High stakes sustenance

Cash / Marcus Bateman / 05 February 2010 / Leave a Comment

There is no harm taking shots at these sorts of games even if it stretches your bankroll - the money does not stick around forever and it is critical you give yourself the best chance at winning it.

One of the interesting features of poker is that the very highest stake games frequently attract extremely weak players. This runs counter to nearly every other game or sport on the planet, where ability alone tends to dictate how far up tree you can get.

Luckily, poker is open to anyone who can afford to play, and this point means it attracts are very unique clientèle at points, and one which is crucial to understand if you want to progress into the high stakes games.

Poker stands alone as basically the only game where anyone with money can walk in off of the street (or log onto the internet) and sit with the best players in the world. This is a very attractive proposition to many people who have been highly successful in other businesses who want to test their wits against other extremely successful people in a different field with the minimum of effort.

Nearly all of the nosebleed stake players who did not work their way up the poker hierarchy come from extraordinarily successful backgrounds in other fields. From Jerry Buss the US sports mogul, to Guy Laliberte the circus entrepreneur, to Andy Beal the wildly successful billionaire banker, many people who have achieved all they can in one area seem drawn to poker as a place for them to try and replicate their success.

This is obviously a very good thing for poker players, and poker as a game in general. The influx of money and excitement that follows the introduction of new high stakes players is very good for the game in general - with more games forming and more players taking shots on the whole. Some of the biggest wins can be had in these games, and being able to spot players who are rich but not particularly experienced at poker - online or in your local card room - is critical to expanding your bankroll.

There is no harm taking shots at these sorts of games even if it stretches your bankroll - the money does not stick around forever and it is critical you give yourself the best chance at winning it. Sometimes in poker if a really good game appears you have to bend the rules a little bit, and taking shots at these games can give your bankroll a huge boost if all goes well.

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