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Ask a Professional
HoldemNation has relationships with several professional poker players who are happy to answer questions that our visitors have about all aspects of poker. Read below for the questions we have asked and their responses.
1. What are 3 important steps in becoming a professional poker player?
2. How do you choose your table when looking for a table online?
3. What are the pros and cons of playing cash games vs. playing tournaments?
4. What can I do to become better at reading my opponents?
5. How do you balance your poker career with your personal life?
6. If you had to start all over again, would you do anything differently?
Poker Pro Craig Gray CardPlayer Profile Link State Oregon Started Playing Live, when he was 17. Online when he was 19. Poker Venues Primarily Lucky River Poker, but also Party Poker, Ultimate Bet, Full Tilt, local casinos and warehouses Primarily Plays FullTilt Poker Favorite Game $5/$10 NL cash games live and multi table tournaments Favorite Books Has read 15, top three favorites are:
1. TJ Cloutier's Championship NL and PL Hold'em
2. Doyle Brunson's Super System: A Course In Power Poker
3. (Video) Caro's Power Poker Seminar, by Mike CaroCraig's answers:
1. The most important is to be well-prepared. Do so by reading and watching videos by pros. Know the mathematics of the game you are playing. Also, be prepared to live a different lifestyle than most. Being a poker player is very rewarding on its good days, but you must be able to handle the downswings. Another key is treating it like a job. Allow yourself an allotted time to play each day.2. Choosing a table online is easy. I always look for the table with the highest pots because this means that the table is willing to gamble. As long as you know how to play in a loose wild game, I'd always suggest going for those. In limit cash games I look for a table that has a mix of half tight players and half loose players, I get paid off with my hands, but I don't have to avoid 7 people trying to outdraw me.
3. I think the decision to play tournaments over cash games is a tough one. Depending on your style of play and bankroll both can be rewarding. Cash games allow you to play more hands because you can always reload your $ and you usually can see profits quicker in cash games. But in tournaments, you are getting much more than 1:1 on your money the times you win. You are forced to play less hands, though, as your stack decreases which sometimes forces you to fold winners.
4. To read your opponents is to understand them. I think patience is half the game, and observation is the other half. From the time you sit down, you should be observing any and everything your opponents do. Ever seen an infant stare down a stranger as he enters the room? This is how you should pay attention. Note to yourself how many hands your opponent plays, this will give you an idea on how high of a starting hand he must have before he enters. Then take note every time he raises. Does he only raise the nuts? Or is he raising a lot of hands for value? Does he raise draws? Also note how does he bet when made hands seem to have hit. For instance in a limit cash game, does he still bet when the flush hits? All these things will give you information about how your opponent thinks. Then when you are in a hand with him, you can use all this to your advantage. If he's not the type to bet when the flush hits, and he comes out betting, what do you think he has? Some players have distinction in their body language, but if you understand your opponent's thought process, you are more likely to be correct.
5. I treat poker like a job. I set aside 6 - 8 hours a day to play and then I decide which days I will take off. I think it is very important that one sets aside a great deal of time to allow yourself enough hands to be played to create the positive earnings of the long run, but also you must be able to leave the table and focus on life, which is sometimes tough to do, especially on a losing day.
6. If you had to start all over again, would you do anything differently? When I first started I tried to jump into too big of games for my bankroll. I dropped my bankroll numerous times doing so. If I were to start again I'd take my time and be more patient to get into bigger games. In the end, I would have gotten there sooner.
Thanks Craig. And congratulations on making the final table at the WSOP No Limit Hold'em event #4 in Atlantic City on Jan 8th and your mention in Cardplayer Magazine! (Harrah's Atlantic City Poker Tournament.)
Email us any other questions you'd like us to ask our professionals. We'll pass them on and get them posted!
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