The State of Low- and Medium-Limit Hold'em Today

Hi. Come on in. Special treat today – I've made hot Reuben sandwiches. The best pastrami, tastiest provolone, sourest sauerkraut, and some Thousand Island dressing, all heated to just the right degree of flaming hot. Bib up and dig in.

My research for today's chat was done in the poker emporiums of Las Vegas during the past three months. It includes games from $1-$3 up to $10-$20.



Despite the availability of several dozen new books on hold'em, the skill level of today's players ranges from good to awful. Many times I've seen showdowns with six players in the pot and none of them had a hand they should have been playing before the flop. But, someone has to win – and the winners were glowing.



Many, many players will start with any hand containing an ace or king and stay to the river, hoping to pair up. And then they blame the dealer when they don't win. If they had purchased any of the available hold'em books, they would know that's a good way to deplete your bankroll.



Many players, too many, are just playing by the seat of their pants, with no specific strategy in mind. They're guessing, with a minimum of poker knowledge, and don't seem to be willing to get more. For many players who do buy a book, they read it once and think they've "got it." It's obvious that they haven't "got it." At the table, they are just guessing. For those of you in that category, here's an interesting idea: Having spent the money for the book, learn from the book.


Experienced players are doing well against the newer players, but even many of them continue to play with the bad habits accumulated over years of play. (Most difficult to teach, by the way, are older players who have years of bad habits. They want to argue.)



Many of the new players appear to have learned their hold'em strategy by watching television – which is a good way to go broke in limit hold'em. In fact, lesson one to my students is, "Anything you have learned about playing hold'em by watching television – forget it!" It's a different game, requiring a different strategy. (I'm not a no-limit player, so I can't testify to the level of play in our local cardrooms.)



New players don't know what they are up against when playing with veteran players, and they have little chance other than getting lucky. But, they're having fun splashing around. I do see an occasional young guy who has obviously studied the game but is much too serious, with his Adam's apple tucked under his chin, waiting for the nuts. Lighten up.



In one room where I played, with limits of $3-$6, every hand was raised and reraised before the flop at one table, with few of the players having raised with legitimate raising hands. By contrast, two tables over, in another $3-$6 game, all was quiet, with lots of calling and little raising.



Money is mostly just being traded back and forth. He who gets lucky wins.



Often, there will be a very lively player driving the dynamics of the game. He likes to raise every pot preflop just for the fun of raising. "Let's have some action here, folks; let's play." Almost every hand is raised, not necessarily with raising hands, but for the fun and for the action. If it is raised before it gets to him, he's going to reraise, just because it's fun to say "reraise" and see the reaction of the other players, whether they approve or disapprove. With a few of these players, the game becomes a free-for-all. Many players get dragged into the action. A quiet player who wins a big pot often becomes one of the leaders of the action. Others are sitting, waiting, and hoping, hoping, hoping to get a piece of the action. Several of my telephone students from different parts of the country confirm that the play is the same in their areas. When these players leave, the entire game changes. Now, it becomes just a regular game with few raises and lots of calling with weak hands. These players came to play, not to watch.



Some of our Las Vegas poker rooms seem to function as a social club for many of the players. They see friends, catch up on family news, get a comp meal, and play some poker while they're at it. Nice.



My research was limited to daytime and early evening play, so I can't say what is happening late at night.



The bottom line is, if you are willing to read and study, there is money to be made today in low- and medium-limit hold'em games.



One day soon I'll make this same report for seven-card stud.



I'll bet your grandmother never made such a good Reuben sandwich. I know my granny didn't. Now I tire and require repose. Take that last sandwich for your breakfast and kill the light on your way out.

Roy West, best-selling poker author, continues giving his successful poker lessons in Las Vegas for both tourists and locals. Roy's toll-free number is 800-548-6177 ext. 03. In Las Vegas call 873-7574.