The other games
Posted: 2008-01-24 14:46:21
In the poker world in which we live, no limit holdem is king. You can't flip through the TV channels without seeing poker. Almost always they are playing no limit Texas holdem. What happened to the other games? I remember the first time I walked into a poker room to play, the only game available was 7 card stud. With the success of holdem, and the other games dying in popularity I can see a great benefit in learning and playing these games well.
I am not a very good Omaha hi low player, but when I sit to play a tournament I realize, neither is most of the field. The same goes with games like 7 stud, 7 stud 8/b, and razz.
I really believe that if a player were to spend time at learning a different game or 2, he would have a much bigger edge on the field than in a game like no limit holdem.
Holdem is such a popular game that it is shoved down our throats as players. The majority of books, videos, articles and discussions revolve around holdem. The leaning tools are so vast that the average holdem player is so much better than they were a few years ago. Therefore the edge of a holdem player has decreased.
I started thinking of this during the UBOC events. With the higher than normal buy ins, it attracted the better than average off game players. I found myself wondering why I was playing these. I mean after all, I have never read a single book, or column on Omaha. Although I enjoy playing these games, I can't have any edge over the average player, but what if I concentrated on improving in these games? I think after time my edge might be greater over the average player than in holdem.
Knowing all the games can improve a player's chances of winning in the long run.
Debo
