The vast majority of time spent at the poker table involves waiting. Waiting for the cards to be dealt, waiting for the chips to be pushed to someone, waiting for others to act on their hands. Of course the fun part involves the small percentage of time when you are in a hand, contemplating and acting on decisions. But mostly, it's about staying patient and waiting until it's your turn to strike.
The other part of waiting, the fun and scary part, involves waiting on someone else to act once you have placed a bet. Depending on where you are at in the hand, you might be rooting for this person to fold, call or raise you. Early on in the hand, it can be unclear what exactly you want to have happen. But once all the cards are out, after the river, you typically have a pretty good idea. There are instances when you might bet an average hand and be unsure if a person who is debating a call has a better hand than you or not. But most river bets have a clear intent on what they are designed to induce. You will either have a strong hand or a weak hand, thus strongly rooting on the inside for a call or a fold, depending on your holding. And this brings about a special kind of waiting.
When you have a very strong hand, even the nuts, your internal voice is screaming in rapid succession, "CALL! CALL! CALL! CALL!" while outwardly you are doing everything in your power to project weakness. Slumped shoulders, a scared expression, shifty eyes, whatever might push your opponent over the edge and get those chips to make their way into the pot. Sometimes it works and they call. Other times, it doesn't and they fold. But regardless, you are winning the pot. It's just a matter of how much.
The other end of this.. the scary, but sometimes exhilarating part... is when you have made a bet on the river with nothing. You are bluffing.
"FOLD! FOLD! FOLD! FOLD!"
There is no possible way of winning the pot without getting your opponent to fold. You are trying to represent a hand you simply do not have. If he calls, you're screwed. But if he folds... you have pulled it off.
"CRAP, HE'S GONNA CALL. I'M SO STUPID"
The size and stakes of the bet will often determine how fast your heart is beating, how dry your throat is, how quickly your mind is racing.
"WAIT... HE'S GONNA FOLD. I MIGHT BE A GENIUS. C'MON MAN. LET IT GO. LET IT GO!!"
And the more seconds that go by, the harder it is keep the voices in your head silent. They get louder, more insistent and closer to the surface the more time that elapses. Until it's all just a great, big buzz
"ZZAASOFKSDORIJSDFIGSDFGF;GHSFGF;KSG"
If it's early in a tournament, the outcome isn't that big of deal. However, if it's late, and all your chips are in the pot on a bluff, you know you are going home if you get called. That's the cadillac of bluffing. No safety net. Nothing to save you if this goes wrong. Dangling off the cliff precariously with one simple decision to determine your fate. Call. Goodbye.
But then there are times when it happens. You get the fold. Oh, that fold! What do you do? Exhale? Smile? Show your bluff? It's up to you. But the feeling you get is unparalleled. The ultimate trickery. You made someone think something, and the reality was quite the opposite, You had the stones to put all your chips in there with the very real risk of getting none of them back. But you did, You got them all back and then some. New life, new blood, new chance.
Now let's go get some more
Tuesday, July 26, 2016
Monday, July 11, 2016
Growing old
When you are growing up, your life is all about potential. What kind of person will you be? What kinds of things will you be good at? What will it be like when you are "in your prime"?
The prime of one's life varies drastically depending on your viewpoint. You might think it's 18, or 30, or even 50. Some people think whatever age they currently are represents their prime. These are probably the most well adjusted people out there. They recognize the pros and cons with each passing year and embrace everything positive while accepting or dismissing anything negative at the same time. For me, older and wiser is fun. But younger and fresher is fun to look back on as well.
There is one regret that everyone can agree on, however. The toll that Father Time takes on your body. When growing up, each passing year offers more power, speed, flexibility than the one before it. You can run faster, hit a ball farther, shoot from farther out, etc. when you are 8 than when you are 6, 12 than when you are 10. 16 than when you are 14. The whole idea of "I'm going to be even better next year" is fun to have in your back pocket, particularly when you are dealing with a particularly awkward year of growing physically. I had that at 13 and suffered through my roughest athletic year of childhood. Had I peaked at 12? Nope, just had to adjust to the changes of growing up. At 14, I was back on track.
