Editor’s Note: This article was first published in the July, 2013 issue.
There are two kinds of losers in a poker game. For this article, I am only talking about losing money in the game and not being a loser in life. That is a different story altogether. One is the recreational player that would like to win but really is there to enjoy himself and pass some time gambling. The other is the regular player who expects to win and does so very frequently but ultimately will be a loser and probably goes broke gambling one way or the other. Most likely, neither one will ever be a winner playing poker, but the recreational player has at least a chance if he gets interested and continues to play. Sometimes he may decide to learn to play properly and win.
The recreational player will be seen being lead to his seat by a floor person as he may not know his way around. Another tip off would be how he stacks and touches his chips. Slow is the word as chips are not too familiar to him and he moves and picks them up awkwardly.
Recreational players will play almost the first hand or two since that is why they are at the table- to play. So, spot the player that plays immediately and look for the tell that he is confused as to where the action is and the amount and procedures for betting. Even ones that have played a fair amount of poker will be weak in this department and easily spotted. Watch where they look as most will follow the action as it is interesting but not quite know what they should be looking at. Many will watch what the dealer is doing and saying instead of players actions. But most times, they will be paying attention to the game whereas people comfortable with poker will be checking the TV or people around the room and having conversations at the same time.
Drinking is another clue the person is not a regular. Few regular players that are still in action drink at the table except for an occasional one. Check out how a person is dressed. A well dressed player usually is not a regular as regulars wear more comfortable playing attire and do not consider poker a night out on the town.
If he is not sure when to show his cards in turn, or just turns the cards face up at show down even when he is beat, that is a sure sign his play only comes from home games. Keep an eye on how he holds his cards and whether he protects them. Few players that have been around the block let their cards go unprotected in some way or pick them off the table.
After spotting this type of so-called new to the game person, try to find a seat that will benefit you from his mistakes. Try to isolate him in pots so you are the one that gets the easy money before it goes to another players stack. Be nice and friendly and he will want to play in your pots and be part of the conversation. You will get free tells from him on the strength of his hand and can even manipulate how he bets on occasions by your conversation.
Recreational players lose in the game. Those players that pay attention are the ones that can get the majority of their money.
The regular player can be either a winning player or a losing one. Finding out which is of the utmost importance in determining how you play against your opponent. A regular that will lose over time will have more mistakes to capitalize on every time he is in the pot. Mistake prone people will do some action that you can benefit to some degree every time they make a move. Sometimes just giving you some future information that can help later is important.
So, how do you tell the difference between regulars and find out who the losers are? Well, the losers will tip you off by their actions. When winning, they will be much more noisy and arrogant and when losing, very quiet. All players follow this to some extent but losers far more often. They tend to be more into themselves and not as interested in nurturing the action players or having the game run smoothly. Not having confidence in the ability to win, you will see them counting their chips more often and worrying about how they are doing. Better players know what the end results will be.
The losers will get mad when they are outdrawn or over little incidences at the table that would not bother a person that does well. The turning over of a bad beat often to show the table is a definite sign of a loser, as well as slamming down a hand that isn’t good. Throwing cards hard towards the dealer almost never happens from winning players but frequently from the hot heads that lose. Remember, even though they may lose, the majority still play well compared to most players that haven’t achieved professionalism. You still have to play well and use what you know to extract their money slowly over time. Do not expect to win quickly from them but your expectation will rise because you can take money off them in spots you cannot from a better player. Knowing they are the losing portion of the group of regulars means you now can key in on their mistakes and win pots or lose less on ones you are not going to win.
It is not all about playing your cards, making good folds, and starting with the best hand that makes the real money in poker. All of that is very important but only puts you ahead of the majority of people. Learning the little subtleties of the game that most see but do not really apply will give you that edge unavailable to those that just sit down and play without acting on what goes on around the table.
Make the recreational player happy to be in your pots, key in on his inexperience, and take advantage of the weaknesses of the losing regulars to enhance your profits. Continue to find edges that are not about having the best hand but about using knowledge of situations to further your results over time.
