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TIPS FROM THE PROS
Kristy Gazes
December 26, 2005
My first poker experiences were in the
low-limit 7-Stud games at Commerce Casino in
Los Angeles. From the start, poker was an
important part of my income. It had to be. I
couldn't afford to go broke. I needed to
avoid the fate that hit many of the good
players around me. They experienced massive
swings in fortune -- one day they're playing
in the big games, the next they're on the
rail, trying to scrape together enough money
for a buy-in.
Early in my poker career I set a simple
rule for myself: I would never move to a
higher limit until I won three consecutive
sessions. If I lost three consecutive
sessions at a given limit, I would move down
to a lower limit.
It took discipline to stick to my rule.
For a very long time – years, in fact –
I never made it beyond the low-limit tables.
I couldn't put together three consecutive
wins. It was frustrating, but it was a great
learning experience. By the time I made it
to higher limits, I was a seasoned,
experienced player who could deal with the
intense competition I encountered.
Another nice thing about using such a
patient approach was that I always had
comfortable padding in my bankroll. In those
early years, I may have had a hard time
winning three sessions in a row, but I was
beating the games regularly. I could pay my
rent and add to my bank. When I moved to
higher limits, I had plenty of money to
sustain myself through any bad runs. In any
case, if a lousy run of cards lasted three
sessions, I'd back down to a limit where I
was risking less.
I know a lot of players who have a hard
time using an approach like mine. Most can't
step back because they feel a lower-limit
game is beneath them. Their egos tie up
their heads and they try to prove themselves
against better players. They end up playing
higher than they can afford, in games that
are tough to beat, and they wind up broke.
As a professional, I don't play for ego. I
play for money. As Paul Wolfe recently
pointed out, often a smaller game offers a
better opportunity for profit.
Think about incorporating something like
my three-win, three-loss rule in your own
play. Stepping down a level when things go
bad will not only preserve your bankroll, it
will sharpen your skills and build your
confidence. When you step up, you've got the
momentum of a winning streak behind you.
You'll be playing your best – ready for
higher stakes and sharper players.
Kristy Gazes |
