PokerWorks

Every poker show on TV should be obligated to add the caveat at the beginning and end of every poker broadcast. Most of the poker seen on TV is bad poker.

First we probably see about 1 in 10 hands. TV poker is about excitement and raise, fold, fold, fold, fold, fold, fold, is not exciting. Those hands are on the cutting room floor.

“All-in,” on the other hand, gets everyone's attention. They even give them special names like "The Degree All-in Moment," etc.

Anyone who has watched a complete unedited "final" Table, (the 2007 women, WSOP event comes to mind,) knows that poker is generally slow and boring. If you add the Tournament structures, and situations seen on TV, many of the confrontations would never be seen in a game with competent players. Most TV poker shows are short handed play with large blinds and antes relative to the stack sizes. Four handed with blinds that would increase your stack size by 10-20%, Ace Rag could be a push, but in your normal ring game it is a losing play.

Of course there are a few programs like "High stakes Poker," the Full tilt "cash game," and the Party Poker "Million Dollar cash Game” that do a much better job of showing realistic hands. Even so these are games by pros against other pros. Some may Remember Phil Ivey laying down Kings against Brian Townsend on High Stakes Poker, or even more startling David Williams mucking a set to a big raise in Binion’s cash game. Phil was wrong. David was right. In most local games you seldom see players lay down hands that might be a winner.

Recently while discussing poker with a friend, he suggested that I might be wrong by suggesting super tight play. After all, players on TV played almost any two cards. If they do it, why shouldn't he play Q-6 suited?

I responded quickly. "They don't play with Killer, or any of the other yahoos we sit down with once a week.” Some of you may have got a good description of our home game in “Defying the Poker Odds.”

Like the expert swordsman, the expert poker player is always in peril from the absolute beginner. The expert simply doesn’t know what to expect. In your local game or online at your favorite site like Everest Poker or BoDog Poker “A, B, C poker” works best. Don't get fancy. It won't work.

"Never try to bluff a stump." - T

GL
jb