Top 5 Tips We Learned from Ben Rolle
Playing poker in 2024, you may find that there is an increasing amount of competition and tournaments to participate in. Based on this, each player must have a specific poker strategy and set of rules to adhere to in order to come out on top.
To achieve this goal, the poker community is getting a bit of help from Ben "bencb789" Rolle, who has a high level of credibility among poker enthusiasts. Ben has outlined a few key points he believes will help players achieve more than just impressive results and earn their first $100,000 by the end of 2024.
After thoroughly reviewing the numerous poker tips from Ben Rolle, we've summed up the key points we believe will be most beneficial for players aiming for success in poker in 2024. Below, we present our interpretations of Ben’s wisdom, adapted and reimagined to craft a practical guide that will help you achieve the poker results your looking for this year. Below are five tips based on strategies and recommendations provided by Ben Rolle, reworked and presented in a manner suitable for our readers.
Tip #1 - Take a Break
Gamblers often point to the fact that by playing poker tournaments continuously, they start to lose money much more often. For Daniel Negreanu, 2023 turned out to be unfortunate precisely because of this.
Most gamblers would also agree that the game volume has increased over the past few years. After all, it’s no secret that the number of tournaments, online events, and poker competitions has been on the rise. Thus, while events like SCOOP and WCOOP used to attract attention in the past, at the moment, big prize money is being awarded monthly. Due to this endless stream of tournaments, players try to grab the opportunity and participate in every single one, hoping to maximize their winnings.
This mistake can easily impact your win rate over time and may even lead to player burnout. Thus, recognizing the importance of a balanced approach to poker is crucial. It's essential to pay close attention to your well-being; if you notice any issues affecting your gameplay or overall health, take an immediate break.
Taking a break from playing should last at least one full day, meaning players should not engage in any poker-related content. Of course, there are situations when you should take a break for more than just one day. In any case, player should remember that the quality of play should be the priority, as opposed to the number of series played.
At the same time, you should not worry about missing some events. The schedule in 2024 is packed with both online and live poker series. Even after long breaks, you'll still be able to find the poker events during the year.
Along with the breaks, other aspects of life should also take priority over poker. Namely, sleep, nutrition, and physical activity. The high quality of the above points, together, will give the player an excellent boost. Their overall well-being will improve, and the ability to concentrate will be at its peak, potentially increasing their win rate.
Tip #2 - Organize a Careful Selection of Games
The fundamental principle to follow is to focus on the quality of the games, not the quantity.
To increase their win rate, a poker player should consider several factors - the list of selected games, the level of poker skill needed, the presence of strategy, and cold thinkin. Apart from these, one of the most result-forming factors is the selection of tables and tournaments. Considering the variety of available tournaments this year alone, this aspect deserves special attention.
You should not play all the tournaments you found; you should be selective. Choose the most profitable series, soft games, and take into account the structures of the tournaments. Being selective is also a plus, since now you can choose the most profitable options for the game.
Look for tournaments with the highest ROIs, communicate with other players, and use various social networks to find the necessary information. In general, don't neglect spending extra effort to find the most suitable options; it's important to realize that your profit depends on it. It is also important to note that sometimes, it is strategically important to drop out of some tournaments where you are lacking skill.
Tip #3 - Learn ICM
In 2024, this tip is particularly important. Using the Independent Chip Model or ICM for short, players can make a wide range of decisions that could be favorable in different poker games and spots. Studying ICM will allow poker players to make the most informed decisions regarding the game.
Understanding the principles of ICM is especially important in the late stages of the game, as it gives an excellent boost in efficiency. In the early stages of the game, this principle does not apply, as the game is mostly based on a general understanding of the situation, on the expectation, and correct play of the beginning cards.
For a more productive and effective study of ICM, players can use special programs like the Hold'em Resources Calculator, which not only provides ICM trees but also gives you the ability to practice making decisions on them.
While ICM does includes a large number of factors, with the right approach, qualitative study of its basics, and direct practical application, y our win rate will inevitably grow.
Tip #4 - Set Yourself up Correctly
Don't be misled by the misconception that poker has become more complex and that the poker environment has never been more competitive; it's simply not true. Of course, many more tools can be used to improve your skills and the game as a whole. But it doesn't mean that all poker players have learned to use them and even more so to introduce them into their game plan.
Let's draw an analogy with online education. In recent years, numerous educational platforms offer people courses for different specializations and skill sets. But most people turn a blind eye to it and don't take advantage of such opportunities. Poker has seen a similar trend, particularly with GTOs.
Players do not take into account either the GTO or the ICM. They don't put any effort into learning these principles, let alone applying them in the game. As a result, they continue making avoidable mistakes that directly affect their win rate. However, there's also a group of players who use GTOs in practice against casuals, setting themselves up for similar actions in response and anticipating skillful solutions. Because of this, they lose, misjudging the level of their opponents and their potential solutions.
Based on the above information, we can conclude that it's actually important to work on your attitude and avoid misjudging your opponents. It's also necessary to acquire the skills to anticipate your opponent's decisions.
Tip #5 - Don’t Overuse Social Media
It may seem that this spending less time on social media wouldn't affect a player's performance. However, excellent performance is directly correlated with low overall stress levels. In recent years, it's become obvious that spending time on social media is energy-consuming and has a direct impact on a person's well-being.
However, it would be wrong to deny that social networks are of particular importance to the poker industry ; it's simply impossible to give up on them. Through social networks, players receive a lot of useful information regarding various aspects of the game; through chat rooms, they can communicate with each other and share various current tactics and tips, learn information about various upcoming tournaments, and so on. Moreover, it is through social media that the poker community is exposing cheaters.
With that said, it's important to conscientiously consume information, to sort through it. You shouldn't read every post or watch every video. Instead, you should select a list of, for example, 10 accounts or channels, 5 of which will be specifically about poker and 5 from the entertainment sphere. This is necessary in order not to completely abandon the entertaining resources, but at the same time, reduce them considerably. And gradually, it will be easier to abandon the more unnecessary resources.
In addition it's also important to monitor your online activity because it directly affects both your emotional and physical state. This, in turn, negatively affects the game. In poker and in life, the most important thing is to use maximum effort so that social networks does not consume your life.
