To me, one of the classic conundrums in poker...and in life....is the luck vs. skill factor. I can think of many times in my life when I was just lucky. You know, being in the right place at the right time. I have been given many great opportunities, some of them disguised as hard work, but still opportunities not given to everyone. Some say you make your own luck. There is some truth in that. You sometimes cannot "get lucky" unless you choose to gamble. The thing I keep rubbing my face into is the insane risks that some are willing to take. The worst odds. The longshots. The runner-runners of the world. The perfect-perfects.
It reminds me of what the guy who I doubled up last Friday said. "I put you on A/8 or A/9", this after turning over his 7/4 offsuit and my hand being exposed face up. Duh!! First of all, if that is the hand you "put me on", then why on earth would you choose that time to shove with two undercards? He did not have enough chips to force me to fold. There was no "fold equity" for him. My mistake was not shoving in early position with my chip stack (less than 10 big blinds), rather than limping. There was no way he can call with his cards, and I would have picked up the blinds who folded to his 5 big blind bet. With respect, I can say that the guy is an excellent player, and makes good reads but this play sticks in my mind as unusual and kind of crazy.
Playing Omaha today I kept getting drawn out on by folks who airballed the flop yet called a bet, then picked up a questionable draw on the turn, calling yet another bet. Then catching the perfect card on the river. Twice I lost big pots, the first with the flopped nut straight (ace high), then watched as a player catching middle pair went runner runner 9's for a full house. The second hand, flopped a set and the other player caught a flush draw on the turn and completed it on the river. What a sick game. Not even flopping quads one hand saved me from being "stacked".
Probably no poker for me on Friday as I am driving to Portland Thursday to see the kids before they leave for Japan on vacation. Will drive them to the airport Friday morning and we will see if I am home in time for poker. Also, Meg & Eva coming to Portland and returning with us to the beach through Thanksgiving. Looking forward to seeing the little peanut as I call her.
It reminds me of what the guy who I doubled up last Friday said. "I put you on A/8 or A/9", this after turning over his 7/4 offsuit and my hand being exposed face up. Duh!! First of all, if that is the hand you "put me on", then why on earth would you choose that time to shove with two undercards? He did not have enough chips to force me to fold. There was no "fold equity" for him. My mistake was not shoving in early position with my chip stack (less than 10 big blinds), rather than limping. There was no way he can call with his cards, and I would have picked up the blinds who folded to his 5 big blind bet. With respect, I can say that the guy is an excellent player, and makes good reads but this play sticks in my mind as unusual and kind of crazy.
Playing Omaha today I kept getting drawn out on by folks who airballed the flop yet called a bet, then picked up a questionable draw on the turn, calling yet another bet. Then catching the perfect card on the river. Twice I lost big pots, the first with the flopped nut straight (ace high), then watched as a player catching middle pair went runner runner 9's for a full house. The second hand, flopped a set and the other player caught a flush draw on the turn and completed it on the river. What a sick game. Not even flopping quads one hand saved me from being "stacked".
Probably no poker for me on Friday as I am driving to Portland Thursday to see the kids before they leave for Japan on vacation. Will drive them to the airport Friday morning and we will see if I am home in time for poker. Also, Meg & Eva coming to Portland and returning with us to the beach through Thanksgiving. Looking forward to seeing the little peanut as I call her.
1 comment:
I often find there is no rhyme or reason to what people (including me) do at a poker table. Sometimes you just have to shake your head & mumble to yourself.
I hope you and your family have a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday. Enjoy the little "peanut"!!
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