Why do you play?

By: Ali Eslami 

Seems like a simple enough question on the surface. You play to win right? Maybe. Probably in fact, but not for certain. In fact, people play for many different reasons and sometimes multiple reasons at the same time. I invite you in reading this article to discover not only why you play, which is a very important goal in and of itself, but also to consider what the answer might be for your opponents.

How often have you seen this scenario in a live game? A novice player sits down, makes a couple bad plays, and gives an experienced player a bad beat. The experienced player then proceeds to berate the bad player about his play, who then not long after picks up and leaves.

I play a lot of cash games, and when I was sitting at the middle limits I saw this scenario play out over and over. Sometimes it would go another way, where the bad player would suddenly magically play better, as if he knew how to do so all along, and sometimes nothing would happen at all. What is happening here? Why all the differences? What does it matter, anyway?

It all boils down to the basic question. Why do you play? Here are just a few of the myriad of reasons why one might play poker:

The obvious-to win money, for the social interaction, for competitive satisfaction, psychological addition to gambling, to LOSE money (yes some people play to punish themselves somehow), to prove you're lucky, to demonstrate how unlucky you are, to ESCAPE some "real life" drama, to be someone else (by acting different at the table), to prove your discipline, to let your discipline go for once, etc etc.

There are many many reasons that people play, and they're usually in competition with one another for the top spot, and the reasons vary over time or even within a session! For me, I play to win money and for the competitive satisfaction. If it were purely about winning money, I'm quite certain I could do better at a lower limit, but then I lose the competitive reason I play (and also by the way, I would have never moved up in limits, so over time this has helped me win more also). Over the course of a session this changes though. When I'm losing, sometimes I play to prove to myself I can stay disciplined. It's satisfying avoiding going on tilt. Very recently, I've been on an extended losing streak, and I kept playing in one session that I recall because I was amazed at my unluck, and wanted to see how bad it could get (I was still playing fine in my estimation, though my opponents were playing better).

As you can see, even for a pro, there are many reasons to play poker. For recreational players there can be other reasons as well. In the example I gave above, why does the recreational player have so many different reactions in the face of the berating from the experienced player? In the first case the recreational player just isn't having fun anymore. The social aspect has been corrupted, and the game therefore has lost its main draw. In the second case the player has had his competitive fiber challenged. Most novice players know at least which hands to throw away before the flop. Now suddenly feeling challenged, this player is doing just that, making him a better player in the process. In the third case the novice could be here for some other reason, such as not feeling worthy or good about oneself and the berating he is getting plays right into that motivation.

So why does all this matter? You play, they play, we've got a game. Isn't that good enough?

It isn't really, because you're here presumably looking to better yourself. I chose this topic as my first article, because I think it is the paramount question you first need to ask yourself in order to determine what path you take from here. Many different styles work at poker. Even styles that don't lead to being a winning player can still dramatically reduce the pace you lose at and let you have a big score now and then too. If you play for social reasons, you may want to find a strategy that is defensive but still gives you lots of time at the table. If you play to gamble up, let your discipline go, and have run over someone with your money and guts, you might want to play a big bet game, and use an aggressive strategy that builds big pots before the flop.

If you're like most of the people reading this, and you want to win at poker, you'll want to decide how many of the other reasons for playing poker you're willing to sacifice in meeting that goal. For example in my case, I'm not willing to sacrifice the ego-satisfying competitive poker playing in order to maximize my winnings. Perhaps you're not willing to sacrifice your home life in order to play in the juicy evening games, or maybe you're not willing to keep playing even with 'unlucky dealers' putting aside your superstitions in order to maximize your volume and your win. Whatever your reasons, don't be surprised if when you think about this question honestly and carefully, you come up with reasons that may not have everything to do with winning.

Even if thats all you end up with this is still an important concept to consider, because everyone is not like you. Everyone has their own individual and unique reasons for playing, and understanding those reasons can be both profitable for you, and also provides a better playing experience for your opponents, which makes for a more relaxing, enjoyable game for all, and also keeps people interested in playing with you.

I have a promiment friend and amateur player I play with in a high limit game. He is one of the better amateur players around, and better than some of the pros as well. However, the game he chooses to play in is filled with tough opponents (which is also why the aforementioned statements became true). One day the host of the game called him up and told him about this great game he was assembling, and how he would be able to crush these guys because they were all so much worse than him. He opted out of the game because he plays purely for competition, he wants to be challenged and have a go at great players. This is a classic example of how people play for different reasons, and those reasons aren't always the same as YOUR reasons.

Understanding your opponents is paramount to reading them, their actions, and their hands. Have you ever expanded the range of hands your opponent could be playing because you know they believe they're on a rush? Have you considered some players who are on 'tilt' from losing a few pots actually tilt towards being better players by playing tighter? Becoming a good card reader relies quite a bit on psychology, and understanding this topic starts with examining your OWN motivations.

I invite you to consider carefully why you play, and include in that answer ALL your reasons not just the prominent one. Armed with that information you can decide what games and style you'd be best suited for, what learning path to take, or even if poker is for you! This introspection will also give you a good foundation to begin considering the reasons why your fellow poker players play. Be honest with yourself. What you discover may surprise you.