Picking Your Spots

When people talk about picking your spots, they usually are thinking of just game selection. Game selection is very important, but it isn’t everything. I mean, you may be picking good games, but even though there are bad or very loose players in the game, they still may be better than you, or the game may be too high for you to survive the swings that you will experience.

The first factor to determine is what game you should be playing. If you’ve been playing for a while, you probably already know your best game. If not, you probably should start with limit hold’em. You won’t go broke because of one mistake in limit, as you can in no-limit.

You should get plenty of hands in before making the jump to no-limit, which I believe should be your ultimate goal. When I say plenty, I mean a good 20,000-30,000 hands, at least. This sounds like a lot, and it is a fairly large number, but you can reach it in six months of full-time live play. You can achieve it much sooner online.

The reason I say no-limit hold’em should be your ultimate goal is that this is the game that’s spread in most locations around the country — around the world, actually; not to mention that most all of the championship tournaments are no-limit hold’em.

Once you’ve settled on a game, you’ll need to determine the limit or blinds level that you should be playing. You should always keep a portion of your money separate for gambling, and don’t commingle you poker bankroll with your ordinary monies. Gamblers Anonymous says that this is one of the signs that you are a problem gambler, but, in fact, the exact opposite is true.

If you are playing poker with your rent money, or monies earmarked for something else, you may have a problem. Separating a poker bankroll will help to keep you from losing monies that you and your family need to survive. It works both ways, also; you don’t want to spend your bankroll. For example, a plumber has his tools to work. He doesn’t pawn or trade them for things that he might want. Then, he would be unable to do his job properly. The same is true for poker players. We need separate money (a bankroll) to do our jobs properly.

The limit or blinds level that you should be playing is determined primarily by the size of your bankroll. If you play too small, it might not hold your interest; too big, and the swings will probably sink you. If you have a job and can replace your bankroll fairly easily, I would suggest the following: For limit, a good rule of thumb is that you should have approximately 300 big bets. So, if you’re playing $10-$20 limit hold’em, you should have at least $6,000; for no-limit, approximately nine or 10 buy-ins. Most buy-ins should be about 100 times the big blind. So, if you were playing $3-$6 no-limit hold’em, you would need at least $6,000.

Now, remember that this is if you have a job or some other type of cash flow. If you don’t, these numbers should be approximately tripled: limit, about 1,000 big bets, and no-limit, about 25 buy-ins. So, in $10-$20 limit hold’em, you should have $20,000, and in $3-$6 no-limit, about $15,000.

With these figures, I’m also assuming that you are a good player who’s capable of beating these games. If you aren’t, no amount of math or bankroll management can help you. You’ll just have to improve or move down until you find a limit that you can beat. If you are highly skilled, you may be able to play with a smaller bankroll than others.

So, now that you have your game and limit figured out, the next step is location. Your choices generally will be brick-and-mortar casinos, home games, or online. Where you live will play a big role in your decision here. Also, the more games that are in your range, the better. That way, you can pick a game when you start playing, and move if it gets tough.

If you choose to play online, stay away from play-money games unless you are just trying to get the hang of the way the game works: the blinds, how the button moves, who’s first to act, and so on. Beyond that, you will just pick up bad habits. And as far as bankroll management goes, you’ll need at least double, if not three times, the bankroll size that you’ll need in live games. The reason? Online games move about three times faster than live games.

If you choose home games, you might want to check on the legality of them in your area. These games are sometimes raided by the police, and while the players are often let go, they are sometimes arrested or given tickets. Also, be cautious if you don’t know the men running the game. They might be cheaters. True, you can be cheated anywhere, but it’s most prevalent in home games. Home games also get robbed occasionally, so beware.

Good old-fashioned casinos may be your best choice. Security is usually good, as they don’t want their customers robbed or cheated. There is also the social element in a casino or home game that is missing online. Also, casino games usually run 24 hours a day, so there’s no need to wait for a game to start. Again, you’ll want as many games as possible in your range to be at the casino that you choose.

In my next column, I’ll discuss game selection. ♠

Todd Brunson has been a professional poker player for more than 20 years. While primarily a cash-game player, he still has managed to win 18 major tournaments, for more than $3.5 million. He has won one bracelet and cashed 25 times at the World Series of Poker. You can play with Todd online at DoylesRoom.com or live at his tournament, The Todd Brunson Montana Poker Challenge, in Bigfork, Montana. Check his website, ToddBrunson.com, for details.