1. The Good Player and the Maximum-Win Approach

The good player plays solely for his own benefit. He is not a gambler³ because he bets only when the odds are favorable. (Gamblers bet money at unfavorable odds and eventually lose all the money they risk.) The good poker player cannot lose; he eventually wins all the money that gambling players risk.

The ability to play good poker does not correlate with intelligence or the ability to play games such as bridge or chess. And, ironically, poker is a game of neither skill nor luck, but rather, is a game of discipline, aggression, and effort. The good player subjugates his impulses and motivates all his actions toward meeting the objective of poker, which is to win maximum money. He never gives anything away or helps others without the motive of eventual profit. The good player thinks ahead and plans his moves in advance. He disciplines himself and maintains an emotional consistency. He objectively analyzes the game as well as each individual player, hand, and bet; he then adapts to any situation. The good player continuously expands his prowess by soaking up the experience of every play made by each player. Good poker players are rare, and their paths seldom cross. In fact, most players have never encountered a good player. In the rare event that two good players are in the same game, their effective control is diluted and their edge odds are reduced by each other’s presence. A good player searches for weaknesses in his opponents, but two good players do not waste time trying to analyze each other. They more profitably direct their mental effort toward studying the game and the other players.

The strategy of the good player often depends on creating impulse reactions in his opponents. Often, therefore, the best move against a good player is to act oppositely to initial impulses. For example, when undecided about calling a good player and the impulse is to fold, the best move may be to call or even raise.

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^{5See the footnote in Concept 82 for a definition of gambling.}