How to Play When Things are Going Well
I hesitate to bring this up because I don't want to call the doom switch on me. But poker is going well right now. I've had a great two months playing at Bodog Poker and Poker Stars. Razz is going well for me, and Hold 'Em continues to make me money. I'm flopping sets, playing aggressively and enjoying the game right now.So why am I telling you this? Because there's a danger there. People can really play poorly when poker is going really well. We see it all the time at the poker tables, haven't we? A guy with a monster stack gives it all back to the table and leaves with nothing but regret. We call it winner's tilt, and it's just as dangerous as loser's tilt.
Here are some tips on how to play well when the going is good.
• Clamp down on the AwFukIt calls - When you're winning and you have a big stack, it's easy to get a teenager's aura of invincibility. Don't let it happen. Don't start making stupid calls just because you can. Remember, there's nothing wrong with staying aggressive and pushing people off pots with your big stack. In fact, you probably should play that way, especially if you're in a tournament. But don't start making bad calls "just to see" or "because I can afford it." You'll quickly lose your stack and join the rest of us down in the trenches.
• Leave when you've tripled your buy-in - My next two tips will seem contradictory, and that's OK because that's poker. But my first suggestion is to leave when you're really up. That way your big stack quickly gets booked into a win and you won't be tempted to make stupid calls.
• Don't leave, however, if the table is really good - One mistake poker players make
is they leave when they have a stack because they're afraid to lose it. If you have a good read on some really loose, bad players, then stick around and continue to take advantage of them.
• Take a crack at some higher tournaments - Your confidence is running really high right now, so you might want to take a shot at a couple larger MTTs and see how they go.
• But stick to your limits - Notice, however, that I didn't say jump in the higher cash games. MTTs have a set limit on what you can lose. Cash games don't, and I've seen many players jump into higher games with their profits and promptly throw them away to better players in the higher limits. Don't be one of those people. Only move up when you're bankroll is ready, not when you're feeling hot. This is, in fact, one of the worse times to move up a level.
• Understand that you're a target - Other players will envy your big stack and start to attack it if you're in a cash game, especially if you're starting to bully them. So expect players to call you on their draws even when they're not getting the odds to do so. If a draw does fill, be careful of players who bet really big on the river. You're there to keep your profits, not give them away.
• Be patient - You won't win every time even during a hot streak. Some like the rush of winning so much that they start to get addicted to it, like heroin, and start making bad calls just to feel that burn again. Don't be one of those players.
• Remember this time - When the bad beats start happening again, remind yourself of this time. It will be the spoonful of sugar you'll need to help the variance go down.
• Enjoy it - It's fun to win at poker, and it doesn't happen nearly as often as it should, so enjoy your winning streak while it lasts.
• Don't get cocky - Yes, your Q-Q can in fact run into K-K at any time. Yes, you're playing well, but you're also getting good cards. Don't think that you don't need to improve any longer or start to think you're better than any player at your table. Continue to play tight and aggressively. Quite frankly, even bad players go on heaters every once in a while. It's how they handle them that separate them from the good ones.
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