Playing the rookie
I’m not referring to WSOP bracelet winner Brian ‘The Rookie’ Wilson, I mean those fellas who have hardly picked up a deck of cards and have yet to grasp the ins and outs of the game. Actually, I guess that is Brian after all.
Picture the scene. You’ve been going down the casino for a while, frequented the online tables on many an occasion, and generally have a firm grip on how to play the wonderful game. A few mates hear of your new pastime and fancy giving it a crack. They’ve played a bit, but never on a regular basis.
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So, you organise a small homegame in the hope that they will soon share your love of poker. Nothing too pricey, but enough so they give the game the respect it deserves.
The scene is set. Your buddies trundle over, shades in hand in true rookie fashion, and take their seats at the felt. They know how to play, but are inexperienced. You clarify the rules, give them the low-down on their options, and make sure they know what’s going on. Right, it’s time for the off.
A few hours later and you’re tearing your hair out. Your sets have been outdrawn by gutshot draws, your two pairs are counterfeited on every occasion, and each bluff you make is being called down by bottom pair. What’s worse is that the weakest player at the table is stacked to the high heavens and he’s giving you that often humiliating, ‘I thought you were good at this game’ look.
Yep, being beaten by the rookie is quite possibly the most frustrating side of poker, but can it be avoided? Well, not 100%, as we are all aware of the luck factor in the game, but perhaps there are several ways of minimising that loss and making sure your superior skill level gives you the best possible edge.
Firstly, stop tearing you hair out! It gets you absolutely nowhere and only makes you more flummoxed than you already are. Take deep breaths, accept the luck factor in the game, and try to enjoy yourself.
Secondly, stop trying to bluff the unbluffable. True, it’s hard to show your missed flush draw when you know your opponent has bottom pair, but if your gut is telling you that he’s just not capable of folding his hand, then resist the temptation. It’s very difficult to outplay a rookie in this manner, so don’t throw away your chips needlessly.
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If you believe that these players don’t crop up once you venture into the cardrooms, then think again, they’re littered with them. Even if you’re an experienced player who limits himself to high stake games, you’ll still come across the odd rookie. Perhaps it’s a wealthy tourist who fancies a shot at a Main Event, you may even have gone bust recently, for whatever reason, and been forced back into the £5 rebuy comp. Whatever tournament you play, there’s always the potential for encountering a newbie, and they should be darn easy to spot.
In fact, I played an event in Hamilton a couple of weeks back. It was a friendly charity encounter that was played by both pros and rookies alike, a complete mix. However, it’s the rookies who are going to pay off your hands and this leads me onto my next point of advice.
Rock it up! Okay, this may not be for everyone, and my words of apparent wisdom are nothing more than my own opinion, but, from my experience, the best policy is to play an ultra tight game and bet out your hands when you hit.
An early hand from Hamilton saw the dealer throw pocket deuces my way. Now, if I’m in late position, I may fancy a preflop raise to maintain an aggressive image. However, against a table of rookies, the optimal choice would probably be to flat call and pray for a set. Your raise is too likely to find calls from calling-stations and pretty much any flop will leave you clueless to where you stand.
Anyhow, a 2 did flop on an 8 high board and I decided to bet out. I wouldn’t advise trapping too much against rookies. They’re calling stations remember, not bluffers, so trapping is unnecessary and could easily end in tears. However, my bet was relatively small as I wanted a call of some sort, and, not to my surprise, I found one. The turn card brought another 8, making me a lovely full house. Although shocking to some, I decided to move all-in for a ridiculous overbet. Now, it looks like an odd move and many would say I’m pushing a full house too hard, but I’d disagree. Firstly, if my opponent has a small pair, then I’m really not going to get too much more dosh off him. However, if he has the third eight, which is very possible by the way the hand has played out, then I could be in for a big pay day.
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Rookies don’t like folding, so use that to your advantage and try an overbet if you think they could have a decent holding. It should work out in the longrun. To cut a long story shot, he called with an eight and my boat took down a nice chunky pot.
The approach I tend to employ is one of play my monsters aggressively and back off if I’m not sure I’m ahead. It’s very difficult to put the rookie on a hand sometimes, so, without letting yourself get low, wait for the big hands and milk, milk, milk. This means betting on every street and making sure you get every penny you can for your monster of a hand.
It’s a strategy that requires patience, which is always difficult against those who you consider to be weak, but it’s one that you should adopt nonetheless. If boredom is slapping you in the face, then stick on an ipod, read a magazine, just do whatever you need to do in order to prevent you from the inevitable, ‘I’m going to bluff this fish’ move… cos it won’t work!
My final piece of advice would be to stay on the look-out for tells. With most players now aware of the tell-tale signs discussed by the likes of Mike Caro, you’ll still find many a rookie who can’t help but give away the strength of their hand via a rather blatant physical gesture. It’s partly true when the Devilfish says, ‘How can you work out what someone’s got when they’re not even sure themselves?’ but even the rookiest of rookies knows when he’s hit a monster. Have a quick glance. Do they look uncontrollably excited or do they pick up their cards high up into the air and grimace? It sounds ridiculous, but it happens. They may tut, nod and mouth numbers whilst counting out their straight, look down at their chips, hold their cards in preparation for a fold, and so on. But be careful, make sure they’re the rookies you think they are as you may fall victim to an Oscar winning performance.
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In conclusion, you may think that your rookie opponent is just the luckiest fish in the pond, but don’t forget to assess your own decisions. Have you added chips to their fluke of a stack unnecessarily? Could it have been avoided? Did you make ill-timed bluffs? Did you trap-check when you should have bet? These are questions you need to keep asking yourself. They may be rookies, but they’re still a part of the game, and you need to adapt in accordance to their presence.
