Post by john1981cr on Sept 18, 2006 13:39:22 GMT -5
Poker Friends
By John Reger
My friend called the other day making a request he had made before but that I had been thus far successful in deflecting.
He wasn’t looking to borrow money; no, in my mind it was much worse. The request was to meet at the local casino and play poker at the same table.
Playing poker with friends at a card table is not something I like to do, and there are several reasons for this.
The first reason is the most obvious. I don’t like playing with friends for real money. If I am at a home game and we are all playing as friends, no problem. I’ll be the first to host a game.
If I am playing at a club, or online, I have no friends. Every player at that table is my enemy. I don’t want to just win their money, I want to win their soul. I want total defeat.
I want them so defeated that if I see them again at a poker table, they break out into a cold sweat and get nauseous. There are a couple of guys who I can’t seem to beat, and whenever I see them show up at a table I swallow harder.
Conversely, if someone shows up at a table who I have beaten before, I break out into a smile.
Playing that way is tough to do with a friend, especially this friend. He doesn’t have as much experience as I do, and I immediately begin with an unfair advantage.
Another weakness he has that I don’t is he has rabbit ears. It takes about two minutes to get under his skin, and he hasn’t learned how to control his emotions. His temper gets the best of him, and he loses a lot of chips because of it.
That is something he desperately needs to control, as he will never have any success until he does.
Another problem is what table we are going to play at. I like playing at $3-$6 or $4-$8, and he is far more comfortable at $2-$4
I graduated from $2-$4 years ago, and for me it is a waste of time. The people who play there chase too many pots, and it doesn’t do my game much good to play there.
The biggest problem, however, is my friend wants to talk while we play. That is the worst thing you can do when you are playing.
Poker is all about information, not only the information you get, but the information you give out.
When you are talking you do two things that are detrimental. The first is you are not paying attention to the table and are missing information that can help you down the road.
Also, by talking you are giving away information, whether you realize it or not. Why do you think professionals are trying to engage in conversation? It’s not because they are interested in the other person. They are trying to get an edge that will help them later on in the game.
So with all that in mind, I called my friend back and told him that I couldn’t play cards but that I would go with him to the club and watch him play.
He agreed, and we went to the club. Surprisingly, I think I got as much out of it as he did. By watching his play I was able to see the rest of the players at the table from a different point of view, and even though it was $2-$4 table, I still was able to give him some positive critiques, and I think I helped his game.
I even managed to get him to work on his temper. It was one of the most constructive nights I have ever had at a poker table, and I didn’t make a single bet.
WagerWeb Poker
By John Reger
My friend called the other day making a request he had made before but that I had been thus far successful in deflecting.
He wasn’t looking to borrow money; no, in my mind it was much worse. The request was to meet at the local casino and play poker at the same table.
Playing poker with friends at a card table is not something I like to do, and there are several reasons for this.
The first reason is the most obvious. I don’t like playing with friends for real money. If I am at a home game and we are all playing as friends, no problem. I’ll be the first to host a game.
If I am playing at a club, or online, I have no friends. Every player at that table is my enemy. I don’t want to just win their money, I want to win their soul. I want total defeat.
I want them so defeated that if I see them again at a poker table, they break out into a cold sweat and get nauseous. There are a couple of guys who I can’t seem to beat, and whenever I see them show up at a table I swallow harder.
Conversely, if someone shows up at a table who I have beaten before, I break out into a smile.
Playing that way is tough to do with a friend, especially this friend. He doesn’t have as much experience as I do, and I immediately begin with an unfair advantage.
Another weakness he has that I don’t is he has rabbit ears. It takes about two minutes to get under his skin, and he hasn’t learned how to control his emotions. His temper gets the best of him, and he loses a lot of chips because of it.
That is something he desperately needs to control, as he will never have any success until he does.
Another problem is what table we are going to play at. I like playing at $3-$6 or $4-$8, and he is far more comfortable at $2-$4
I graduated from $2-$4 years ago, and for me it is a waste of time. The people who play there chase too many pots, and it doesn’t do my game much good to play there.
The biggest problem, however, is my friend wants to talk while we play. That is the worst thing you can do when you are playing.
Poker is all about information, not only the information you get, but the information you give out.
When you are talking you do two things that are detrimental. The first is you are not paying attention to the table and are missing information that can help you down the road.
Also, by talking you are giving away information, whether you realize it or not. Why do you think professionals are trying to engage in conversation? It’s not because they are interested in the other person. They are trying to get an edge that will help them later on in the game.
So with all that in mind, I called my friend back and told him that I couldn’t play cards but that I would go with him to the club and watch him play.
He agreed, and we went to the club. Surprisingly, I think I got as much out of it as he did. By watching his play I was able to see the rest of the players at the table from a different point of view, and even though it was $2-$4 table, I still was able to give him some positive critiques, and I think I helped his game.
I even managed to get him to work on his temper. It was one of the most constructive nights I have ever had at a poker table, and I didn’t make a single bet.
WagerWeb Poker