Yes more about animals and poker. Not only do I get to treat you to some more stories about my lovely pests that hang around my house, but this article also combines some of a past article from many years back with added thoughts.
So here we go with more animal stuff to bug you. It may be irritable to keep reading about the animals at my place, but I enjoy it and who would write about something you do not enjoy? Not me for one. So this way I get to kill two birds with one stone at your expense.
The other day was a big one at the house. Three different unusual animals that I do not see all that often were the treat of the day for me. As many know, I live in northwest Montana amid the people and the wildlife. Except for wolverines and Canadian lynx, all the species frequently come by and visit at my virtual doorstep.
While looking out from the hillside that my house sits quietly on, I saw a large male black bear out on the island across the river. You know a male bear when you see him, as he is much larger than a female and does not have cubs with him. Most female bears will have one or two cubs trailing along annoying their mother. She usually lets them hang around into the second year, and then at some point gives them the heave-ho.
When playing poker you need to be like a bear, and that is to be aggressive. Bears are not really overly aggressive, just the right amount to get the job done. That is your goal as well. The aggressive players are the ones that year in and out take home the money. Only when the games are super soft do the players that play more cautious do well. Striving to meet that higher level is the goal that must be met for a poker pro.
A most important part of this thought is to be sharp enough to spot and play with an aggressive opponent without losing chips to him in the process. As well as needing to be very aggressive, you need to spot those that are, and play properly against them. There are many ways that tip this trait off, but some of those only let you in on his loose side rather than the aggressive side. Learn and identify the difference between loose and aggressive. Sometimes the line is blurry, so do not get locked into tunnel vision until you can make a clear determination. One telltale that I like to look for is when he bets into a few players on the flop when holding two over cards and three to a straight. So many people check here that it is a good tip off of aggression. It is not always right to bet when in this spot, but few non-aggressive players will do it. What is the big deal with spotting an aggressive play like this one? Well knowing that a player is aggressive is very important in how you will play against him during the game.
A few of the things you need to do to muck up his results and make yours better are to raise his bets much more often, and value bet him more times as well. Raise more for value and to control him by you controlling the action. You might think that with him being aggressive, you would value bet him less often but that is not the case. He is in the pots with weaker hands than others and betting frequently. You have the better hand many times more often than he will, so it follows that you should be value betting him, especially on the end. This also applies to value raises. Soon he will become aware that you are raising and re-raising him more than usual, and so he knows you are betting weaker hands at him and must call a lot more of your bets and possible raise you even more frequently. It is the start of the mind game but with you in control. Go for it with a plan to adjust ahead of his anticipated moves.
The next animal is one of my favorites. That is the great horned owl that lives in the rafters of my barn. The first time I saw him he was quite small, so I didn’t think it was a great horned owl. I believed it was a screech owl as we have one of those on the property also. The next time he was a lot bigger, and I mean real big. The answer is easy on this one. A mother and her young one inhabit my barn. First time I saw the baby was while she was gone getting food. This time she was watching intently as three turkeys were walking around eating grass and flower seeds below her and the baby. I feared she might fly down and take one even though turkeys are about two or three times the size of the owl. Still, most animals in nature will not attack another animal that is likely to injure it in the fight unless desperate to eat or to defend its territory. I am glad this owl left the turkeys alone this day.
Playing like the owl might be a good motto to follow. Watch the game before you jump in so you will not get injured before you have a handle on the situation. There really is not a great hurry to get a seat most times and game selection is the key. Using your keen owl like senses to pick out individual weaknesses and exploiting them is the ticket here. Many of the better players fail to key in on individuals, and instead just play poker against the table. Think like the owl and you will not miss it when the guy on your left likes his hand and will bet if you check to him. It sure helps you in making the right decisions. Most people may not give a hoot about it though.
Last little bugger I saw was a mink running around on the rocks along the riverbank next to my driveway. Minks never stop for a split second. They are constantly scampering up and down, and in and out of the cracks in the rocks looking for an easy meal. It is rarely easy, and they work for every morsel of food they find. The other times they are in the water nabbing fish or crustaceans for dinner. Mink look very similar to a weasel except they are a little larger and do not turn white in winter like a weasel does. When white, a weasel is called an ermine. Bet you didn’t know that one. It is sad to me that too many of both have been turned into fur coats.
Did I say play like a mink? Sure why not. Bounce around between games until you find the easy meal, which is the game that suits your style. There is no need to sit in one place unless it is the only game in town, and in which case you are stuck with what you have. When playing on the net, it is totally criminal to not jump around with all the choices available to you. Getting lazy and staying put does nothing but cost you lots of winnings over time. Finding the right games is how you may make the most money with the least downside and the biggest upswings. This cuts way down on the dreaded fluctuations in your bankroll that most players fear. The reason being you are playing with a greater edge overall. So keep bobbing about in and out of pots along with finding different games to maximize your results. All the time, picking players and situations to capitalize on will yield good benefits and nab a few fish that are not paying attention of what you are up to in your game play.
Finding a good overall strategy of the way you can handle yourself while game hunting and playing is a part of poker many never learn to master. Winning more than the others that are successful entails refining all aspects of your play. A large part of that is the non card playing portion which sets you up for profits from other player’s mistakes that you capitalize upon. Good luck to all as we do need some of that as well.
