Texas Holdem Poker Blog

March 07, 2005

REAL poker differs from 'TV Poker'

You can read the full article Here

Most of the article talks about the hand that Dan Harrington won with at the WSOP in 1995.... however, it makes a VERY valid point, that most people SHOULD take into account:

'One of the worst things is the way the apparent constant action could sucker you into the bad habit of playing too many hands. That's all editing. So many hands are folded. It's what the best players do. A lot.'

Television is a wonderful medium for the promotion of the Sport of Poker, but most people probably do not stop to consider the fact, that they edit out MOST of the hands played, in favor of 'viewability' for it's televised audience.

Top pros fold.... A LOT in tournaments! There are also just a TON of hands that never SEE a flop in texas holdem play. This of course makes for boring television.... but do NOT think this is how YOU should play, just because you 'saw it on tv'.

The next point is equally important:
'Another thing you don't get from television is the context in which plays are made. It is not just the cards that make a hand, no matter how they analyze it on television. '

You dont see the 'history' of how players have interacted over several days of tournament play. You DONT see who has previously made moves on who, and if one player is tired of being pushed around by a stack. These guys remembers every play another player has made in a tournament, and 'store' this information for use later in a tournament when analyzing how to play a hand. Television can not show this.... and the commentators do not always include this in their analysis of play....

Posted by fatbill at March 7, 2005 08:45 AM

Comments

Post a comment