The weather in Las Vegas is awesome right now and I spend some time each morning when I’m home reading the paper in my backyard and thinking. Here are some of today’s random poker thoughts (in no particular order) and one random non-poker thought:
1. Why do some people think they know everything? I recently planned to attend a poker seminar and asked a friend if she wanted to join me. Her reply was, “No thanks. I don’t think I need it.” Personally, I can’t think of a more ignorant statement. I bit my tongue and didn’t say what I was thinking: ”Well then, why don’t you teach a seminar?” I attend every seminar I can, read every new poker book, go to other instructor’s Boot Camps, read all of the poker magazines, and participate in many poker discussions and online forums. When you think you know it all, you are doomed for failure.
2. What would possess someone to lead into six opponents holding pocket sevens when the flop comes A-K-J? Does he really think no one hit the flop?
3. Why do some people think they can play poker for a living? A friend of mine recently surprised me with an announcement that he was going to quit his job and play poker. This is someone who has never read a poker book and has limited time spent at the green felts. That would be like me saying, “I think I’ll quit poker and perform brain surgery tomorrow.”
4. Why do some players – especially high-limit players – think it’s okay to not tip dealers? I’m always surprised to see someone win a huge pot and stiff the dealer. While I am aware that over-tipping can be a problem, stiffing the dealer is also a problem. These same people wouldn’t dream of stiffing the cocktail waitress. Tipping is a business expense and if you can’t afford your business expenses, then you need to get into a new business. That said, I wouldn’t tip a dealer who doesn’t say thank you, chews gum, or is constantly talking and not running the game properly.
5. Why do some people insist on telling bad beat stories? I really don’t care to hear them. I’ve seen them all, taken them all, and don’t mind taking them. Taking a bad beat means that someone is trying to give you their money, but the deck won’t always allow it. The better you play, the more bad beats you are going to take because you are going to be getting your money in good most of the time.
6. In a tournament, when a player gets busted, why do some dealers yell out “Lost one!” or “Player down!” It makes it sound like the player died.
7. Why do some card rooms allow abuse? Some players will push the envelope and act as badly as they are allowed to act. I enjoy a friendly, non-combative atmosphere when I play since my time at the table is limited and I want to have fun while I’m there. I also think that people play worse when they are having fun. If someone screams at a player for drawing out, he will be less likely to take the worst of it the next time for fear of being berated again. In any card room that allows abuse, the management is to blame. Have a strict no-abuse policy, enforce it, and you will see that players will follow the rules.
8. Why won’t some poker pros take time out of their schedules to stop and smell the roses? It always shocked me that when Card Player Cruises hosted the PartyPoker Million, the minute the pros got knocked out of the tournament, most of them would pay top dollar to fly home from the next port, even though they had paid for their cabin for the entire week. Why can’t they relax and take a vacation?
9. Why do I love internet poker so much? I play every day unless I am out of the country without good internet access. Sometimes when I have a deadline to meet, I actually have to call a trusted friend and ask her to change my online password for a few days until I complete my project.
10. Now for my non-poker random thought of the day: Mother’s Day recently took place. I often wonder how I got so lucky to have such a wonderful mom. I always say I was lucky at birth. My mother is 80 years-old, still works full-time, dances four nights a week, and is a loving, generous, energetic, awesome role model. When I was a child, she always attended my school plays, ballet classes, and sporting events. She always told me I could do anything I set my mind to do and has made me feel loved my entire life. The world would be a better place if everyone could have a mother like mine!