Macro And Micro Poker
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I’ve published this article a few times in the past, but I wanted to republish it for those who haven’t seen it before. I edited and updated it a bit this time around.
Periodically, I’ll read an article about “feel” players versus “math” players. The “feel” players lob a shell: “Math players just don’t get it. They make all their calculations, but they just play like robots. A little feel will beat a robot any day.”
Then the “math” defender strikes back: “At its core, poker is math. Math can’t be wrong; it is truth itself. To deny math is to deny your nose.”
These arguments try my patience. Frankly, I don’t think either the “feel” or the “math” person gets it. Or rather, they both have a point, but neither fully understands exactly what his point is or why it might be right.
What (I think) their points boil down to is what I think of as macro poker and micro poker. I find the macro and micro distinction valuable; it helps keep me thinking about the right things. I hope you’ll find it valuable too.
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Tags: card player, feel-players, FPS, macro-poker, math-players, micro-poker, mike-caro, no-limit-holdem, poker
Ed>”Bet bigger and more frequently in late position. Do that, and you’re on your way to playing profitably.”
I think it should be pointed out that betting bigger in late position is a “necessary but not sufficient” condition. In other words, a winning betting strategy bets bigger in late position, but the converse is not true; just because you bet bigger in late position does not necessarily mean that your betting strategy is a winning one.