The Hybrid Approach

“Coleman, what about lunch? The lobster or the cracked crab?”

“Can’t we have both?”

“Why not? Lobster and cracked crab for everyone!”

— From the movie Trading Place

I hear this question asked often: “Do you play live or online?” It seems like most players I know typically answer with one or the other. Rarely do they answer, “Both.” I’m not talking about recreational players, nor am I referring to the big-name pros who comprise the top 0.01 percent of the poker world. I’m talking about the daily grinders, such as myself, who play for a living and rely on their poker income to pay the bills.

To some degree, it’s to be expected that most players choose one or the other. Most cardroom regulars have decided on live games as a matter of preference, and therefore aren’t usually interested in online play. Online players would probably be willing to play live if the circumstances made it worthwhile, but too often, they are trying to achieve one milestone or another. If they’re going for something like Supernova Elite on PokerStars, or the highest level of Black Card on Full Tilt, they can’t afford to spread their play around.

The players who are capable of that level of play comprise a very small percentage of full-time poker players, but there are plenty of others trying to collect money from a given site’s rake race or some similar promotion. Thus, they too are in the position of wanting to put all of their work hours in on one site, and don’t care to “waste” any time in a cardroom.

I’ve discovered that I have a different mindset. I’ll explain briefly how I reached that point, and why I’ve decided that playing half the time live and half the time online is likely my best approach, and perhaps yours, as well.

I was a prop player at the Oaks Card Club in Emeryville, California, for eight years. During that time, I propped for 32 hours per week, and spent another 20 hours per week playing online. In four of my eight years, I made more money in my 20 online hours than in my 32 live ones, even when I included my salary as a prop. Once I realized that, I decided to try playing exclusively online to see what would happen.

After 18 months of full-time online play, I have realized that I was probably better off with my original approach. In general, the extra online hours did not translate into greater profits. I have not had a losing month, and in general have done just fine, but I’ve also had two months in which I made less than $1,000, and that doesn’t pay too many bills. It’s better than losing, but not by much.

Should I have seen this coming? Perhaps. I knew that this would be an experiment, and I didn’t blindly expect it to be a smashing success. In fact, it was clear going in that there were three things working against me:

1. When I was playing online 20 hours per week, I had chosen ideal hours. I would play two or three hours most weeknights, and 10 to 12 hours on Sundays. Those were the hours with the softest games, so it’s not surprising that my results were strong. As a full-time online player, I still spend about 12 hours working each Sunday, but now I’m putting in additional hours on weekday afternoons, when the games are much tougher. Therefore, it’s no surprise that those extra hours are not generating anything close to the profits that were coming from the original 20 hours.
2. It was easy to maintain mental focus when I knew that I’d be playing for only two or three hours on a given night. In fact, I really looked forward to coming home and putting in those hours before going to sleep. That same feeling of anticipation is no longer there. I know that when I log on, I’m going to be settling in for a long session. Not only has it been more mentally draining, I’ve also found myself very tired near the end of my sessions, which has unquestionably hurt my results.
3. As a prop player, I was not able to choose which games I played. More than half the time, I was in a game that I would not have chosen on my own. Therefore, it’s no surprise that my 20 hours online — when I could choose exactly what and where I played — were more productive than my 32 hours of propping, when I played in whatever game I was placed.

I knew these things going in, but still felt that I had to try making it as a full-time online pro. Now, I think I’m better off with the hybrid approach; namely, spending four hours in a cardroom, then going home and spending four hours online. I still spend my Sundays entirely online, but my weekdays are half and half. I’ve been doing it for two months now, and my improved state of mind has been noticeable, not just to me, but to those around me, as well.

Am I giving up anything with my new approach? Not really. I need to allot an extra hour each day for driving, but on the other hand, I’m getting out of the house for a few hours each day, which I wasn’t always doing before. It’s not a benefit that can be measured in dollars and cents, but getting out of the house like a normal human being definitely helps my well-being. I’m foregoing any chance of reaching Supernova Elite or getting the top-level Black Card, but I wasn’t on a pace to get either of those anyway. I’m not someone who can productively play 12 tables at once. I still have Supernova, and may decide to go for my Black Card, but either of those, I can do by playing four hours per day.

I understand that certain players want to achieve the premium milestones, and if they can do it, more power to them. If you think you can obtain Supernova Elite status, and you’re going to spend the year pursuing it, this column obviously wasn’t for you. But for the majority of players, the hybrid approach is a viable option. Assuming that you live in an area with an easily accessible cardroom, there is nothing stopping you from spending half of your time there and half of your time in front of your computer (or whatever percentages suit you). It will probably lead to higher-quality work in both of your workplaces; at least it has for me.

Then, when someone asks you if you play live or online, you can reply, “Can’t I do both?” ♠

Matt Lessinger is the author of The Book of Bluffs: How to Bluff and Win at Poker, available everywhere. You can find other articles of his at www.CardPlayer.com.