24 Vices in Limit Hold'em

When playing limit hold'em, it is important to have a couple of strengths working for you. For instance, if you have better knowledge of odds and percentages than most of your opponents do, you have an edge over them – at least in that specific area. That said, it is my experience that lacking in certain areas will often cost you more than being proficient in them can ever earn you. Example: A few otherwise good and capable players go on tilt quite frequently, and it is this characteristic alone that makes it impossible for them to win in the long run – despite the fact that they are good players, and may have more knowledge about the game than any of their opponents. At the same time, when you are always able to play your best game and never go on tilt, this strength alone will not enable you to be a long-term winner if it's the only edge you have over your opponents. However, if your basic playing strategy is good already, and especially if you are also somewhat game-/table-selective, the ability to always stay calm may be an important factor in maximizing your results and enabling you to beat the games.

In this column, I am going to give you a list of 24 vices – 24 areas in poker where some players simply are lacking compared to others. I will rate every one of these areas on a scale of 0 to 100, the figure indicating how much your overall results will be harmed if you are lacking considerably in that specific area. (Example: By giving 90 points to discipline and only 47.5 to table image, I am saying that, in my opinion, lacking in discipline is much more harmful to your results than not having the right table image.) Of course, this list of vices is somewhat arbitrary, and the ratings I assign are not much more than just an indication, assuming a fairly standard low- or middle-limit hold'em game.

1. Not adjusting enough to changed or changing circumstances; Points: 75

It's one of the factors that separates break-even players from winners. Knowing what to do in general is important, but not as important as applying it correctly to the current, specific situation.

2. Not being aggressive enough/not maximizing wins; Points: 72.5

While it is true that in order to win you have to play tight, you also have to play aggressively and push your edges when you have the best of it.

3. Playing with/buying in for an insufficient amount of checks; Points: 42.5

While quite a few poker writers emphasize the importance of playing a large stack (mostly because of the intimidation factor), I don't think it is that much of an issue in limit poker. If you have enough in front of you to play out every hand to the river, taking into account raises or reraises that you might want to make in case you flop a monster, you don't need any more. If you're a winning player, your opponents will notice – regardless of the amount of chips that may or may not be at the table. (This is even more true when you play regularly against the same group of players. You won't fool them into thinking you are a big winner just because you have lots of checks in play.)

4. Not being disciplined enough (in the broadest sense of the word); Points: 90

Those who read my columns know that I view my discipline as one of the main reasons for my success, and one of my major strengths in the game. In my definition, discipline is a combination of extreme patient, non-tilting behavior, and the ability to stay cool and calm under all circumstances – not just in the game, but also in your personal life away from the table. Without discipline, you stand no chance playing (limit) poker.

5. Not being capable of folding when a hand turns sour; Points: 77.5

If you are not capable of folding aces against a board of J-10-8-8 with a bet and a raise in front of you, you are costing yourself a lot of money. It is imperative to know when you're beat, and have the ability to make your decisions accordingly.

6. Not being capable of creating a healthy gambling atmosphere; Points: 70

This is an area in which quite a few grinder-type players could improve considerably. Creating a healthy gambling atmosphere will make winning easier – and more pleasant, too.

7. Not having enough heart/courage/determination; Points: 80

This is an intangible factor. Why do some very talented players who have all the knowledge needed to be consistent winners perform significantly worse than players with less natural ability and/or less knowledge of odds and percentages? It has to do with having the heart to do whatever it takes, the determination to be the best, and the courage of one's convictions (regardless of results, adversity, or bad luck).

8. Knowing the right play but not always making the right play; Points: 75

This is another intangible factor. Why do some players know what to do yet don't always do it? Whatever the reason, always playing your best game and making the right plays is what gives you your edge; it's what makes you the pro – so it's what you should do.

9. Not loving and/or enjoying the game enough; Points: 72.5

Love for the game should be your driving force, the main reason for turning pro. When the thrill of playing poker has gone, it is very tough to maintain a positive expectation, especially when you are playing full time.

10. Having poor money management skills; Points: 62.5

Playing above your bankroll can easily wipe out years of hard work. Once you have built a healthy bankroll, by all means protect it. It is only the extremely good and talented player who could afford to fluke in this area, as he might be capable of rebuilding the bankroll he lost – because of his excellence in the game or his ability to get staked. (And even for him, it would be a waste of talent to be negligent in this area of poker, as it will harm him considerably on his way to the top.)

