I have not written anything about Holdem lately so I thought a post was overdue. Funny thing about the state of the economy. If you ever want to know the financial condition of your neighbors, go to a casino. Before the recession started there was a general mix of slot machines from penny to five dollar and higher slots with players waiting to get on them on a Friday night. Table games were usually full of players. Holdem tables had good games with wait lists most evenings. Life was good!

As money tightened, Casinos moved out many of the quarter and higher slot machines and replaced them with penny machines. Table games enjoyed less business. Holdem games get more serious at lower levels. What was a fun night out, was becoming an expense that many could not afford. The ATM machine could not pay out the way it used to in the previous months for players, and reloading to keep playing was no longer an option for many players.

Using Casinos as a reference, the economy is making a comeback. Not exactly a roaring comeback, but a comeback all the same. The Holdem tables are evolving too. Players are scrappier and games are getting better again. Tables are becoming looser, and a little more money is being thrown around. Tempers are less likely to erupt when a player on the ropes loses a hand, well played or not.

The downside for the Holdem is players are better skilled than players of the last beginning Holdem boom. Players no longer sit down with the fuzzy idea of hand rankings, and how to play a hand well. Access to information on Holdem is easy find on the net, bookstore and local library. Players are just plain better and more skilled when they sit down at a table.

Quite some time ago, I read a poker article about staying on top of the game. The article talked about how any poker game evolves. Players use different strategies, levels of aggressiveness fluctuate along with the times. Being a winning player five years ago, means you will be barely breaking even on a good day in the present.

One point overlooked, is no matter how much things change, some things remain the same. There are always the same number of cards in the deck available to be dealt to each player each hand. Everything else may change, but  basic poker concepts remain the same. The odds of having a pair are the same as ten years ago, or ten years in the future.

If you are a seasoned card player, and you are close to break even on a good night, maybe it is time to revamp your game? Playing the same way you played last year or the year before may not be the best way to play at your table today. Five years ago it would not be unusual to see players sit for hours and only play big hands.

Tight players never won big, but they never lost much either. Those same players were ran over without a thought. If there are any of tight players left, they only play when socializing is more important than winning.

Although an American paranoia, if you want to play winning Holdem you have to change. Even if changing means a loss. Losing is all relative. If you are losing and reloading without a second thought, good for you. I hope you are having lots of fun while you play!

If you are losing and understanding why you are losing, and making adjustments, you are on the right track. Quality poker lessons are not free. Whether you learn them at the table, buy books, or buy someone’s time and talent to teach you, the cost has to be looked at as an investment, not a loss.

The end goal of any Holdem player is to enjoy the game while they play. Playing for money is not the way to happiness. If you are going to spend your time and risk your money, it should be on something you enjoy doing. If you can not enjoy Holdem for what it is, you are punishing yourself, and wasting your money.

If you put enough thought in your game, eventually you will arrive at a point where you are both winning and having a lot of fun. That is the true nature of what Holdem is all about. The only caveat is once you think you have arrived, you need to remember it is only temporary.

Don’t stop paying attention and keep tweaking your game. If you stop, you will join the Rocks of old who can only think about when they used to play.  The economy is improving, and the games are getting good. They are also evolving. Pay attention while you sit there enjoying yourself, thinking about your seat at the WSOP.