Because poker is played for money – this is how it was designed to be played; money is definitely how we keep score. However there is a big difference between keeping score by counting money and positive expectation. It is actually more correct to keep score by positive expectation, and this score count is based on correct play and poker actions as apposed to winning money.
The best poker players are the players who consistently play with the type of skill which means they are playing correctly!
Poker skills can be extremely simple or extremely complex; the use of these skills means the player is exploiting advantages. These advantages are denoted by the type of game they are playing, what their bankroll is, psychology, record keeping, situations of hand and other factors. Poker skill does not merely mean the way a player deals with a poker hand. Working with a hand is merely a sub-set of a greater part of the skills required by a player.
In the most part it is circumstances which dictate the way a poker game goes, so by the same token the same circumstances will dictate his/her skill or ability. The more games the player knows the greater their skills set will be and in this we see that positive expectation dictates their ability. It is a matter of making choices in how and why to expand a skill set, and this is not some kind of mysterious magic.
Poker skill is applied and this is what makes it real and not simply old fashioned “good luck’. While some poker players are fantastic in one situation they may be a complete fish in another and the ability to change from the skill set of a Texas Hold’em whiz to a Omaha winner, is how positive expectation is equated.
There is no way positive expectation can be a poker outcome if the most skilled player is playing the wrong games or making the wrong choices. For example going into a tournament under-bankrolled or playing on no sleep. Some players think they are so invincible they may even play under the influence of alcohol or drugs. This is not the way to achieve positive expectation.
Under circumstances such as these, talented players become dead busts and apart from the influence of blind luck wouldn’t even be winning in a card room. It is not ok to have the potential to be a brilliant player if you aren’t going to use it for a positive outcome.
There are many different ways to get the best of poker and achieve positive expectation. This game is far more meaningful than simply playing with a handful of cards against a bunch of other guys. Poker takes place in strategic discussions before a game, between hands and planning the best strategy to showcase poker skills. Making all the right choices is integral. Playing sober, selecting the right game for your bankroll, inspired bluffing, value bets, reading players and much more all goes into the pot to get 100% positive expectation from playing poker, which is the real prize. Don’t play poker for money only, play it for all the right reasons!