Now, here is a topic we can all sink our teeth into. I have been accused in the past of boring people with stories of my bad beats. I can name names, but choose not to. I plead guilty as charged, sir! Ultimately, poker at its very core is all about bad beats. You start with the best hand (think aces), and then some idiot calls you with 8/2 offsuit and flops a full house. Bad Beat! Idiot! Fonk!!!
But when you look a little closer, you come to realize the truth about the beat, and about poker. IT IS ALL ABOUT GETTING YOUR MONEY IN GOOD. IT IS ALL ABOUT GETTING WORSE HANDS TO CALL. IT IS ALL ABOUT SELECTING BETTER STARTING HANDS IN THE FIRST PLACE.
I read a very powerful statement recently. It said, "Good players receive bad beats. Bad players give them". Wow, when you look at it that way it really underlines the importance of being on the receiving end. Honestly, it does!
The "lesson" you must learn to take away from your poker session is this: When you give a bad beat to someone you got your money in with the worst of it and got lucky. Where you must learn from this is two-fold. First, you must learn that what luck served you does not license you to push your luck again with those same "lucky cards". Just because you flopped quads with your pocket 2's against kings doesn't mean that the next time someone raises big or goes all-in that you need to try to re-create history by calling them with your deuces. You got lucky once with your two outer, but it was a donk call.
The other lesson here is to not place some mystical value on a hand and start playing it because you think it is your special lucky hand.
I would be willing to bet that lots more money has been lost by players who always play (fill in the blank) than has been won by them. Bad starting cards are always bad, even if they have won big pots for you or have a name, or are suited, etc. Remember that hold 'em is a game of position, chip strength and card strength. That 7/2 can be a powerhouse if you have the chips, position, and table image. Or, if you are in an unraised blind and flop huge. Otherwise, it is the worst starting hand in poker. If you play it, and win due to a great flop and crack aces....you are the bad player who got lucky....and to make matters worse, you have just gotten positive reinforcement on your play, which can lead to more bad play in the future.
So, you gotta ask yourself. Would you rather be the guy with aces or with deuces?
1 comment:
I remember seeing that hand shown in the picture on your blog where Jennifer Harman had queens full and got beat by the one-outer 7 of diamonds on the river. It was totally sick and twisted. As for playing 7-2 I may never do so again. No, I did not have it when I got knocked out in Pendleton, but I may as well have. I have gone back to remedial poker school and am a different woman! Hope to see you soon.
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