We poker writers preach variety to enhance your learning about many different forms of poker. Learning about Razz, Stud, Draw and PLO will help your overall understanding but if Texas Holdem is your best game then you are well served to continue playing it. Learning new games is great and little parts of those games can be used to enhance your overall understanding of poker in general but there is nothing wrong with being a Texas Holdem specialist and playing no other forms of Poker.
This view that you should play all forms of poker is generally a good thing I think. You get to experience a wide variety of poker and just because you play one form of poker most of the time does not mean there is another version of poker slightly better suited to you. The only way you can know if this is true is to play different games. Many blogs, like the bwin poker blog, advocate getting a full experience of poker by diversifying what you play. For me, I want to make money so whilst I enjoy variety; I stick with what works for me.
If you have one million hands of Texas holdem under your belt as a serious cash game player I think it is best if you continue to crush the online poker games whilst you still can. Never assume that poker is always going to be there. Right now in 2010 we are anticipating and predicting the full effects of the UIGEA gambling bill due for implementation into US law within a month. This could radically affect the availability of poker for American poker players but could have knock on effects for other countries if their governments observe the perceived benefits and follow suit with similar restrictive legislation.
With this in mind if you are a profitable texas holdem player my advice is to keep playing. I am not saying that our days of playing online poker are numbered but knowing you can win today means play today in my view. Remember the days when online cash games were a lot easier? Many players quit their jobs and made good money playing poker online and they thought that it would always be this way. Many of these players may be looking for work now as play has improved and only the best players can survive and the standard of modern online poker is much better than it used to be.
I am a true texas holdem player. I enjoy the game but I also enjoying playing draw poker and stud too. My strongest game is not Pot Limit Omaha which I find complicated and the large swings in both directions cause me pain. I enjoy the numbers associated with stud and find I feel comfortable in the game. Whatever game you play helps the other. Your appreciation of odds, implied odds and math are enhanced if you learn stud, you learn about handling variance and the art of playing aggressively when you play PLO and you learn about value betting in draw poker. Do not play one poker game thinking it is a different game, all of these disciplines fall under the moniker of “poker”.
But there is no reason to abandon texas holdem for the sake of learning something new. If you are good at it and make money from it, stick with it.
By Malcolm Clarke