This month I want to talk about game selection and bankroll management, two things that every winning poker player needs to understand and incorporate into his game.
In one of the opening scenes from Rounders, Mike (Matt Damon) pushes his entire bankroll into pot with Teddy KGB (John Malkovich). Mike’s full house is crushed by Teddy KGB’s better full house and Mike ends up driving one of his pals delivery trucks to make ends meet.
In this classic scene, Mike violates the two crucial concepts—he plays against a very tough opponent who’s likely much better than he is and he risks his entire bankroll in one game. Unless you feel like driving a delivery truck every few months or so, this is a very BAD idea.
First, let’s talk about game selection. I often see a player grab chips and sit down in a big game with tough opponents when a lower limit game at the next table is a juicier game with several obvious fish. Either his ego won’t let him play the smaller game or he’s not thinking, but the result is the same. He ends up stuck in a game in which he’s much less likely to be a winner. Don’t let this be you!
Always remember that the goal of poker is to win money, and your chances of winning money in a skill game like poker are higher against lesser skilled opponents. Of course, you may want to challenge yourself against better opponents—it’s the only way you’ll get better—but always ask yourself before you sit down, “Is there an easier (i.e. more profitable) game available?” It may make you feel like a balla to sit in the big game, but pulling a couple of hundred dollars from a small game is better than grinding for hours in the big game and have nothing to show for it. Don’t believe me? Try paying your bar tab with ego!
The second concept I want to address is bankroll management. I frequently see players sitting in games that play bigger than their bankroll will allow. You should always limit yourself to those games in which your bankroll can handle the variance of bad beats or coolers. The beauty (and grossness!) of poker is that there are swings in the game that let the fish make mistakes but still win from time to time. The ugly truth, though, is even pocket aces lose to 72 off-suit 12.4% of the time. If you’ve got 10% of your bankroll in a pot and you lose, you can move on to the next hand and let the math get you even. If you’ve got your whole bankroll in the pot…well, just remember the look on Mike’s face when Teddy showed him the aces full.
Does this mean you’re stuck playing smaller games? Not necessarily. Want to move up into a bigger NL game? Just buy-in for the minimum amount and “short-stack” the game. While you won’t win as much with your good hands, it reduces the advantage that a skilled opponent might have and limits your downside. You might not win as much money when you hit a great hand, but you be less likely to make a bad mistake that leaves you broke.
So, to recap, always think about your game selection and bankroll management. Play the easier, smaller games until your skill and budget justify your seat in the big game. Making sweet dough in a smaller game is better than being stuck behind the wheel of a bread truck any day!
Su Kim is Head of Player Relations at Club One Casino at Van Ness & Tulare in downtown Fresno. She’s an accomplished live and online player with tournament victories at Club One Casino and the Commerce Casino in Los Angeles.
Su can be reached at sukim@clubonecasino.com.
Club One Casino is offering WSOP satellites on Sunday, March 15th and Sunday, March 29th at 1p. Call (559) 497-3000 or visit www.clubonecasino.com for details.
