Important to concentrate on one particular game to improve?

[HoogusTheChef]

Any opinions on whether it is important to concentrate on one game, such as NL Ring or NL STG, or Omaha Hi to really grow your bankroll and improve. I read somewhere "that to improve quickly... play, study and read literature on one game."

Any opinions?

[carddown]

It all depends on where you are and what you want to do. If you are a rank beginner, then study for game is available to you at a the lowest limits. If you have more experience, learn about other games. First, you will be able to make more choices when it comes to game selection and take advantage if you happen find a juicy game, no matter what it is. Second, it will expand your Poker thinking and challenge you. Also, its good Poker exercise. If you can learn to play Seven card stud well, then Hold 'em will seem like a breeze afterwards.

My answer: Master one game, but be seek to be competent in as many as you can.

[SellingtheDrama]

Here's my take from experience - learning the different games, you will learn alot more about the subtleties of poker quickly. Each game emphasizes a slightly different skill set to be good at, and developing all of those skills will make you a complete player.

The downside is that its much slower to develop your initial roll - you'll be constantly learning new games and you simply won't make as much money as fast because of this. However, you should be able to overcome this by having a different skill set - I can always tell at a NLHE table who has played alot of PLO...they just play certain hands differently than purebred NLers.

From an academic perspective, its fun to always be tackling a new game - you can also find the variety refreshing (do I want to play 7 card stud hi/lo today, or maybe some pot limit omaha)...and as an extension of that, you can be fish-hunting at more tables.

Personally I enjoyed learning poker in a multidisciplinary fashion, I wouldn't change anything about that.

[HoogusTheChef]

Thanks for your advice, see I mainly play NL Hold em. I usually bounce back and forth between Ring, SNG, and MTT. I have been successful at MTT, and am a winning player at SNG and Ring. I am trying to maximize my time that I have to play poker and was wondering if I should concentrate on either Tournaments OR Cash games and really focus and study on one or the other. I currently have a BR of around $800 and really want to concentrate my "poker time" on the most effective way of growing that. Thanks again.

[SellingtheDrama]

If you want to grow the bankroll - I'd say cash games. Tournaments are very streaky - especially low limit NLHE because of sheer numbers (there's so many people every event) you may literally never get that big win.

It was much easier four years ago to build a bankroll playing them. I don't know if I'd be able to recreate what I did in 2003-2004 under current conditions.

As for SNGs vs Cash - its a mentality difference. You are probably better suited to one over the other. Personally, I'd pick whichever one you like better (unless there is a massive difference in what you can make hourly) - its easier to put the time in if you enjoy it.

Last thought: The fastest way to grow your bankroll is by specializing in one specific format and mastering that format. The fastest way to totally learn poker is to spend time in different disciplines.