Avoid strategy talk at table

In order to consistently win money at poker your skill level has to be greater than your opponents. Sounds simple right? Wrong. Players forget to take into account travel to casino, tipping, food, etc. In fact your skill has to be vastly superior to other players in order to overcome these variables. And if you want to be a professional you have to be even better. It is no wonder why a vast majority of players that attempt to play for a living fail.

If there were not consistently weak players no one could make a living playing poker. The fact of the matter is that recreational players drive the poker economy. If you were to only play with a bunch of professionals all the time almost no one would be able to beat the rake. As winning players it is our job then to make the recreational players feel comfortable.

Over the last few years it is common that someone will recognize me while I play. I am generally pretty friendly and welcome the conversation. What I absolutely cannot stand, however, is people that try to discuss strategy with me at the table. And not benign strategy, advanced strategy. I am often amused when I play a small game or tournament and other players start talking about their hands. For the most part their analysis is pretty laughable. But these are not the types of discussions that I loathe. I am referring to the advanced talk that often will overcome younger players and that makes the table a less friendly environment. I would be happy to never hear the word range while playing again. I think it comes from the arrogance of some of the younger players where they think that they are better than everyone so they do not care if certain opponents are driven away by their bad behavior. These youngsters just do not get it. Poker is about creating a friendly environment where recreational players can have a fun time. These players can lose their money in any form of gambling, whether it be blackjack, baccarat, sports, etc., but we want them to gamble at the poker table. Driving out the easy money makes the game tougher overall so watch your mouth the next time that you are at the table.