Poker is more subtle than a lot of people realise. Trying to put a definite strategy on a particular situation can be like trying to catch a fly with chop-sticks. I know the karate kid was able to do it but hey, he just kept on getting lucky.
There are however a number of situations where the most obvious and unimaginative play is the only one that will work. One of the paradoxes of poker is that even the most brilliant of plays against a strong opponent will almost certainly be the worst play against a weak opponent.
A player that will call any bet cannot be bluffed or made to fold. You simply have to wait until you probably have the best hand and then put your money in. Its that simple. Do not try any tricks or employ any complicated play. There is no inventive thought process that can win chips from a calling station.
Similarly, if you find yourself at a table with an extremely loose and gambling player the best strategy will almost always be to play tight. When you do get involved in a pot with this type of player be ready to put in all your chips.
The great thing about this game of ours is that it is open to all. Nobody is excluded. It is also worth remembering that you should never consider anybody an inferior poker player. How ever many tricks of the trade you think you might know it will be harmful for you to become complacent and think that you are smarter than the rest of us.
With so many ideas available to new players on poker strategy a lot of the old ‘ moves ' have become text book plays. A good player used to be someone who had a few tricks up their sleeve but a lot more is required now. You have to be able to use your own imagination to win in many situations because, as Einstein once said “Imagination is more important than knowledge. For knowledge is limited”.
Don ' t worry so much about tricks like check-raises or re-raises. The simplest approach is often the best. Joe Hachem beat off over 5,000 competitors in the 2005 WSOP main event because he used this outlook.
Stephen Mc Lean represents Irish Poker Events…www.pokerevents.ie…You can contact him by email at stephen@pokerevents.ie.