Games for Money

Are you a poker player or a Holdem player?  So many people come up to me and say that they play poker too and when I ask them what all that they play, they look at me like I am speaking a foreign language.  “I play Texas Holdem” is usually the response.  Don’t get me wrong, Texas Holdem is a form of poker, but just playing Texas Holdem alone doesn’t mean you’re a “player”.  Even Phil Hellmuth, who is touted as a one trick pony, plays all the games.  His best game happens to be Holdem and that’s what he won his 11 bracelets in.

There are so many games out there, such as Stud, Razz, Omaha, Badugi, Lowball, Mexican Poker, Pineapple, Stud 8, and Omaha 8.  Most people that play Holdem with any seriousness have heard of a couple of these games, but that is about it.  Why should I learn other games you might ask.  The answer is simple, it gives you more potential income streams.  Especially at lower stakes, most people tend to play mixed games poorly and as a result there is a lot of easy money on the table for someone that can take advantage of it.

Also, mixed games are beginning to become more popular after the induction of the $50,000 H.O.R.S.E. event at the World Series of Poker.  Pros consider that event as the true test of poker skill.  A lot of tournament sets across the country have begun adding H.O.R.S.E. or some mixed game equivalent to their lineup.

Finally, learning other games helps to make you a more rounded poker player.  There are neuances of each game that require their own skills to master and as a result helps keep you and your mind sharp at the table.  It also helps to break the monotony of Holdem.

James Guill wrote this on April 13th, 2008 and filed it under Gambling |