|
Many
years ago, when I was young, writing sports in Colorado and working
on a very tight budget, the only gambling I did was in occasional
nickel-ante poker games. I won some and lost some--I was neither
the best player at the table, nor the worst.
As in many low stakes, amateur games, there was
a lot of bluffing. I was modestly successful at it, but there was
one player--the guy who won all the time--who I could never bluff
out of a pot. One hand seemed a perfect set-up. I had a killer hand
on board, but nothing in the hole, while my opponent had so-so cards.
By all rights, he should have folded, but didn't, and he won. I
asked why, and fortunately, he was honest with me.
"You really want to know? It's because you
can't trust you."
Even for that game, I was bluffing too much, and
playing too many hands. It didn't matter with most of the guys,
but the best player in the game had picked up on it.
That may be an extreme case, but playing too many
hands is a prime mistake players make in games at any level, as
Fred Renzey deftly points out in his latest book, 77 Ways to Get
the Edge at Casino Poker ($14.95, Bonus Books). Renzey is a top-notch
poker player, and he passes along some timely tips in the latest
of Bonus' Frank Scoblete Get-the-Edge guides.
Renzey opens with a section of poker concepts applicable
to any game, including the point that playing too many hands is
hazardous to your bankroll. He focuses on poker as a game of skill--far
more than at any other casino game, the best results will go to
the best players. It's more than knowing when to hold 'em and when
to fold 'em, it's knowing when to raise and when to call, when to
be the aggressor, when pot odds might change your play.
With the those basics underscored, Renzey then moves
on to strategies for specific games--seven-card stud, Texas Hold
'em, seven-card stud high-low 8s or better and Omaha high-low 8s
or better. Then he wraps it all up with a chapter called "Things
You Can't Read in a Book"--except this one, of course--with
little hints about recognizing special situations and knowing what
your opponents are up to.
For recreational players who want to improve their
games, 77 Ways to Get the Edge at Casino Poker is a good, solid
grounding in the game.
|
