My intentions seem to keep getting grayer and grayer. In my earlier days, it all seemed so black and white. In forums or other writings, I could argue with the best – or so I thought. A lot of said arguments were with as incomplete information as the tables provide. In forums we can finally get that hashed out. Blogs are a different beast. Read more...
Well, everybody has waded into the Isildur1 and Brian Hastings brew-ha-ha. I guess it is past time for me to do a mention. Although, it feels a bit like I'm designing one of the PBS pledge week bonanzas they put on with self-help gurus and crystal wearers. Read more…
The less I know. I guess that is in the tradition of the hurrier I go the behinder I get. (Snicker...he said behinder) When, I started playing the game, I could answer something like the following (taken from pokerweblog.com) in a New York minute. Read more...
Poker is a game of incomplete information. That is annoying as hell if you watch any of the tournament tables that aren’t providing hole card information. When we play or watch we seek tendencies. Those only solidify with complete knowledge. That’s hard and even costly to obtain.
One of the blogs I read is Poker Grump. He’s more predicable in his blog choices than he is at the tables – fortunately. But, it is also capable of challenging one’s ideas and I like that. He does have a seemly unhealthy obsession with another male player. I don’t think his fixation is that unhealthy though. Here’s today’s example:
Tommy Angelo, in Elements of Poker, p. 100.
When you fold face up, the message that is sent to the table, whether you intend it or not, and whether you realize it or not, is this: “Dear table full of people. It is very important to me what you think of me. It is so important that I am willing to give you the most generous gift of information I can–I will show you my cards–just so you know that 1) my decisions were justified, and also that 2) I am unlucky. I know it will cost me money to reveal my cards and feelings to you. But that’s okay. That’s how much I value your opinion of me.”
If you always fold face down without ever showing even one card to anyone, the message that is sent, and received, whether you intend it or not, and whether you realize it or not, is this: “I don’t care what you think about how I play. I don’t even care what I think about how I play. Oh, and by the way, I am impervious to everything.” Fussless folding fortifies.
Early on in articles and blogs, I wrote a lot about basic concepts. It isn’t rocket science but the basics are something we poker players drift away from at time. Part of the reason I write them is to beat myself over the head and ingrain the information further.
I’ve been following the WSOP a bit and noticed any number of examples of basic knowledge being ignored. “So-and-so, folded his QQ face up” or such. This happens with big time pros along with micro-limit donks. Read more…
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