At some point, however, things start sliding down the other side of the mountain. You've spent your whole life climbing towards this physical peak, the absolute best of your abilities, and eventually your body maxes out. Alright fella, we've gone as high as we can go. I've really enjoyed having you on this ride. But it's time we head back. Remember all of the good times when you start to experience these rougher ones. It might not be easy. But please promise to try.
At 37, I am many years past that conversation with my body. I've been on the downward swing for some time now. But it does get more noticeable with each passing year. Jumping ability, lateral quickness, general power.. it's all diminishing year after year. Granted, I rarely put myself through tasks that require much of this. But when I do, playing softball for instance, it's glaring how little my body is capable of compared to 20 years ago. It's life and it happens. But it's still difficult to deal with. Sports will always be "a young man's game."
Poker is a different story. Even as your body is wearing down in your 20s and 30s, many times your mind is still cruising steadily up that same mountain. While it's true that many of the world champions of recent years have been in their 20s. the playing field is far more even in the poker world than in the athletic one. Processing information and making the correct decision in a poker hand is just as easy for me now as it was 10 years ago. Diving to my right to field a ground ball, getting up and firing the ball to first base is certainly not. I can certainly still try it. But I'll likely be bruised and battered afterwards. Father Time will see to that.
But when it comes to poker, the bruised and battered era hasn't arrived for me yet. Oh yes, Father Time is watching and observing, studying from afar. But he understands there is more left in the tank. Plenty more. Maybe even a surplus in there due to inactivity in recent years. But I can't wait too much longer. My mind still feels young now. But like the body before it, it can't stay that way forever.
I'm still heading up that mountain. And I have some things to do before I start heading down the other side...
The prime of one's life varies drastically depending on your viewpoint. You might think it's 18, or 30, or even 50. Some people think whatever age they currently are represents their prime. These are probably the most well adjusted people out there. They recognize the pros and cons with each passing year and embrace everything positive while accepting or dismissing anything negative at the same time. For me, older and wiser is fun. But younger and fresher is fun to look back on as well.
There is one regret that everyone can agree on, however. The toll that Father Time takes on your body. When growing up, each passing year offers more power, speed, flexibility than the one before it. You can run faster, hit a ball farther, shoot from farther out, etc. when you are 8 than when you are 6, 12 than when you are 10. 16 than when you are 14. The whole idea of "I'm going to be even better next year" is fun to have in your back pocket, particularly when you are dealing with a particularly awkward year of growing physically. I had that at 13 and suffered through my roughest athletic year of childhood. Had I peaked at 12? Nope, just had to adjust to the changes of growing up. At 14, I was back on track.
At some point, however, things start sliding down the other side of the mountain. You've spent your whole life climbing towards this physical peak, the absolute best of your abilities, and eventually your body maxes out. Alright fella, we've gone as high as we can go. I've really enjoyed having you on this ride. But it's time we head back. Remember all of the good times when you start to experience these rougher ones. It might not be easy. But please promise to try.
At 37, I am many years past that conversation with my body. I've been on the downward swing for some time now. But it does get more noticeable with each passing year. Jumping ability, lateral quickness, general power.. it's all diminishing year after year. Granted, I rarely put myself through tasks that require much of this. But when I do, playing softball for instance, it's glaring how little my body is capable of compared to 20 years ago. It's life and it happens. But it's still difficult to deal with. Sports will always be "a young man's game."
Poker is a different story. Even as your body is wearing down in your 20s and 30s, many times your mind is still cruising steadily up that same mountain. While it's true that many of the world champions of recent years have been in their 20s. the playing field is far more even in the poker world than in the athletic one. Processing information and making the correct decision in a poker hand is just as easy for me now as it was 10 years ago. Diving to my right to field a ground ball, getting up and firing the ball to first base is certainly not. I can certainly still try it. But I'll likely be bruised and battered afterwards. Father Time will see to that.
But when it comes to poker, the bruised and battered era hasn't arrived for me yet. Oh yes, Father Time is watching and observing, studying from afar. But he understands there is more left in the tank. Plenty more. Maybe even a surplus in there due to inactivity in recent years. But I can't wait too much longer. My mind still feels young now. But like the body before it, it can't stay that way forever.
I'm still heading up that mountain. And I have some things to do before I start heading down the other side...
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