How to profit from every cash table session
An intention to profit from cash table poker is laudable though not
unique; most players begin every cash table session with the intention
to profit, however there has to be winners and losers. One sure fire
winner is the house and that is not a criticism; it is because they
provide the place to play, that successful players have the
opportunity to profit. While it is unfeasible to make a cash profit at
every table, it is possible to profit from every session provided that
you understand what counts as profit.
Looking for the cash profit
Decision making and adapting to changing situations will have the
largest impact on a player’s profit and loss from cash table poker.
The successful player can credit part of their cash profit to
decisions made before beginning a cash table session, appreciative of
the importance of where, what, when and if to play poker.
‘Where and what’ is dictated by personal choice; live or online poker,
game and format preference. Careful table selection ensures facing a
mix of profitable opponents. The decision of ‘when and if’ to play
embraces the idea that certain times of the day are more profitable
than others. Those choices also recognize the options to not play
poker if in the wrong frame of mind and sitting out or cashing out,
when the table character changes and is no longer profitable to
continue.
Today’s online poker player has a huge advantage over the live player
in terms of table choice. With hundreds of online rooms, players may flit from one table to another or stay seated for the
long haul. Some enter a game short stacked, reloading or reseating if
it doesn’t work out. Others think it more profitable to play deeper.
The buy-in, relative to the stakes and other player’s stacks should be
part of a considered game strategy.
Avoid a preoccupation with cash profit
If the thought of a cash profit from every session develops into a
fixation, the poker table time will be mightily stressful and a bad
beat or dry run may put a player on tilt, often leading to greater
losses.
Also, a player may have taken an early loss and recouped it an hour
later. If obsessed with a cash profit, that player then leaves a table
with mixed feelings of relief and justification of their poker skill.
In doing so they may have stifled a more profitable scenario.
In a more profitable scenario, if a player recoups a loss they have
demonstrated to the table that they are a ‘player.’ If they continue,
not only will they have the respect of the table for their skill, but
others may conceive they have hit the mythical hot seat (both of which
are worth a bluff or two). When running good - keep running.
A cash table profit preoccupation may also affect a player’s decision
to either play a hand they shouldn’t (if chasing their losses) or
fold a hand they would ordinarily play (when trying to preserve their
gain). The same applies if active in a hand; paying over the odds for
one or more cards which may turn the hand in their favour, or folding
too early instead of drawing with good odds.
Cash profit is good, but making correct decisions is more important.
Ending a session
The long term profit, break-even or loss that identifies a player’s
skill is not measured by one session of play. Fifty thousand hands is
a realistic baseline to determine an average return. That is a lot of
poker, but for a successful player with a long term profitable game,
it is only through today’s ‘luck of the cards’ that fate has decided
how the session will finish.
For some the decision of when to end a session is easy; once they have
reached a profit or loss limit. Many others have a less fixed idea,
they take a seat and see how it goes; both are good, but neither
ensures a cash profit from every session. If playing to a time frame,
while there is no guarantee of profit for the successful poker player,
there is still the opportunity.
The requirement for a successful player to profit is simply to keep
playing, so their usual time to end a session is when an allotted time
to play is up. There is of course an early closing caveat which
involves visiting a bar to celebrate or drown their sorrows on those
occasional days when reaching a profit or loss limit.
Ending a session without a cash profit
On the days when a poker player makes a financial loss, the time may
still be considered successful, as profit can be gained from every
cash table session in other ways.
Frequent Player Points earned while playing online and Comp Points
earned in casinos, return a relatively small profit. Frequent Player
Points may be used to buy-in to Frequent Player Point tournaments
which pay out in dollars or satellite tickets. A number of places
offer rakeback deals; the rakeback amount relates closely to Frequent
Player Points, but more usefully are paid in cash. Frequent Player
Points may also buy cool poker merchandise.
No matter if a session ends in profit, break-even or with a loss,
profit is always offered in the form of information of how others
play; while that knowledge may not have helped that day, it will on
another. Players also have the opportunity to learn about and further
refine their own game whenever they play. Information about yourself
and others is pure profit.
Even without gaining Frequent Player Points or learning anything, a
long term successful player’s losing day can still be thought of as
profitable, because they could have been further down but for their
skill. Whenever a player cashes out their remaining chips they have
profited, because if not the loss would have been greater.
The biggest profit is the time itself; just the experience of poker
shared with like minded people is cool. Yeah sure we all get the odd
bad day and curse our luck, but when poker is good it’s very very good
and when it is bad… well there is always tomorrow.
Poker is best played as affordable enjoyment; playing at an
appropriate stake level will maximise the profitability of the time,
while lessening the financial and emotional effects of a losing
session. Always play within your
bankroll. |
