During the holiday season the temperament of the poker scene changes. It can either be profitable or not. It all depends on game selection and players involved. Now saying this what should you look for? This can be broken down into 4 categories: Time of play, proximity to christmas, strength of players, and motivation.
1. Time of Play:
Choosing when to play in a live game at a Casino is very important this time of year. Playing from midnight to 11am is probably not the best decision. Reason being, the true grinders will be trying to recoup their losses by long sessions and the money is usually tougher to squeeze at this point. Caliber of play is usually higher.
2. Proximity to Christmas:
The average amateur player will not be at the Casino close to the holidays. It is not their desire to be a pro. They enjoy the game and are learning. Family time around the holidays is more important to the "fish".
3. Strength of Players:
When playing start to ask people what they are doing for the holidays and such. You can get a lot of information as to how they may play by their demeanor. This point relates to the prior ones. Feel out the table and maybe make a table change if they are grinders. Go for the easy money.
4. Motivation:
As discussed above in strength of players talking to your opponents is key. Try to find out why they are playing so close to the holidays. Are they trying to make a run and make it a great x-mas? Are they just having some fun on their vacation time because they love poker? Knowing these thought processes in your opponents motivation can help you make your decisions at the table easier to make. Bluffing someone can be easier if you know they are trying to make money as opposed to playing for fun.
So when out playing cards around the holidays take everything into consideration and look at motivation tells so you don't become part of the holiday poker slaughter on the wrong end!
SHODOWN
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