The importance of small edges in poker
Successful online poker is about the exploitation of small, apparently insignificant edges over and over again. Such small advantages induce positive expected value into the game, the only thing capable of securing a steady trickle of winnings in the long-run. Spotting such edges and creating them is a matter of skill. While many of these constantly re-applicable small edges are indeed the product of skill and experience, there are some very useful ones that have absolutely nothing to do with actual play. The best thing about these edges (which I call off-table ones), is that even though information about them is widely available all over the internet, amazingly few people actually take the time to read up on them. In a word: they’re very easy to get to, yet few people do.
Rakeback is a wonderful example of an off-table edge. It takes no actual in-game effort to enjoy all the benefits of playing with reduced rake. Exactly how much that will mean to your bankroll is not that difficult to assess. Depending on how big a volume player you are, earnings from rakeback can range from a few dollars to thousands of bucks per month. The edge will be constant applied on every hand you contribute money to the pot. Depending on the rake calculation method of the poker roomplayers.
Beating Omaha against good players is a nightmare, while the same cannot be said about Holdem. you play at, you may even earn rakeback on hands in which you’re dealt in but fold without putting any money into the pot. Special rakeback deals called prop deals, provide even more value. They pay more rake back than what the player generates, thus he will virtually end up getting paid to play. A 135% rakeback offer earns a 35% clear profit for the player on the rake he contributes.
These deals come with special restrictions though, and therefore they may not be the right choice for just any player. Other off table edges are game and table selection. Most online poker players drop in on the first table they find an empty seat at and start playing, even though online poker offers a truly excellent table selection opportunity: sitting in on a table in observer mode and making reads without risking a single cent is only possible in online poker. Most people though - much like with rakeback - choose not to take advantage of this edge either. Game selection is not table selection (as many may consider). It is about choosing the right kind of game to play: Holdem, Omaha, Stud, Razz etc. Why is that important? Depending on the quality of the opposition, it makes perfect sense to choose one of the above named games over the other(s). Texas Holdem for instance can get extremely frustrating for a good player when he is faced with sub par opposition, especially when schooling kicks in. Omaha on the other hand doesn’t offer any sort of rewards for schooling, on the contrary, it punishes rookies who school up on experienced
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