Taking Your Best Game on the Road:
Part 1

BY: Ashley Adams
Contact at: (Asha34@aol.com)
Author of Winning 7-Card Stud

You're a home game player. Casinos are either too far away or too expensive for you. You're not into on line poker because you like to see your opponents. And, frankly, you're not sure their really legit. So you stick to games at home with people you know. For you, that's what poker really is all about�having a good time.

I share your enjoyment of a good home game. What's not to like. There's usually little if any rake. Your opponents are people you like spending time with. The games are usually not too tough (unless your circle of friends happen to be really, really good poker players). And the stakes are probably just what your wallet will allow. There's no waiting, drinks and food are probably free or really cheap, and the conversation is probably at least a lot more than just "check", "raise", "fold", and "call".

If you're at all like me, you travel around every now and again. It would be nice, wouldn't it, to be able to find games like you play at home? When golfers travel for vacation or business they hook up with other golfers. Tennis players, swimmers, scuba divers and pool shooters do as well. Why not you?

The problem is, for the most part, that poker players don't know how to find games in other cities and towns. And, let's be honest, you guys are usually at least a little bit timid about sitting down in a home game with complete strangers. It is unknown territory. And the unknown is often a bit frightening.

I've written a couple of articles on this site about how to find poker games when you're traveling or new to a location. Here are the links. http://www.thepokerforum.com/7cardstud10.htm and
http://www.thepokerforum.com/vacgames.htm.
But I think it might be helpful to address how to approach those poker games, so you don't feel intimidated or otherwise awkward. Played correctly, these games can be as much fun as they are lucrative.

First, a quick story about a recent experience I had. I was visiting my Mom in the Catskills. She has a lovely house on a lake that is great for fishing. That took care of how I would spend all sunlit hours. But when things got dark I wanted to be able to play poker.

I used the great poker discussion board, rec.gambling.poker to find a couple of home games in the Greater New York City area. I posted a notice that I was looking for a game. Two people responded.

The first contact was on Long Island. Turns out he played in an "underground" game in a place very near where I grew up. He invited me to join him at a local Italian restaurant with the "best shrimp pizza in the world". Which brings up the first rule I have for playing in local games. They are first about the experience and only second about the game itself.

This is a very important attitude adjustment for we serious competitors. We like to think about the game first and everything else second. In a casino, when you're playing among people who expect to be strangers and to play with strangers that's fine. You want to keep your head down, play your cards, and be very, very serious, that's fine (although I think you could increase your winnings with a slightly more affable approach even there - but I digress).

But in a home game, when you are playing among people who consider themselves friends or at least acquaintances, you need to break down their intuitive distrust of you as an outsider. You want to be accepted - if only so you will get some action and be invited back the next time you're in town. You do this with a genuine interest in them.

I'm not saying that you have to pander to their every whim, but you want to show these people that you are fun to play with. Start by bringing something to the game if you can - beer, a couple of bags of some snack, a bunch of candy or chocolate, even something a bit offbeat like a couple of bottles of mineral water or a bouquet of flowers. Let them see you as someone who isn't only about the poker. I've found that this generosity is more than paid back with loose, friendly calls and whimsical raises as the night progresses.

Be accepting of the way they play poker. If they have a house dealer, praise them for it. Tip the guy, at least until you see that no one else is. If they deal and shuffle for themselves, enjoy the shuffling and dealing when it's your turn. Follow whatever their practice is with regard to cutting the cards, shuffling and dealing (burning or not burning as they do). Whatever you do, don't correct them in what they do - even if they are doing things incorrectly. If you see something that they could improve, and they seem open to suggestions, use your most tactful way of suggesting it. For example, I was recently invited to a game by a very nice couple in Westchester. They played dealer's choice, with each dealer calling the game he was going to deal. That's a fine way to play, but I've found that the game works out better, especially if the games that people call are all pretty standard, if each dealer calls a round of every game. I mentioned casually that I had done it this way elsewhere. They enjoyed the switch and we had a fine time of it, playing a round of each game.

Similarly, don't say anything about the stakes. When you're finding out about the game, if the stakes are too big for your bankroll or too small to be interesting, you can always decline to play. But once you show up, don't even think about changing the stakes. You don't want to look like you're trying to hustle them. I played $5/10 one night and $.50/1.00 the next and had good a time at each place. I feel pretty certain that I'd be welcome back.

But let's get to the bottom line. These are all suggestions that deal with fitting in and feeling comfortable. What about winning? Surely there is something that you can do to give you an edge in these types of games.

Continued In Part 2

© The Poker Forum.com, all rights reserved