Other Games?

I've been busy with schoolwork, business ventures, and flat out laziness to keep this blog up to date. But I plan on trying to keep up with this when I have a chance. So without further a do...

I've recently have been finding new interest in 2-7 lowball triple draw. This is partly because I am getting sick of Hold 'Em. I needed a change in games, and duece to seven intrigues me. For those that don't know, its a 5-card draw game, and you are trying to make the worst hand (23457 off-suit). Flushes and straights count against you, and the ace is a high card.

Anyway, at the no limit game I frequent, there was a small turnout for the bigger game. A few of us wanted to try something different, so we talked everyone into playing mixed games, standard rotation (The game changes every round, to avoid edge in positional games). We played just about every form of Omaha - pot limit high, limit hi/lo, pot limit hi/lo (I think because they secretly they wanted to play hold 'em, and omaha is the closest thing), 7-stud, Razz, Duece to Seven lowball triple draw, Ace to Five lowball (single draw), No Limit and Limit Hold 'Em. Some games we would play one round and the person would play a different game when it got back to them, we allowed it because, we just wanted a change of pace. I had a great time playing different games and variations, just because it was the same 'ol same 'ol.

I thought about this later and realized the importance of learning new games. First, it makes you think about poker THEORY, not just how to play. When I first picked up hold 'em I learned tons of things I never realized before. It has been my experience that made me a better player. Instead of knowing how to check-raise, I realized the purposes behind it, and when or not to apply it. Too many new players learn a move and use it all the time, reducing it effectiveness, and even making it unprofitable. I see this the most with new hold 'em players that ALWAYS raise for a free card on the flop. When learning a new game, you can apply concepts from other games and apply them as well. It is the application of these concepts, and when to use them that makes a good player.

Although I have found a new love in Duece to Seven, I realized that my Omaha game needs to get a lot better. In the biggest of games, they don't strictly play hold 'em. The top professionals all know how to play mixed games and play some games better than others. This is another reason to mix it up. You may find that while you struggle to play hold 'em, you destroy a 7-stud game (Common to those who have grown up playing stud, the transition to hold 'em is sometimes difficult due to the community-card game).

So while I continue my education in Hold 'Em, I'm looking in other areas where I can improve my poker knowledge, not just my Hold 'Em knowledge. There is more money to be made, and in other games is where you may have to go. For example, there is the extra round of betting in 7-stud, where you are more likely to getpaid off because the pot has gotten swollen by the time you get to 7th street. The play of pot limit differs from the play of no limit, and requires a somewhat different strategy. In duece to seven, you have to realize when you are "good" and when must draw, even though drawing can make your hand worse (My favorite part in duece to seven).

It is these type of concepts that make a better OVERALL poker player. The best Hold 'Em player doesn't necessarily mean that he/she is the best poker player. There is a difference, and honestly, I think Texas Hold 'Em is probably the easiest game to learn to play well, which is why it is so big, that's what I think, but what do I know? :)

Keep flopping the Nuts.