More on limit poker

Note that this is about limit poker, not No Limit, which is so popular on TV. Frankly, I think No Limit is ruining poker. First because it is much like flying. Hours and hours of boredom followed by minutes of stark terror, aka "thrills."

Secondly because too many poor players are playing it and losing too much money. That reduces the number of players, and that limits the number of tables and that limits the money the card room can make. Casinos don't believe in losing money. Especially when they can fill the space with One Armed Bandits. But I digress.

So you have had a few good hands beat by better hands and maybe better play. You’re in a tidy sum and the game has become progressively tighter as the other good players savior their win. And then he appears.

The Idiot.

A cheerful sort he returns all the greetings with a smile, buys some chips and sets himself down. Ah, you say to yourself, I have been rescued.

But you haven’t.

He cracks your pocket Aces with a 45 off suit. Your trip 10’s lose to his 96 when the river rings an 8. In the meantime he keeps smiling and stacking. Winning with trash on the river…. He is enjoying what is known as a “rush.” He has been hit with the “deck.”

Of course, everyone knows, he will “give it back.” The question is when, and to whom.

Now, if you play every day the odds are that you may get some of it. But if you are a recreational player, the odds are that you won’t be back tomorrow, or the day after…. The question is, what should a poor poker player do?

Take a long break. Quit for a few hours. Go to dinner. Go out to the parking lot and scream. Quit poker.

Or if you want to play and have a hand you want to play.

First, don’t raise in late position. All you do is entice him to call and, at the same time, bring in other players who might have mucked their hands but who now will play because of the pot odds. I mean how many people do you want in the hand with your KK? Oh. I know you’re supposed to raise to get people out, but a raise can also bring people in, especially if they are already in for one bet with six others. Your position raise merely makes a bigger pot and if you are not running well, you are increasing the competition by getting more people dedicated to playing to the river.

Secondly, do raise if you are acting almost directly behind The Idiot and have players behind you who have no money invested in the pot. This is especially true if The Idiot has demonstrated that he will almost always re-raise. The good players will know that they aren’t calling two bets, but three, maybe four if you re-raise.

Then just call to the river, or when you decide you are beat and fold, or better yet, when you are very sure you have him, raise and then value bet the river.

Now notice you have also done something else. You have limited the size of the pot, so even if he wins, he wins less. Remember, he isn’t playing the cards, he’s playing chips. By reducing the chips he can win you will gradually force him to buy more chips as the “rush” ends. At that point the question is, how much money does he want to dump in the game.

And remember. Keep smiling. Both when you are losing and when you are winning.