I have always been a strong advocate of learning as many games as you can; not just all of the varieties of poker, but any gambling game you find interesting.
In some ways, this is a "mission impossible." You could spend 18 hours a day on chess, or bridge, or Go, or golf, and still not attain mastery. So, let's say that you decide to focus on poker. That is still a daunting assignment, so you decide to specialize. You see that no-limit hold'em is the most popular game right now, so you dedicate yourself to no-limit hold'em. But no-limit hold'em comes in several varieties. You can play cash games or tournaments. You can play live (brick-and-mortar casino) games or online. It is possible to break these categories down into even smaller segments, but for right now, let's stick with these classifications. Look at the following grid:
These four boxes each represent a variety of no-limit hold'em. To earn the most money, you should try to maximize the amount of time you spend playing the variation that enables you to make the best use of your strengths.
Column I: If your main strength is discipline - that is, the ability to play a steady game even after a tough beat or a lucky win - you should focus on cash games. Another skill that benefits a cash-game player is the ability to become really good at one particular game structure. If you master the $5-$10 blinds structure, the appropriate amounts to bet or raise will become almost automatic. You never have to play a short stack if you don't want to; you can always add chips after a loss. Another very important skill for the cash player to master is game selection. The most successful players always strive to play in the weakest games. Remember, you can change tables or quit whenever you want (luxuries that tournament play doesn't offer.) If the game becomes strong or you start to get tired, you can always take a break or end the session.
Column II: Discipline is not that big an issue in tournaments. Many very successful tournament players are loose and aggressive. They also may steam, tilt, or lose control after a few unlucky hands. This isn't a severe problem in tournaments, since you are usually knocked out by the unlucky hands. A tournament player must be much more flexible. If your skills include the ability to play with and against huge stacks and small stacks, with just blinds and also with antes and blinds, with full tables or shorthanded, and you can quickly learn to read strangers, tournaments are perfect. A tournament player also must have a lot of stamina. You will have to be prepared for 14- or 15-hour days. Often, your most crucial decisions will come near the end of a long, tiring day. Bathroom and meal breaks are scheduled, and very often don't occur when you want or need them. A tournament player also must have the financial and mental strength to withstand long, dry periods.
Row I: Live play has some big advantages for players whose strengths are psychological. If you are good at reading and manipulating other players, play live games. If you like the social aspects of poker, and don't mind some traveling to get them, you certainly should play live. I have to admit that I have become sort of a poker tourist. I love traveling, and I'm able to schedule a lot of trips around tournaments. I will soon be off to London (European Poker Tour), and then Paris and Barcelona (World Poker Tour). I find that this is a wonderful lifestyle, but it is also a very expensive one. Live players often get the benefits of free drinks and other comps, and in many casino venues, drunken maniacs occasionally wander in from the pit and spread their money around. Big buy-in live tournaments are your best chance for a television appearance and a huge win.
Row II: If you like convenience and the comforts of home, play online. Online play is especially good for players whose strengths include technically sound play. Mathematics overwhelms psychology in online play. Online play also requires some reasonable degree of facility with the computer. If you are a quick thinker, you can play multiple tables and an incredible number of hands per hour. This enables you to increase your earnings without increasing your variance. Online poker offers a huge selection of games and events from which to choose. It is easy to play short sessions, without any time wasted traveling or waiting for a seat. An Internet connection is a lot cheaper than traveling, and no matter how many winners you have in a row, you never have to tip the computer dealer.
I will leave it to you to put the rows and columns together to figure out where you are best off spending your time. It is also possible to reverse the process. Decide where you most like to spend your time, and work to develop the strengths that lead to success in that particular area.
Steve "Zee" Zolotow, aka The Bald Eagle, is a successful games player. He currently devotes most of his time to poker. He can be found at many major tournaments and playing on Full Tilt, as one of its pros. When escaping from poker, he hangs out in his bars on Avenue A - Nice Guy Eddie's on Houston and Doc Holliday's on 9th St. - in New York City.
