Discipline: Part VIII

This is the eighth of a series of columns on discipline, which is essential for anyone who wants to be a professional poker player. So far, I have discussed avoiding tilt, finding good games, physical conditioning, and begun the discussion of mental conditioning. First, I looked at general mental conditioning—how to you’re your mind sharp. Then, I looked at poker specific conditioning—ways to study poker. Today, I am going to continue the discussion of poker conditioning.

This last column was devoted to various ways of studying poker. If you have tried to study poker, and found it to be like many academic disciplines, you are not alone. Many players say, “studying is boring, and even if it weren’t, I’ll never have enough time to do all the studying recommended.” Just try to do something even if you can’t do everything. Take some small steps to improve. Spend 15 minutes a day or an hour a week on poker studies. I hope you have been doing some studying and will continue to do more. In this column, I am going to discuss practicing poker. In some ways it is a lot more fun than studying. It is also essential to creating and developing “a poker mind.”

The way to practice poker is to play some short sessions with very specific goals. These sessions will focus on very specific aspects of the game, not on winning during that session. Therefore, it is better to play for a smaller stake than usual. Here are some of the most valuable practice sessions.

Wild Man: Play virtually every hand that is marginally playable, and a few that aren’t. Raise a lot. Bluff a lot. This is one of the most valuable practices. To survive as a wild man, you must learn to escape when you are beaten, win the maximum when you have the best hand (thin value bets), bluff at every “orphan pot,” and generally play every hand well. You will also get an appreciation for how maniacs play, and have a better idea how to play against them. Don’t forget to return to your normal starting requirements when you play for higher stakes.

The Rock: This is the mirror opposite of the Wild Man. Don’t play any hands except pocket aces. For one hour, fold every hand. Then, at the end of an hour, bluff at your first reasonable opportunity. Being able to play a tight game is necessary in cash games and the early stages of tournaments. This exercise will show how little it costs to fold. For example, in a $1-$2 blind no-limit hold’em game, with a $200 stack, you might have to put in eight sets of blinds, costing $24. You’ll still have nearly your whole starting stack. Also pay attention to how the other players react to your tight play. Do they make comments like, “I wish I could get the hand you’re waiting for?” Do they try to bluff you? Are they nasty? When you finally play a hand, do they get out of your way?

Mini-Ball: In this exercise, you always make small bets and raises, frequently the minimum allowed. Focus on what strategies your opponents adopt against you. One student playing $1-$2 raised to $4 with Q J from under the gun. After several players limped, the button raised to $15, and five players called. The flop was 7-4-4 rainbow, and she bet $4 into a $75 pot. Amazingly, everyone folded.

Maxi-Ball: Again this is the mirror image of the previous strategy. Now always bet or raise the largest reasonable amount. Again, focus on how your opponents react. Do they only play strong hands? Do they three-bet bluff? If you bluff the river with a bet that is twice the size of the pot, will they only call with the nuts?

Costumes/Images: Try to find a game in a venue where no one knows you. Your mission is to create different table images. Then see if different outfits cause your opponents to react differently. One day try torn jeans and t-shirt. Wear cheap sunglasses and drink beer (or at least pretend to drink it.) Talk about hoping to win enough to pay the rent before they kick you out of the Motel 6. The next time, wear a suit with a fancy watch, and ask if they have single malt scotch or Cristal champagne. Discuss how much you’re making in the market. See if you can create two completely different table images, and again see how the opponents react.

Observation: You objective is to focus on one area of reading your opponents. For example, take an hour to watch their hands and how they handle their chips. Or take an hour to focus on their eyes, or their posture, or any other physical aspect. Try to correlate behaviors to hands. You may find that you’re suddenly able to read your opponents better than you ever could before.

There are many other exercises or poker practices you can try. Select something you’d like to improve at or to explore. Try an hour where you three-bet a lot more than usual. Try a day with more bluffs or with no bluffs. Play games you don’t usually play. Try heads-up no-limit hold’em or seven-card stud or pot-limit Omaha. The important thing is to use these poker practice sessions to learn. Make sure that both during a practice and after it, you think about what happened. ♠

Steve ‘Zee’ Zolotow, aka The Bald Eagle, is a successful gamesplayer. He has been a full-time gambler for over 35 years. With two WSOP bracelets and few million in tournament cashes, he is easing into retirement. He currently devotes most of his time to poker. He can be found at some major tournaments and playing in cash games in Vegas. When escaping from poker, he hangs out in his bars on Avenue A in New York City -The Library near Houston and Doc Holliday’s on 9th St. are his favorites.