Being Nice Really Can Pay off in Poker
Every now and then I wander a couple hundred miles to play in Heartland Poker Tour events here in the US. The HPT is run by some great people and gives players who don’t have huge bankrolls the opportunity to play in large tournaments without the huge buy-ins that some other poker tournaments require.
I’ve found that simply being friendly has been one of the most profitable things I’ve done while playing in these events. I usually dedicate about a week to these events and when I’m not playing in a tournament I will sit in on the cash poker games. The same players tend to frequent these HPT events and I’m amazed how much more profit I seem to make at a table filled with people who know me and know how I play.
I tend to stick to Limit Omaha high-low rather than Texas Holdem, simply because the swings in a limit game aren’t as large and I can socialize a bit more, making long sessions a bit easier to take. Why do I make more money in a game with players who know my strategy? Is it because I’m a girl? Because I’m a nice person? They tend to know my raising ranges pre-flop as well as what I will bet with after the flop, yet I continue to get paid off by players who know me. It’s rather baffling, but I’m not going to complain. Instead I’ll keep making friends with the other poker players… at least until it becomes unprofitable!
