The Making of a Poker Player

Author: Matt Matros
Publisher: High Stakes
Buy this book at Amazon

<< Previous Page   Next Page >>

Learning to Play 5

weak hands hoping to win without a showdown. You have to play only strong hands to win, at least when you're first learning the game. For example, in draw poker you should only play big pairs, and sometimes hands with four to a straight or flush (you would never draw more than one card hoping to hit those mon sters). You'll see later in the book how much experience I had be fore I started playing less-man-premium hands.

2.    / never bet the maximum. Our game had a minimum bet of a dime and a maximum bet of $ 1.25.1 would usually bet a quarter or so, since it was a friendly game. Being friendly is not the way to win. Earning the maximum with your good hands and minimizing the losses on your bad hands is the way to win. Furthermore, there is nothing unfriendly about playing your best game. To me, every one playing his best and discussing hands after they're over is the friendliest game possible. There is a poker adage that says if you can't check-raise your grandmother, you shouldn't be playing.

3.    / chased and chased and chased. I would never fold a hand un less I had absolutely no way to win the pot. I had no idea there was a very specific way to determine whether to call a bet look ing to improve, or to fold and give up (I'll discuss this in detail later). I never thought to fold if there were cards in the deck that could win it for me.

The above comments apply to all forms of poker. As I mentioned, however, some of the games we played were wacky. These wacky games require a few guidelines that are all their own. You won't see Doyle Brunson and Chip Reese discussing these points over the $l,500-$3,000 table at the Bellagio.

1. In a game featuring wild cards-that is, a game where one card, like a deuce, can be used as any card in the deck-it is of para mount importance to have a wild card in your hand. Let's say, for example, that you have three fours, but no wild cards. In a "real" poker game, you'd have a reasonably strong hand. But if we're playing deuces wild, and I have just one deuce in my hand, then I will win even if I only have a pair of fives to go with it. God for-