Playing fast and aggressive poker can help manufacture chips out of thin air and is one element of the game that separates the great players from the merely very good. But beware; it can be risky.
The mental game is what separates the good players from the great players. So anything I can do to get that mental edge to help me stay my best, I'm gonna try and do it.
It's imperative to save a few chips whenever possible when playing small-ball poker. You never want to risk a high percentage of your chips unless you're dealt a monster hand.
The World Series of Poker was becoming popular, and there were a lot of really bad poker players out there. The misperception was that I was really good, but I just ground it out. It was a good way to make money for Box.
The thing that makes the great players great, and that separates players from different players is, when you going out there whether being prepared or not, you have to react. And if you're thinking, you're already a step behind.
Many times, the game comes down to the final possession, the final shot. I want to become a better clutch performer. That's what separates the really good players from the really great players.
We've all heard stories about poker players grinding it out for two days straight. Believe me; I've got stories like that of my own. But the bottom line is that these stories usually don't have great endings. That's because the mind starts playing tricks after a marathon poker session, especially after a losing session.
The players who tend to make the difference are often great dribblers. Some are very fast; others have a repertoire of moves and feints. These players need to have great technique in order to be good dribblers. But I'm not a good dribbler.
I sketched out what I believed to be my optimal strategy for 'Jeopardy:' Play fast, build a stack, bet big, and hope for the best. In my mind, playing a seemingly risky game actually minimizes my chances of losing.
Sergio Ramos is very good. I know him very well: great defender, great with the ball. Van Dijk is also the same: so strong, very good in the air, scores goals. Two big players.
Ultra-aggressive players have a knack of making otherwise sound players commit huge stacks of chips with relatively weak hands, like A-Q.
The last 10% of game design is really what separates the good games from the great games. It's what I call the clean-up phase of game design. Here's where you make sure all the elements look great. The game should look good, feel good, sound good, play good.
Poker is a charismatic game. People who are larger than life play poker and make their living from playing games and hustling.
I've been at the table with some really great poker players. I'm sure Vince McMahon is a hell of a poker player.
The best tournament players actually try to avoid risky plays altogether. They prefer to wait for their opponents to make the risky moves. They'll wait patiently until they catch a strong hand. When they do, they'll take down their overly aggressive foes.
Games of chance often involve some amount of skill; this does not make them legal. Good poker players often beat novices. But poker is still gambling, and running a poker room - or online casino - is illegal in New York.
There are a lot of good racquetball players out there, but playing the game and knowing the game are two different things. Because I had no direction, I had to feel the game.