Winning Over Bad Poker Players

The usual thing is that good players will beat newer players who do not have a clue. But also you should bear in mind that with a lot of poor players in the game you are more likely to suffer bad beats than if you are playing with more skilled players. Many veteran players have been frustrated because of this. The fact is that in recent times, with the increase in new players that have been drawn to the game by the popularity of poker on television, many more experienced players who are accustomed to winning are now getting beat by such players in low limit games. What seems to make them the angriest is their belief that these new players that are beating them do not really know how to play the game. They do not some to know what they can do to avoid this. There are even some experienced players that have gotten into heated arguments with some of these newer players.

Just recently I witnessed such an altercation when an argument broke out at a table that I was playing where I thought it was going to escalate into a full-scale altercation. In this case one of the players at the table was holding pocket aces and flopped a set. Then he lost to a straight against a player who had already cold called a raise when he was holding 2-6 off suit.

At this point the more experienced player started cursing the newer player who yelled back that she had the right to play her cards however, she wanted. Although the dealer was finally able to settle down the players the player who had been bad beat continued making cutting remarks against the newer player who won. After a few minutes the newer player who actually had been losing money to the table, got up and left. You really don't want this to happen.

It’s Not Your Job to Educate Them
In the end bad players will eventually lose. At the same time that you do not want to educate them while they are playing, you certainly do not want to scare them away. If a player wants to learn the proper way to play the game, he has access to many books, computer programs, and other general information. On the other hand, if a newer player wants to learn the game by playing at a live game, make sure that he ends up ‘paying’ for the education by leaving a goodly amount at the table while running after losing hands. Do not give such players any free advice that he or she then can use to beat you later. In the event that such a player does get lucky and win a big pot, you should encourage him or her to keep on playing with a “great hand” complement or something to that effect. A good player should know how to regulate his/her feelings and emotions when he or she finds him or herself on the wrong end of a bad beat from a new player, and to not let it affect his or her following hands. Do not make any direct derogatory remarks against the new player. If you allow yourself to experience anger you will be just that much closer to going on tilt. This can have a very devastating affect on your winnings.

You Need to Make Adjustments in Your Strategy
When you find yourself in a game with many new players, you better start thinking about adjusting your playing strategy. However, regardless of whether or not there are new players you need to adjust your play to conform with the players with whom you are playing at that particular moment. If for example, you are surrounded by aggressive players, you need to tighten up your play in the early position. On the other hand, if the other players are more passive and paying loose, you will want to play more hands. When you are in a game where a lot of the players are calling, you may win fewer pots, but the pots that you do win will be larger. You must decide what types of players you are playing against and adjust your play accordingly. The following tips will help you when you are playing in these various types of games:

When you have high ranking pairs you should play them aggressively from early position. You must realize however, that they often do not hold up. When you are holding pocket Aces, most of the time you will usually win if there are few competitors, but only about 35% of the time against a full table of bettors.

You should not experiment with slow play or fancy play. If you have a really good hand and you think it is the best hand, than bet it. You should use a straightforward approach since in most cases there are enough players to call you. You should force them to pay. Do not allow them to get a free card if you can avoid it.

You should not try bluffing. This is true even when you are playing against one player who likes to call. You can be sure that there is some player out there who wants to keep you honest and will call you.

You should try to play connectors more often when in late position. When there are many players in the pot, the value of the hands you draw will go up. With these hands you will receive the correct hands to see the flop, and when you hit you'll get a hefty pot.

The Bad Players Are Something To Be Thankful For
You should not complain when you are playing with bad players. You should encourage these people to play and not scare them away. There are great rewards. You will receive their thanks in the form of the money they leave at the table. You just need to learn how to play against them.

Remember – it is more important to have knowledge than luck.