THE WORLD'S #1 POKER MANUAL - Card Games

Poker Book, Strategies
1. When the stakes increase, there is not a proportional increase in the average winnings or
money flow because most players initially play tighter at higher stakes. But an increase in
the pace causes looser play and a relatively large increase in the money flow.
2. John's edge odds go up when the pace increases and down when the stakes increase. This is
because his opponents play more poorly as the pace increases, but more cautiously at
higher stakes.
3. An increase in the pace eventually leads to higher stakes.
The data also show how the increases in stakes and pace affect John's profits. The doubling of
stakes after twenty-six months causes his edge odds to drop sharply-- from 60 percent to 35
percent. At those higher stakes, he must spend a greater portion of his income to hold valuable
losers in the game. On realizing that, John drops the stakes back to the previous level and brings
his edge odds up to a healthy 65 percent. Why the big increase in John's edge odds when he lowers
the stakes? After getting a taste of higher stakes, the players bet more loosely and play more
carelessly when the stakes are lowered to the old level. Nineteen months later, John doubles the
stakes again ... and this time the increase is profitable and permanent.
John usually tries raising the stakes soon after increasing the betting pace. Under the pretense of
giving the losers a break, he often increases the stakes during the last round of the game. The
following dialogue shows how he advantageously manipulates that last round.
"You're getting blasted again," Sid Bennett says to Ted Fehr. "Must be losing a grand."
"That's only four thousand hamburgers at my drive-in," Ted says, smiling weakly. "Wait till I get
the deal. I'm doubling the stakes like we did last week. Got to make a big comeback."
"No sir, none of that," Quintin Merck interrupts as his cigarette falls from his mouth. "Next thing
you know, we'll be playing the whole game at double stakes."
"Quintin's right," John says, trying hard to sound sincere. "If anything, we should ban double
stakes even for the last round . . . it's too expensive."
"Yeah," Scotty Nichols says while counting his winnings.
Two hours later, John announces the last round.
"Hey, double the stakes for the last round," Ted cries.
"We made a rule against it," John says with a shrug. He then turns to the other players and
continues, "We gave the losers a break last week. Ted is stuck bad. Let's double the ante and play
a round of high-low draw--for Ted's sake."
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