Drought Over

Not quite a monsoon, but three winning sessions in a row is enough to have me back in a positive mood.

I've been knuckling down to some ABC poker in an attempt to restore balance - a mix of NLHE and LHE.

My focus has just been on trying not to go bust in silly situations at No Limit, and to keep firing shells when I think I'm ahead in Limit.

Reading 7 Card Stud For Advanced Players, I was really struck by the number of times the point is made that fancy moves are wasted on weak players. Of course this isn't a Stud only lesson, and it's one I've learned, forgot, and relearned, on a multitude of occasions.

The lament 'I can't play against these guys. I prefer to play better players.' is oft repeated.

The point it misses is that just as a loose/passive calling station doesn't know how to play properly, an aggressive player who tries to push them around - and who may well have much greater knowledge of the game - is playing just as badly when they fail to adapt to the nature of their opponents.

Double As mentioned this too in a recent post. Play straightforward against bad players, and prepare for the occasional suckout.

This may not be the most fun way to play the game, but it's a great way to get out of a rut - particularly when counterbalanced by amping up the number of tables, so that there's always a decision waiting to be made.

I see PokerStars has now introduced a Triple Draw game, which I am looking forward to having a shot at before year end. Perhaps the only goal I set back in January which I am likely to attain is broadening my experience of other poker variants.

This has not been a good year at the tables for me, in terms either of hours logged, or results booked; but I have still managed to enjoy myself by pushing myself to learn new games.

If I can't extend the bankroll, I might as well extend the brainpower. Which in the long term should be indirectly bankroll enhancing.