One of the biggest quantum leaps forward for any poker player arrives when they discover the real essence of the game. Discovering the ‘meta game’ is a massive step forward and it is only then that a player transcends into true mastery of the game. The ‘meta game’ is basically a term that is used that describes a way of playing poker that goes beyond conventional rules and wisdom.‘Meta game’ strategies are difficult to teach because they require skills that are not easily attainable by conventional learning methods like books for instance. They are also very difficult to put into words and this is one of the things that is evident when you read ‘Super System’.
Many people have criticised that book for leaving too many things uncovered and unsaid but in reality, Brunson is actually telling people how to play world class poker in that book. The only problem is that many people simply don’t realise it and don’t see the book for what it is.
It was only when my understanding of poker reached a very high level did I then totally understand Super System. In my mind it is like David Sklansky’s The Theory of Poker in that it is so deep that it really must be read and then re-read continually over a very long period of time probably with long periods of sustained growth in between in order to really comprehend the text.
But the term ‘meta game’ originated in mathematics and then politics to describe factors that influence the outcome of an event that were previously either unseen or viewed as unimportant. But attaching meta game concepts to poker involves taking the game to a whole new level and utilising techniques and strategies that if one were to attempt to put them into print would render the writer or theorist with somewhat of a problem.
Meta game could well be the exploitation of an opposing player based purely and simply on the circumstances at hand. For instance, you have seen a player raise preflop several times and then continuation bet the flop only to fold to a subsequent raise. Then you are dealt the 7c-4s on the button which is a hand that you would not normally play. This same player open raises the pot and it is folded to you and you call. Both blinds fold and the flop comes 10s-6c-2h giving you nothing but some backdoor straight potential and a draw to some dodgy looking potentially second best pairs.
Your opponent bets out two thirds of the pot and you elect to raise them. You were also contemplating calling the bet with the intention of making a move on the turn and both of these plays are based on meta game principles.
When I first became aware of rakeback, I approached a good company called RakeTheRake (www.raketherake.com) and I have made the attainment of rakeback a major priority ever since. But the fact of the matter is that whatever rakeback company you use, the process of seeking out and attaining the best rakeback deal is almost a meta game factor in itself.
Why is this so? Well because it is something that is vitally important for all players if they have ambitions towards making it as a successful poker player. But getting rakeback on the surface seems to have very little to do with the actual playing of the hands but yet in a subtle way it does.
For instance, someone who was getting a very good rakeback deal like with Cake Poker for example who offer a very good 33%, then this can definitely impact how you play certain hands. If you feel that you are already earning money because of the rakeback deal then this can lead to many players toning down their preflop aggression factor because they feel under less pressure to try and extract the money from the game.
So rakeback or the attainment of rakeback can impact how you play and this is a meta game principle, something that on the surface appears not to make a difference but yet is of importance when fully understood.
But having a strong understanding of meta game factors is probably critical now to success in no limit Hold’em especially and certainly when you begin to move up in levels. It is the game within a game and it is the utilisation of meta game factors that can leave many novice and intermediate players confused when they see a top player do certain things.
In fact meta game factors can be so deep and subtle that many experienced and advanced players struggle with this part of the game. In fact you can be an advanced player and still have a very poor meta game. But it really is the difference between high level poker and being merely part of the crowd when you can crack this side of the game.
Carl “The Dean” Sampson is sponsored by Cake Poker and can be seen at www.cakepoker.com/thedean