Poker advice

Every single poker book will tell you to not play or at the very least just play against poor players when you are not feeling your best and in all honesty this can't be argued with. Unfortunately the reality is for a lot of players the only chance you may get to play is for an hour or two in the night maybe you're tired after getting back from work but you are still keen to play and there may not be enough hours in the week for a more suitable time, or maybe you've had a glass of wine with your dinner with your partner and she/he is gone out shopping and now you have the house to yourself and have that valued time to play poker.

In other words the reality of life means we are not always at our best at the limited times we have for playing poker, even still maybe we shouldn't play but we're gamblers, we're poker players it's hard to resist sometimes and when we play online it's just too easy sometimes to just go ahead and play even after a drink or two.

Again do not misunderstand me I am not recommending it's ok to play under these circumstances but again the reality for some of you is that you will play in games below your very best at least some of the time. So if you are going to commit one of the cardinal sins of poker and I believe it's one that over 90% of players do to some degree what is it you should do to minimize the damage and perhaps even come out on top. I recommend avoiding shorthand like the plague especially if you are under the influence or feeling more than just a little tired. In shorthand play you have less time to think. You are involved a hell of a lot more and there is all round more pressure on you. If you are not feeling you're best in this you need to have very weak opposition indeed. I also recommend avoiding no limit tournaments where just one mistake and you can be out.

If playing when your faculties could be better, it is best to find a ring game with at least 7 opponents and preferably the full 9 opponents giving you more time to consider your decisions and less intensity than the turbulent short handed tables. Pick a table where you know there are at least 2 or 3 weak players and lastly try to play in a table where the stakes are at the low end of what you normally play for. Also consciously remember that when you have drink on board that you are going to be rasher, make a conscious decision to bluff that little bit less than usual and in general play to the conservative side of your game.

Finally though I still think you should avoid playing when not at your best, feeling just slightly tired or maybe after 1 alcoholic drink may be ok if you can stick to the advice given, under worse circumstances than this then maybe you should really just wait another day. Whatever about playing when you're tired or maybe not as stone cold sober as you should be I think the worst time of all to play is when you are emotionally upset, your decision making can be all over the place and you can be more affected than you are even aware. Then when things go pear shaped on the poker table too, what a downer that can be.

In summing it up then I say absolutely never play when emotionally upset. Do not play if you have had enough alcohol to make you merry. Do not play if even after that second cup of coffee, you can't keep your eyes open. Overall I never recommend playing when outside influences are too much of a distraction.

In other words the reality of life means we are not always at our best at the limited times we have for playing poker, even still maybe we shouldn't play but we're gamblers, we're poker players it's hard to resist sometimes and when we play online it's just too easy sometimes to just go ahead and play even after a drink or two.

Senior Poker Columnist
Barry O'Callaghan
www.firbolg.com

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