Specialize or Diversify?

Not all poker is created equal. Poker is a generic term for many similar and dissimilar games, and some require very differing skill sets to play well. The "games within the game" have different dynamics requiring vastly different knowledge. Yeah, some poker skills are universally transferable, but there are many more subtle differences. Playing no-limit hold'em tournaments is different from playing no-limit hold'em cash games; playing limit hold'em is vastly different than no-limit. And then there are high-low split games, stud games, community board games, not to mention badugi and Chinese poker. Many excellent players win in one arena, but get spanked in another. Good tournament players lose in live games against the same players they beat in tourneys. Good no-limit players get crushed in limit, and vice versa - and so on.

There is one school of thought that a poker player should make the effort to learn all games at a high level. The strength of that argument is that you can take advantage of any and all opportunities that present themselves, and be in a position to pick and choose the best-value games. Learning to play all games well increases a poker player's options greatly, thus increasing earning potential. The concept has other value, also: It makes poker more interesting and varied, reducing the likelihood of poker burnout, which can be fatal to your poker game. Also, the diversity enables you to play wherever a game can be found. You have greater game selection, and are able to pick off a wider variety of potentially rich situations.

The variety question goes beyond live or tournament, and stud, triple draw, Omaha, or hold'em. It also includes live or online, and the choice of room or state or sites. Lots of players who headed for greener pastures in Phoenix are finding their way back to Vegas and L.A. as money in Arizona tightens, for example. Ring game, shorthanded, or heads up? The multitude of variables for those who opt to diversify is significant.

The major disadvantage of the "do-it-all" approach is that it takes a very talented human being. Plus, it takes a huge amount of work to achieve and maintain that high and varied level of skill. For most people who actualize this approach, it consumes much of their lives.

There is another school of thought that a poker player should pick a game type in which he thinks he will excel, one in which the skill sets required of the game match up well with his skill sets, and study it intensely and become the best that he can be at it. Specializing in that manner enables you to become better at the form of poker that you play best, rather than spreading your time and energy resources to learn all games. Some poker players have the capabilities to be good in one form of poker, but may not possess the natural skill sets required to be good at another game. By focusing all of your energies on your best game, you can take on most all competition, maintain an edge even when things are not optimal, and spend less time and energy learning and maintaining skill sets.

The difference in the demand level to learn and maintain these skill sets enables you to spend time and energy on other pursuits, like family, business, or whatever else makes you happy. While taking this approach may limit your potential profit in poker, as a holistic approach to integrating poker into your life, it can produce a vastly superior lifestyle, and by decreasing the demands of poker on your life, increase your longevity.

Phil Ivey is an example of a great poker player who diversifies and plays multiple facets of poker at world-class levels. Ring games, shorthanded, tourneys, you name it, he seems to clobber his opponents wherever he plays. Chris Ferguson is an example of a great player who specializes in tournaments, which fits his love and study of game theory. Chris crushes the tournament circuit, yet still finds time to enjoy and pursue other highly skilled endeavors, from business (he has a Ph.D. in computer science and is a major promotional figure for Full Tilt) to ballroom dancing (he's world-class) and chopping carrots in two with playing cards (yeah, he's a little different!).

A good cash player can win significantly more of his sessions, making for a better mental state and disposition. Some players have photographic recall and are better at games in which memory skills are more important. Some players live for the "all-in moment," while others detest the hours of boredom in between the moments of anxiety. Some players want a varied life, while others can live with a more one-dimensional lifestyle devoted to a given goal.

Some players love the allure of fame and fortune that is available with tournament success. Others just want to pay their bills, or make a few bucks on the side as recreation. Psychologically, losing most of the time wears on some tourney players. Some players like putting in their 1,000 hands a day on the Internet, while others perform better in a live environment. The choice is a personal one.

I have made my own niche in middle-limit hold'em cash games, from $20-$40 through $80-$160. It's worked for me. From time to time, I have mulled expanding my repertoire, and have even put some effort into no-limit cash games, mostly online. But even with my extensive poker experience, the work effort required to master a new game at a professional level is daunting.

I have witnessed enormous changes in poker. I think the external legal, technological, economic, and cultural variables affecting the game bode well for the intermediate term. After every contraction comes an expansion. Making a decision to be a specialist or generalist and running with it will leave you best positioned to take advantage of the next boom when it comes. And with new national leadership, it may come sooner than you think!

Roy Cooke has played winning professional poker since 1972, and has been a Card Player columnist since 1992. He serves as a freelance consultant to the I-poker industry and has a successful Las Vegas real estate brokerage. His longtime collaborator, John Bond, is a freelance writer in South Florida. Their newest play-of-hands book, How to Play Like a Poker Pro, is available at www.ConJelCo.com. Please see Roy's real estate ad on this page.