it, and times to step back. It is a bit like football - the best teams aren't the ones which attack all the time or defend all the time, but the ones who can do both and select the appropriate style at a given time to exploit their opponents weakness.

For a beginner though (i.e. one who hasn't full confidence in their own understanding), somewhere in the middle is probably better, as it exposes you to less variations in your bankroll

Jamdog

Ok, you’ve got me interested enough to want to learn more. What would be some really good background reading for a newbie just starting out?

Doc

This current series in the newsletter.

Jamdog

Any books you can recommend not written by yourself?

Doc

Jamdog

OK, which of the poker sites would you recommend for a beginner? Or is it for more a question of just low stakes, low expertise to begin with?

Doc

I think it is a skill, and therefore best learned by doing.

Some of the sites are good, but there is no substitute for actually trying it out. Then find a good forum and ask questions!

Jamdog

Is there any online poker etiquette I should know about? I'd hate to make a frightful tool of myself.

Doc

Nah - that is half the fun of it! Sledging people at the table who can't box your head in the car park afterwards is wonderful amusement at times!