Binger Wins Big, Plays Smart

August 18, 2008

Michael Binger knows how to play poker. He came in third at the World Series of Poker 2006 and walked away with more than $4.1 million. In 2007, he proved that he was that it wasn’t pure chance that he won and cashed eight times – tying the WSOP record for cashes in a single year.

Now Binger is once again playing the game of his life. He has already captured two tournament titles this year, made eight final tables and is ranked in the top five in every major Player of the Year standings list. It all has to do with how he plays, and what he doesn’t do that a lot of lesser players do. He plays smart, and doesn’t rush it.

While some are trying to figure out what kind of card they might get next, Binger is figuring out what everyone else has and is doing it well. He plays poker like a man who has the inside track – knowing what people have and reading them to see if he is right.

Watching Binger play, you know when he knows what everyone else has. At a recent game, he was opposite another gentleman and completely guessed what he had. With that info, he knows how to play and what his odds are. He sat and thought about it, and looked around the table, and everyone knew that he had a pretty good idea of what everyone else was holding as well – simply by their mannerisms and the way they bet.

Not only that, but with that info, he chose to fold on a hand that he could very well have bested – but did not know that for a fact. He plays smart and he plays to win. And so far, that is working pretty well for him.