Mike Caro

by Mike Caro

Did you know that you can win many extra chips, just by identifying the direction an opponent is looking? Are they staring at you? Are they looking away from you – in accordance with today’s word, “away”? Are they staring at the flop? At their cards?

 It greatly matters. And that’s the subject of this self-interview...

 Question 1: Okay. It always unnerves me when an opponent is looking at me. Should I be concerned?

Should you ever ignore your opponents in poker? Oddly, yes. What about players who ignore you? There’s a lot of extra money to be made if you understand why they’re doing it and how to respond. We’ll talk about that, too, in today’s self interview.

 Question 1: I don’t get it. Why should I ever ignore opponents? Won’t I win more by focusing on them?

 In most cases, you will. Make a habit of focusing on your opponents.

A great deal of your poker success depends upon control. Its importance is greater and its meaning broader than most players think.

 So, let’s make “Control” today’s word and feature it in this self-interview...

 Question 1: I’m not really sure what you mean by “control” as it applies to poker. Are you talking about emotional control, bankroll control, or what?

 All of it – especially the “or what.” You need to control yourself and stick to your best game all the time. And if you fail to play your best always, at least recognize that failure and steer back on course.

 Don’t get upset. Don’t let others prod you into playing poorly. And be reasonable about how much of your bankroll to risk and where to risk it. That’s also control.

 Why won’t they fix poker tournaments?

 At least the World Series of Poker–the pinnacle poker showcase–has a few shootout and heads-up events that are logically structured. But the great majority of public poker events are silly. Stupid, in fact.

 They don’t test poker skills and they prove nothing. Today’s self-interview explores that undeniable truth.

 Question 1: Okay, so we get it–you don’t like poker tournaments. You seldom play in them. You’re annoyed because your results keep getting compared to people who do play. We’ve heard all that from you before. But is it fair to belittle poker tournaments, just because you personally don’t like them?

In this self-interview, I’ll visit a highly profitable poker concept that we discussed years ago. We’ll examine it in a new light.So far in this recent series of columns, which looks back on powerful tactics and tips previously presented and adds new insight, we’ve used up the words “modern,” “review,” and “reviewed.” Today, we’ll simply “visit” advice I presented eight years ago.

 Don’t worry; this series will end way before I run out of title words. Let’s get started...

 Question 1: In poker, your decisions are different, depending on whether you act first or your opponent does. But what if there are three players? And what if you act in the middle?

by Mike Caro The MAD GENIUS of Poker 

Never let a good suffix go to waste. This is the third consecutive column in which we revisit concepts I presented years ago, examining them in new ways.

 Previously, the accompanying key words were Modern and Review. Today, it’s Reviewing. As you can see, I’ve simply added “ing.” Suffix magic.

 So let’s get started. Today’s review continues my series of self-interviews.

 Question 1: What hold ’em hands can you play profitably from early positions?

by Mike Caro "The MAD GENIUS" of Poker

 Let’s continue our review of tips and concepts presented in my first 199 columns. As we walk this poker path, we’ll reflect what we’ve learned, expand some advice, and add new insights. We began last time (column 200 in the modern Poker Player Newspaper era) with the word “Modern.”

 Now we continue the review (today’s word) in this series of self-interviews...

This is my 200th column in this modern Poker Player Newspaper series.

 I say “modern,” because I was editor-in-chief of the same-named publication founded by Stanley Sludikoff—also the current publisher and founder— during the 1980s. I wrote many early columns for that pioneering newspaper, before this series began. In fact, the newspaper you’re holding is a revival of the original Poker Player that helped put poker on the map.

 Enough history. In today’s self-interview, the interviewer has decided to ask for clarifications about poker tips that I’ve provided in my previous 199 columns. And I’m fine with that.

 Question 1: In your first modern column, today’s word was “Idiots.” And you called people idiots who devalued psychology in poker. Could you elaborate?

In poker, bluffing can be glamorous. It can build bankrolls. Or it can be a costly mistake. Today’s word just happens to be “bluff,” and here’s my self interview about it.

 Question 1: Do you need to bluff in order to beat poker games?

We’re focusing on the word “predict.”

 Fine. But I’m not going to speculate about stuff. In fact, there will be no predictions whatsoever. Instead, this is a column about succeeding at playing poker, at practicing medicine, at influencing people, at running a business, at being the best possible you.

 It’s about victory in just about everything. And it all filters down to throwing away your crystal ball and learning how to really predict. Let’s jump into today’s self-interview and you’ll see what I mean.

 Question 1: If you aren’t going to predict anything, what’s the point of today’s word?