Master One Game or All of Them?
written by BeatTheFish.com
...Fishy
says, "Speaking of WSOP bracelets, do you think they can
customize one to fit me?"
Most of us choose Texas Hold'em
exclusively for poker game selection. Why not? Hold'em is
experiencing an enormous boom in popularity due to televised
tournaments and the explosion of online poker rooms. It's what we
know and what we enjoy playing. But should you consider expanding
your poker game to more than just hold'em?
Most poker professionals and authors will recommend that you learn
as many forms of poker as possible. Big events like the World Series
of Poker hold many tournaments in games like Omaha and Stud, and
many high-stakes games are mixed games, which means that you need to
know how to play them all well in order to play at all. They also
contend that while hold'em is wildly popular at the moment, that it
may not always hold the limelight.
But is this really relevant to you as a casual, or even
semi-professional poker player? Probably not.
When is the last time that you played in the World Series of Poker?
Even if it's your dream to get there someday, the main event with
all the money is still no limit hold'em and that's not going to
change in the foreseeable future. Most of us don't play in
super-high-stakes games against professionals, either.
If you're
currently playing low-limit hold'em, there is plenty of room to
move up with your favorite game. Cardrooms and online poker rooms
regularly spread $20/40 limit hold'em and $5/10 no limit hold'em.
There still may be some valid reasons for the recreational player to
learn a new game, however.
Suppose your favorite no limit hold'em game has really been getting
the best of you lately. No matter what you do or how you play, you
just always seem to be making the wrong move. You're frustrated and
you're probably not playing your best game. You might consider
playing a friendly game of Omaha to pass the time for a couple of
hours. It can be fun and relaxing to try out a new game. Instead of
worrying about your hourly win rate, you can just relax and enjoy
something different for a little while.
Since you're probably not a master of a new game, stick to the
microlimits or play money. Most online poker sites also offer at
least Omaha and 7 Card Stud. And if you're playing Omaha High (which
plays exactly like hold'em, but you're dealt 4 cards and can only
use two of them with the community cards), you'll get to play more
hands and play more draws than in Hold'em, which can keep you more
entertained.
You may even like playing a new game so much that you
continue your poker education and do become a pro at it. You might
find that what you thought was your best poker game is actually your
second-best.
However, always be careful when trying out a new poker game. You
don't want to lose focus on the game that you want to become the
best at. So, if you can be disciplined and have some time to spare,
you might give a game like Omaha, Razz, or Stud a try. Otherwise,
there's no reason to stray from your main game. You'll probably be
satisfied with only wearing the hold'em WSOP bracelets.
Back to
Poker Strategy
• A general
overview on
poker games.
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