Luck will always be a factor, and rookies will always be gifted with a bit of beginner’s luck, but just make sure that you weren’t a needless contributor.
Picture the scene. You’ve been going down the casino for a while, frequented the online tables on many an occasion, and generally have a firm grip on how to play the wonderful game. A few mates hear of your new pastime and fancy giving it a crack. They’ve played a bit, but never on a regular basis.
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So, you organise a small homegame in the hope that they will soon share your love of poker. Nothing too pricey, but enough so they give the game the respect it deserves.
The scene is set. Your buddies trundle over, shades in hand in true rookie fashion, and take their seats at the felt. They know how to play, but are inexperienced. You clarify the rules, give them the low-down on their options, and make sure they know what’s going on. Right, it’s time for the off.
A few hours later and you’re tearing your hair out. Your sets have been outdrawn by gutshot draws, your two pairs are counterfeited on every occasion, and each bluff you make is being called down by bottom pair. What’s worse is that the weakest player at the table is stacked to the high heavens and he’s giving you that often humiliating, ‘I thought you were good at this game’ look.
Yep, being beaten by the rookie is quite possibly the most frustrating side of poker, but can it be avoided? Well, not 100%, as we are all aware of the luck factor in the game, but perhaps there are several ways of minimising that loss and making sure your superior skill level gives you the best possible edge.
Firstly, stop tearing you hair out! It gets you absolutely nowhere and only makes you more flummoxed than you already are. Take deep breaths, accept the luck factor in the game, and try to enjoy yourself.
Secondly, stop trying to bluff the unbluffable. True, it’s hard to show your missed flush draw when you know your opponent has bottom pair, but if your gut is telling you that he’s just not capable of folding his hand, then resist the temptation. It’s very difficult to outplay a rookie in this manner, so don’t throw away your chips needlessly.
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If you believe that these players don’t crop up once you venture into the cardrooms, then think again, they’re littered with them. Even if you’re an experienced player who limits himself to high stake games, you’ll still come across the odd rookie. Perhaps it’s a wealthy tourist who fancies a shot at a Main Event, you may even have gone bust recently, for whatever reason, and been forced back into the £5 rebuy comp. Whatever tournament you play, there’s always the potential for encountering a newbie, and they should be darn easy to spot.
In fact, I played an event in Hamilton a couple of weeks back. It was a friendly charity encounter that was played by both pros and rookies alike, a complete mix. However, it’s the rookies who are going to pay off your hands and this leads me onto my next point of advice.
Rock it up! Okay, this may not be for everyone, and my words of apparent wisdom are nothing more than my own opinion, but, from my experience, the best policy is to play an ultra tight game and bet out your hands when you hit.
An early hand from Hamilton saw the dealer throw pocket deuces my way. Now, if I’m in late position, I may fancy a preflop raise to maintain an aggressive image. However, against a table of rookies, the optimal choice would probably be to flat call and pray for a set. Your raise is too likely to find calls from calling-stations and pretty much any flop will leave you clueless to where you stand.
Anyhow, a 2 did flop on an 8 high board and I decided to bet out. I wouldn’t advise trapping too much against rookies. They’re calling stations remember, not bluffers, so trapping is unnecessary and could easily end in tears. However, my bet was relatively small as I wanted a call of some sort, and, not to my surprise, I found one. The turn card brought another 8, making me a lovely full house. Although shocking to some, I decided to move all-in for a ridiculous overbet. Now, it looks like an odd move and many would say I’m pushing a full house too hard, but I’d disagree. Firstly, if my opponent has a small pair, then I’m really not going to get too much more dosh off him. However, if he has the third eight, which is very possible by the way the hand has played out, then I could be in for a big pay day.
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Rookies don’t like folding, so use that to your advantage and try an overbet if you think they could have a decent holding. It should work out in the longrun. To cut a long story shot, he called with an eight and my boat took down a nice chunky pot.
The approach I tend to employ is one of play my monsters aggressively and back off if I’m not sure I’m ahead. It’s very difficult to put the rookie on a hand sometimes, so, without letting yourself get low, wait for the big hands and milk, milk, milk. This means betting on every street and making sure you get every penny you can for your monster of a hand.
It’s a strategy that requires patience, which is always difficult against those who you consider to be weak, but it’s one that you should adopt nonetheless. If boredom is slapping you in the face, then stick on an ipod, read a magazine, just do whatever you need to do in order to prevent you from the inevitable, ‘I’m going to bluff this fish’ move… cos it won’t work!
My final piece of advice would be to stay on the look-out for tells. With most players now aware of the tell-tale signs discussed by the likes of Mike Caro, you’ll still find many a rookie who can’t help but give away the strength of their hand via a rather blatant physical gesture. It’s partly true when the Devilfish says, ‘How can you work out what someone’s got when they’re not even sure themselves?’ but even the rookiest of rookies knows when he’s hit a monster. Have a quick glance. Do they look uncontrollably excited or do they pick up their cards high up into the air and grimace? It sounds ridiculous, but it happens. They may tut, nod and mouth numbers whilst counting out their straight, look down at their chips, hold their cards in preparation for a fold, and so on. But be careful, make sure they’re the rookies you think they are as you may fall victim to an Oscar winning performance.
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In conclusion, you may think that your rookie opponent is just the luckiest fish in the pond, but don’t forget to assess your own decisions. Have you added chips to their fluke of a stack unnecessarily? Could it have been avoided? Did you make ill-timed bluffs? Did you trap-check when you should have bet? These are questions you need to keep asking yourself. They may be rookies, but they’re still a part of the game, and you need to adapt in accordance to their presence.
Luck will always be a factor, and rookies will always be gifted with a bit of beginner’s luck, but just make sure that you weren’t a needless contributor.
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