Top 10 Things Every Poker Player Should Be Aware Of: Part 2 of 3

In Part 1 of this series I listed the first three things poker players need to be aware of: The importance of kickers; the price of the rake; and the difference between raised pots and limped pots. Part 2 continues our list starting with #4:

4.      The outcome doesn’t matter

One aspect of poker that ruins many a poker career is the inability to keep your emotions out of the game. You always have to remember that in poker it’s making the correct decision that is important; the actual result doesn’t really matter in the long-run. When you make the right decision you win (in the long-run) and when you make the wrong decision you lose (again in the long-run); whatever the outcome of a single hand happens to be it simply doesn’t matter in the grand scheme of things.

5.      Risk to Reward

Poker players will tell you that when you have the edge you push it, but this advice isn’t always sound. Consider the times when you have a small edge, like a pair of 6’s vs. AK, but the situation is for your tournament life in the early stages of a tournament; it’s at these times that you must consider your risk to reward.

Other examples of risk to reward include playing with too much of your bankroll on the line, or playing in a game that might be within your bankroll, but outside of the losses you feel comfortable taking.

6.      Tight play vs. Loose play

Playing tight makes for easier decisions, since you’re only playing the best hands: Playing looser means your hand’s value is more marginal and will require flawless play to show a profit. Even if a tight player is making some mistakes -which new players often do-the hands they are playing will still be profitable, just not as profitable if they played them perfectly. On the other hand, those same small mistakes with marginal hands will turn them into long-term losers, and since you are playing more hands, you will make more mistakes.

A loose style of play requires near flawless execution to be profitable.

7.      The difference between ‘Outs’ and ‘Clean Outs’

This problem plagues a lot of players; far too many players miscalculate their actual outs by counting cards that improve their hand, but also improve another player’s hand even more. For instance, if you have Jc-Th and the board is 9h-Qc-2c you have to consider the real possibility that you only have 6 outs instead of 8 for your straight draw, since the 8c and Kc could potentially make someone a flush. With each additional player in the pot this is especially true. In these circumstances you may want to calculate your outs as 6 “Clean Outs” and 2 “Possible Outs”; or some players choose to downplay the possible outs by counting the 2 Possible Outs as a single out.