Thursday, 28 August 2008


Poker Ecosystems

Predators and preys abound in online poker rooms.


You probably took up Ecology in fifth grade or even lower. You know all about predators and preys, and how the former eats the latter for lunch. You have had a similar ecosystem during high school when the popular cliques dominate and practically rule the entire student body. You had the selfsame experience in the office when your dragon of a boss chewed you out. Think you're way beyond ecosystems now that you're playing in casinos and online poker rooms? Heads up, you're just entering another one.

Predators and preys abound in casinos and online poker rooms. Just like in the wild, you can identify which is which by qualities unique to its kind. Whereas preys, are the novices and those people who are still learning their poker stuff, predators usually come in two packs: the aggressive and the quiet types. The aggressive predator makes his presence known the moment he enters the room and joins a table. Regular players quail under his scrutiny as he surveys them after each call, bluff, or raise they make. He is the winner the moment he sits at a table regardless of what hand he holds. On the other hand, a quiet predator stalks his would-be victims silently. He waits in the sidelines for the perfect moment to spring his trap and make his prey know who's the boss. Unfortunately for his preys, they won't know what hit them until the quiet predator walks away with the pot. They may be of different breeds but these two types of predator have a unifying trait -- expertise borne out of experience and practice.  

However, this doesn't mean that less talented players are fodder for the poker sharks. Usually called the "fish," new players need not be afraid to be victimized by more experienced players. These sharks want to play with other sharks or players with the same skill level. Unless there is an imbalance in the ecosystem, there is little chance that prey and predator would meet at the same table.

If you're a fish who wants to know how you can survive in a poker ecosystem, just follow these tips:

1. Play with your own kind.

Stick to low-limit games where fishes abound. Experienced players usually find the action and the pot size in these games below their level and skip up. This is also a safe training ground for you to develop your own predatory instincts.

2. Observe the sharks.

Observe the way the sharks play. You can pick up tips and techniques which you can use to sharpen your own set of skills.

3. Be aware of online casino restrictions.

There are some restrictions in online casinos that protect weaker players. An example would be the limit that some online poker rooms set regarding the number of tables that a player can play in. This is done mostly by online casinos because the strong players opt to play in multiple tables simultaneously, thus, they allow less room for the fishes. If there is a limit, then the number of less experienced players can increase.

With these tips, you can be assured of surviving in a poker ecosystem. Just remember to play nice with the little fishes once you become a predator yourself.