It’s funny that I dedicate this website to Texas Holdem Poker strategy, yet write about how strategy can sometimes be ineffective. However, the reality about poker strategies is that they can only be effective when applied in the proper context. Let me explain what I mean by that.

First, consider how we all learn about poker strategy. Some of us read books, some learn from experience, some read websites like this one, others watch interviews of their favorite poker stars, etc. The problem that most people have is not in understanding the logic behind a particular poker move, but rather the difficulty seems to be around “when” to apply that particular strategy. Often, it is done out of context, and that’s why most players fail. For example, when your favorite poker player talks about how he or she played the first hour of the WSOP and gives advice regarding the strategy used, you can’t just take this advice and apply it to an online turbo tournament. It just won’t work for you because the context is completely different.

Right now, I’m going to give you the best poker advice I have ever learned: Poker strategies can only be effective when you apply them correctly AND in the proper context. What this mean is that when someone gives you advice on how to play poker tournaments for example, you must first recognize that not all tournaments are the same. You must understand what makes a tournament different from another. Generally, consider factors like total number of players, blind structure and timing, prize pool, paying positions, stack size in relation to the blinds, number of players per table, etc.

In the case of poker tournaments, compare a regular paced multi table tournament where you have 27 players at 3 tables (Tournament A) with a bounty tournament where you the blind structure, number of players and tables are also identical (Tournament B). Do you expect to play both scenarios using the same strategies? Of course not, because the tournament type is different. In tournament A, you want to get to a paying position, and hopefully you’ll make it to the top. In tournament B, you want to bust people out because that’s really where you make the money and getting to the top isn’t as critical. The player who end up in second place but eliminates 10 others will make more money than the player who wins first place but only eliminates 5 players. The paying positions aren’t as important, and the position payouts are much smaller in bounty tournaments. Recognize that your main objective is completely different and unrelated, even if 95% of all the variables between the two tournaments are identical, the primary objective isn’t. One pays you each time you eliminate players, and one does not. The strategy is completely different. In bounty tournaments, you need chips to push people out so the objective is always to try and increase your chip stack early on. In the other tournament, this is not necessarily your primary objective.

Poker strategy becomes useless when you fail to apply it properly and in the proper context. You can read all the books you want, but there’s a little something called experience that can’t be replaced. Experience allows you to recognize situations, triggers and events that indicate when you should or shouldn’t apply a particular strategy.