11. Not knowing the exact odds/percentages; Points: 67.5

Any serious player should know the odds of making a hand and be able to calculate the pot odds he is getting; this is important when making decisions. People who don't know the exact odds often base their decisions on a few rules of thumb (don't draw to an inside straight unless the pot is big), and in limit poker they often guess their way into the right, or only slightly wrong, decision.

12. Not having enough patience in waiting for the right hand/situation; Points: 87.5

Playing limit poker for a living requires an enormous amount of patience. If you are not (always) patient enough, you just cannot beat limit games – it's that simple.

13. Playing your own cards only, and lacking in playing the players; Points: 70

This is not as important as it is in big-bet poker, but it's still important. It is in this area of poker that you can outperform other good and winning players who are playing just solid "percentage" poker.

14. Lacking in preparation; Points: 67.5

From the moment I started playing poker for a living, I have given this subject considerably more attention than most other pros. Preparation means coming to play in the right frame of mind, and also checking out games, tables, and the general atmosphere in your cardroom – so that you know what to expect before taking a seat. With so many distractions in casinos, it is not always easy to stay focused on your task at hand, and preparing yourself the right way will help you accomplish just that.

15. Not performing well under pressure; Points: 70

Quite a few players snap under pressure, especially when the pots get big, or when they are up against top players. This is even more of a factor in big-bet games.

16. Not being good enough at reading hands; Points: 80

If you don't know what type of hand you may be up against, how can you possibly know the right course of action? All top pros take pride in their reading abilities. Reading hands properly will enable you to steal some pots and to gain or save bets, so that you can maximize your edge and improve your hourly rate. Still, because of the fixed betting structure in limit hold'em and the enormous odds you are often getting to call, the premium on an expert read is not as big here as it is in pot- or no-limit play.

17. Lacking in seat selection; Points: 77.5

When going to the 24-hour casinos in the United States, most of the time you simply get assigned the first available open seat, and often you have no other choice than to take it. Where I play, casinos usually open and close at fixed times. Because I'm always there long before the poker room opens, I am generally able to pick the most profitable game – and the best seat. Having position on aggressive and/or dangerous players while giving position to the ones who will not take advantage of it anyway will improve your results considerably, and therefore you should not be negligent in this area.

18. Lacking in the selection of starting hands; Points: 85

This is the foundation of your game. Without a solid basis in this area, you stand no chance playing this game.

19. Lacking in table-/game-selection; Points: 80

The importance of choosing good tables, and picking the type of games that are best suited for your style of play, is habitually underestimated by lots of fairly good players. Doing everything in my power to choose the most profitable game available has been one of my biggest edges over almost all other equally skilled players, and one of the main reasons why my results have been good.

20. Having a bad table image; Points: 47.5

If people view you as exactly the type of player you are (that is, they view you as tight/unimaginative and that's exactly what you are), it will cost you money. However, at the lower and middle limits, quite a few people play only their own hands, oblivious to everything else, so your image might not be that big a deal there.

21. Lacking in talent/natural ability; Points: 55

While I think being talented and having natural ability for the game are very important to making it in poker, it's not necessarily the case for limit hold'em. This is because limit hold'em is a rather mechanical game, in which the betting is fixed and the best play is often fairly obvious. In value-driven games like limit hold'em, and even pot-limit Omaha, being very talented is of less importance than in games like five-card stud or no-limit hold'em, where this area of poker is often the deciding factor of whether you'll be successful or not.

22. Being vulnerable to tilt and steaming; Points: 87.5

In middle-limit poker, earning one big bet per hour is considered quite an accomplishment. Players who steam off 10, 15, or 20 big bets in one session can never beat the games, even if they go on tilt only a small percentage of the time. In limit hold'em, it is the tight, disciplined, non-steaming player who takes the money – not the one who wins 85 out of 100 sessions but loses big in the other 15.

23. Not being tricky and/or creative enough; Points: 55

Low- and middle-limit hold'em rewards good, solid poker. Creative and tricky plays become increasingly important at the higher limits, in big-bet play, or when playing against very good players.

24. Being plain unlucky; Points: 35

Of course, in the long run there is no such thing as luck. However, those who are familiar with my works know that I believe firmly in conditioning my opponents into thinking I am lucky. I believe that as a result, they will be more apt to make mistakes against me, which in turn will reaffirm my lucky image, get my opponents even more off balance, and increase my edge. (Still, this is not the same as being lucky or unlucky.)

In my next column, I will rate and discuss these same vices for my other favorite game, pot-limit Omaha – the big-money game.