'Improve Your Poker Now!' by Topher Goggin and Alexander Fitzgerald is available as an ebook or paperback from D&B Poker.
They are the most feared players at the poker table. The ones nobody wants to see. No, not the elite high rollers. The beginners.
You’ve heard the complaints. “These people are terrible.” “They NEVER fold.” “What am I supposed to do?” “I’d rather play against better competition.”
No, you wouldn’t. The idea that you can’t beat inexperienced players is the most self-defeating misperception in poker. Facing these folks, the ones who metaphorically need that hand-ranking card from the gift shop that says that a flush beats a straight, isn’t impossible. It’s just different. Preparing your mindset in advance for choppy waters will immeasurably improve your results.
A casino doesn’t get upset when someone wins a blackjack hand, even if they hit on 17 because they 'had a feeling.' The house just smiles and hopes that person keeps playing long enough to give those winnings back (and then some). If you adopt a similar attitude against poker newbies, you’ll set yourself up for success.
How it goes wrong vs. beginners
Let’s consider a classic 'bad player' hand and see where the average person goes off course.
It’s early in a live tournament. Stacks are deep. You pick up 
in late position and raise to 3BB. Novice Ned calls from the big blind, mentioning that he once saw Kenny Rogers sing The Gambler in concert. Perfect. You’ve found your guy.
The flop rolls off 
and Ned checks. Score. You’ve got an overpair on a dull-looking board that only offers some gutshots and a flush draw. Time to bet and hope he comes along for the ride. Since Ned doesn’t seem familiar with folding, you size up to 3/4 of the pot. He calls, dropping a couple of Rounders quotes in the process. So far, so good.
The turn is the 
, basically the safest card in the deck. You fire again, full pot this time. Novice Ned quickly calls and mentions there’s a discount on Norman Chad t-shirts in the merchandise area. You start doing the math to see if winning this hand will give you the chip lead.
The river brings the 
. Perfect. The board reads . The flush draw missed. No possible straights. Ned checks a third time. You figure he might call once more with a king or a nine. You fire again for value, and Ned… raises?
Say what? This guy hasn’t made an aggressive play in two hours. Perplexed, you shrug and toss in calling chips. Ned smiles and shows you 
. Seriously? You watch half your stack depart to the other side of the table. He promises to buy you a t-shirt if he wins the tournament. You try to figure out how many expletives you can say without being asked to leave the property. This game sucks.
Novice Ned told you what he had
We’ve all been there. This is what the Neds of the world do. They call out of the big blind with 7-4o because of the 'discount.' Once they flop a pair, they hang around to see what happens. Then they hit their miracle on the river and remind you that you’ve just gotta know when to hold’em.
The truth is you did almost everything correctly. Going to the river, you’d gotten a worse hand to call three times, and were a five-outer away from winning a healthy pot — all from a player who was playing seven-high preflop. If you could start every hand where you stood going to this river, you’d be the best poker player in history.
Then things went sideways. Yes, you got unlucky when Ned hit his five-outer.
But Ned tried to tell you he had a monster by check-raising the river out of nowhere. You won’t always get gifts like this, but many passive beginners all but announce their big hands with this kind of bet out of the blue.
The real problem here was that you prematurely allowed yourself to 'win' this pot in your head. Your mind was already raking in the chips. That made you ignore what Ned was telling you and miss the chance to at least consider getting away. For many players, this hand would then tilt them into more mistakes, likely followed by an early exit.
Adjusting when the tide turns
Too many players automatically react to a surprising bet by saying, “This doesn’t make any sense. Guess I have to call.” Have to? Says who? Against better players, sure, you should be suspicious if their actions seem fishy. Versus a newbie, other considerations matter more.
Sometimes you can look at an inexperienced player and be confident they would only make a particular bet with a big hand. In that case, you need to ignore what 'theory' says and make the fold that you know is right in the real world.
Beginning players just don’t make that many bluffs in big spots that could plausibly ruin their day. As my co-writer Alex Fitzgerald routinely points out, to a novice, a giant failed bluff risks an emotional double-whammy. Getting called both vaporizes chips (bad) and lets the world see you just did something dumb (much worse). Psychology matters.
Speaking of psychology, you must develop a mindset that is ok with losing pots, and that won’t be affected by who the opponent is when it happens. Nobody gets tilted if they get outplayed by Phil Ivey. You’re 'supposed' to lose to him. But weak players struggle if they get outplayed — or outlucked — by someone they don’t respect. They let it become personal, triggering a destructive downward spiral. Top players avoid that pitfall.
Adapting to weak, passive players
Suppose a Novice Ned arrives at your table. How should you adapt? Here are four keys.
- Mix it up… patiently
Just like a casino, your edge over experienced players compounds over time. The more chances you get to play against weaklings, the more you will eventually win. Play more cheap hands to give yourself extra chances, especially if you can do so heads-up. Large bluffs are out of the question, but you can profitably bet for value with weaker holdings than normal.
- Respect their aggression
When a weak-passive player fires a big bet or raise, that’s a red alert. Often these moves won’t make sense in the context of the hand, which might suggest a poorly executed bluff from a different opponent. From a newbie, it’s more likely to mean one of their favorite things: a) Springing a trap with a monster, like they saw on TV, or b) Hanging around long enough to make a random two-pair-or-better that they suddenly love. When they come to life, they are yelling “I have a hand” at you through a bullhorn. Adapt accordingly.
- Strike when your monster comes
With enough chances, you’ll eventually be the one with the big hand against the beginner. When that happens, GO TO WORK. Many inexperienced opponents will give you heaps of chips in one giant blunder. Those chips can carry you for hours. Weak players struggle to fold, so don’t be cute. Get the money into the middle. - Keep your head in the game
Weird things will happen against beginners. It’s a cost of doing business — a cost you should be delighted to pay. Prepare in advance to shake off an odd one here or there. The ability to stay focused is your secret to success. (Also, be kind to the beginners, regardless of the outcome. Everyone was a novice at one point. They’re living their dream. Make their experience positive no matter what.)
Stay cool — win big
Beginners can ruin you if you’re not emotionally prepared. But they can also pay off like a slot machine if you stay level-headed. Be that level-headed player, and look forward to the big returns.
'Improve Your Poker Now!' by Topher Goggin and Alexander Fitzgerald is available as an ebook or paperback from D&B Poker.
