The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly

The Good: I've been saving this one for just the right time. The time is now. When I took part in the High Heels Poker Academy in Las Vegas, among the students was Hilary Greene-Pae. It became obvious that she was the least experienced player - about the third grade. I spent some extra time with her because she needed it and because I was curious as to why she would be taking up poker in her midlife. (There is always a good story when I ask this question and hers was one of the best.) She had lost her Mom six months ago and she explained that her Dad was really lost after more than half a century with the love of his life. Hillary tried to bring him out of his funk, but to no avail. One day she asked him why he didn't play poker anymore. He had gone to a CA poker club several times a week for many years. He just wasn't in the mood, he explained. Hillary suggested that she take him and stay with him. And so it began. She sat behind him while he played and playing poker seemed to bring a bit of a smile to his face which had been so sad for so long. The more she watched, the more sure she was that she could do this. So she began a study so that she could go and play poker with her Dad rather than just sweat him. He was so pleased that he gave her the seminar as a gift and told her, "Thank you for carrying out this family tradition." They now have a regular date, three times a week for dinner, poker, and fun. Her father is 93-years-young.

The Bad: I played in the Seven-stud High-Low Split in the Grand Series at the Golden Nugget the other day. I so enjoy any limit game, especially any form of stud. In came a staggering stranger who asked what's going on and decided to join the competition. During the first round, we had to teach him the game - he had never played the game and he had never played in a tournament! - and then over the next eight and a half hours, he drank at least 11 screwdrivers and only after seven hours of play did he put his ante up without a reminder or someone else doing it for him. Wouldn't you know, he couldn't miss a hand, for hours - whatever he played, he hit. When this happens I always remember what my Mama used to say, "Trees don't grow to the sky ... just wait." He missed many hands when he left the table for 15 and 20 minutes at a time and always returned with a fresh screwdriver. During those few precious breaks from him, the game ran smoothly, but back he would come. This resulted in one of the worse tournaments I have ever played. It is amazing how much one player can screw up a game. PLEASE, folks who come to Vegas to drink and have fun, do so, but stay out of poker competition where players are serious about their game and some are trying to make a living. Come on to Lost Wages and have a blast - at the crap table or in front of a slot machine (where I believe his jaunts took him for free screwdrivers. ) After his ninth or tenth one (I lost track) I really thought he would fall out of his chair and we'd be done with him, but it was not to be. It appeared he was drinking himself sober. This tree finally stopped growing and got chopped down by ME at 8:30 PM. I did not go on to win, but felt a winner just by ridding our table from this stud high-low disaster.

The Ugly: I am the UGLY of this story. It is so ugly, it is funny. I taught a short seminar at a local bar on Saturday morning. One subject we got on was the strength or lack thereof of Ace-Queen. We talked about how deceiving this hand can be. It can look so pretty, almost as pretty as Big Slick, but it can kick you in the face. There is no reason ever to go broke on ace-queen. TJ Cloutier told me years ago that the hand more players get busted out of tournaments on is Ace-Queen and Ace-King. I have remembered that and saved myself more time than I can count. "You can't win a tournament in the first few rounds," I have preached, "but you sure as hell can lose it!"
Today, I went to Binion's to get back to no-limit in their Third Annual Binion's Classic series. I sat down full of confidence. In the second level I picked up Ace-Queen in late position and raised it after several limpers came limping in. The fellow in the small blind moved in on me. Because I knew this man and had a gut feeling he was making a move on me, like an idiot, I called! Why oh why don't I listen to myself? I knew that he would more than likely have two live cards. But NO! He had two aces! Lesson learned: listen to myself, read my own books, and my poker will be much better. I don't know a lot about Zen but I do know that it is about looking forward and leaving the past in the past - to move on, onward and upward and of course, to learn from our mistakes. After I stopped beating my head against the wall ... I laughed!