As Orlando’s premiere casino event company, Aces Wild has a bit of a reputation as a casino expert. Well, they’re right! I put my real casino experience to work in creating this company but—since we’re not a “real” casino—I have no problem sharing our secrets with you. Everyone knows the saying, “the house always wins,” but when you hire Aces Wild to throw a great casino party, YOU are the house.
In this article, we’re untangling the different skills needed to win 3 different types of poker games: Longhand Limit Hold ‘Em, Shorthand Limit Hold ‘Em, and No Limit Hold ‘Em. Knowing which skills you need to build and capitalize on to win a poker game will definitely make your next casino visit (or party) much more fun.
Tracking the Odds
First, it’s worth taking a look at which types of poker you are best at. Unfortunately, there’s no quick way to find out, but keeping poker statistics can help. If you’re a math wiz, you can do this manually, keeping track of your games in a notebook so you never forget a game. If you feel you need professional help, a website like Check Your Bets will make it easier.
Once you know which poker you are good at, you should be able to answer another important question: Why are you winning more at one variation of poker than another? Is it because you have mastered the technical aspects of the game, such as poker math and pot odds? Or is it because you are simply top-notch at the people aspects of poker, like bluffing and being able to modify your play style?
You will find that poker players have different opinions about which of the two types of skills are more important. Many poker blogs are dedicated to their theories. However, here are my personal theories about skills and games that you may want to check out.
Skills Needed for Different Types of Poker
In Longhand Limit Hold’em, the most important advantage of a poker player is his technical skills. The winning player must be patient and understand hand value. Your people skills won’t contribute much to your winnings. It is hard to bluff and it is useless to read your opponents since many hands reach the showdown. The pot odds make a river fold extremely chancy.
Your people skills will be more useful in Shorthand Limit Hold’em since there is more bluffing done, compared to Longhand Limit Hold’em. A winning player in Shorthand Limit Hold’em knows precisely when to increase his aggression and when to cool his heels. But you must not forget that it is still a limit hold’em poker. Mastering pot odds is still vital in winning the pot.
To win in a No-Limit Hold’em, both sound technical abilities and fairly accurate people skills are needed. Your technical abilities should include knowing when to call, raise, check, or fold. Your people skills involve the reading of styles of your opponents. If opponents are timid, you can win and steal a lot of pots by bluffing. But you must also know when to fold if your opponent shows obstinacy. If your opponents are reckless and loose, you can win by patiently waiting for that opportunity to trap them. Then, wipe them out in one hand.
If you have a “gambling spirit”, you may be able to tolerate the huge swings in the Pot-Limit Omaha. The winning player should also be good at avoiding a tilt. A tilt is to play poorly or wildly after losing big or winning over awesome players. In Pot-Limit Omaha, you should be an expert at dealing with your opponents and at controlling yourself.
Have Fun
Now that you know what skills and games to focus on, you can get started creating a personal strategy to increase your odds of winning all different types of poker games.
Want to practice without risking any cold, hard cash? Aces Wild specializes in throwing professional, Vegas-quality casino parties simply for FUN. Whether you’re raising money for a good cause, throwing a Monte Carlo-themed wedding, or just want to have the house party to end all house parties, give us a call to see how we can plan a fun casino night for your to practice your poker face.
