The Most Important Gambling Skill

Someone once asked high-stakes bridge player Johnny Crawford, what he would do with a certain hand.

He asked, “Who’s my partner?”

They said, “A good player, another Johnny Crawford.”

“Who are my opponents?”

“Two more Johnny Crawfords. So, what would you do?”

“I wouldn’t play – the game is too tough!”

I recently had a beer with my old friend Neal Einfeld. Neal has been one of the most successful New York City gamblers for years. At various times he has played pool, poker, bet on sports and professional blackjack, winning at each. He has to win because he and his wife are artists. Supplies are expensive, and sales are sparse. If you’re interested you can see their works at http://nealandlaura-art.com/.

Buy some of their art, prices are reasonable, and it will be less expensive than gambling with Neal. I was talking about how much poker had changed over the years, and how important Game Theory Optimal (GTO) play had become. Neal, who wins steadily at medium-stakes games in Atlantic City, echoed Johnny Crawford, and stated that if a game required GTO strategy, not exploitative strategy, it wasn’t lucrative enough. He’d prefer to find another game with weaker players.

The most important skill a gambler can have is finding situations where he has an advantage and making the most he can for as long as that advantage exists. For poker players, that means finding games where you have much the best of it. I normally play at Bellagio and Aria. I have been alternating between no-limit hold’em games from $2-$5 up to $20-$40 and pot-limit Omaha at about the same limits. Since I put my name on all the lists, I never know what game I’ll be called for first. There are days where the $5-$10 is great, and I just hope the live ones have deep pockets, so they can keep rebuying. There are other days when it is terrible. Nobody is giving anything away. In those cases, I try a different table or a different stake or a different game. If nothing works, I can always come back the next day.

How can you tell which games are good? Look for players who are laughing, drinking, and appear to be playing for pleasure. Seek out known bad players or unknown players, who rate to be worse than the regulars. If you see a hold’em game with a lot of limpers, it is almost always a good game. Games where it is usually heads-up on the flop, aren’t that good.

Certain times of day are better. Most games at 10 am are terrible. The players are fresh and rested locals. Occasionally there will be a game that has gone on all night. The winners are home sleeping, and the losers are still desperately trying to get even. Starting in the late afternoon, games get good. Recreational players drift in after work or on their way to dinner. The game will be even better if they play after dinner and a few glasses of wine. Certain days of the week are better. Weekends are always better than weekdays. Fridays are often great. Players are tired from a day’s work, but don’t have to get up early the next morning. So, they end up playing a long session when they’re not at their best. Some Fridays also represent paydays.

Recreational players often get their paycheck every week or two. Retirees get their checks at the end of the month. So, a Friday near the end of the month can be really good. If you’re at a casino with a big tournament like the WSOP, it is common to find players who have just been knocked out and want to gamble. Also take care to avoid being a player who makes the game good. Don’t play when you are tired, drunk or on tilt.

When you arrive at a venue, always put your name or a few lists. After you have a seat, request a table change. While you are playing try to be aware of other tables you could potentially switch to. When your name is called, you should know if you want to stay where you are or switch. Let’s emphasize again: The most important skill is finding good games. Your winnings come from the worst players in the game. They are exploitable. You must be capable of uncovering their weaknesses and taking advantage of them. It is nice to know exactly how you can balance a four-betting range to include value hands and bluffs. It is a lot nicer to find that an opponent never bluffs a three-bet and always calls a four-bet. Against him, you will four-bet only strong hands-no delicate balancing is needed. ♠

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.