How do I stop tapping the glass?

Today, I was reminded for the billion time about something I've only begun to improve in my poker game. While catching up on the Gambling Tales Podcast, episode #5 contained an interview with Lee Childs. During that interview, the topic turned to a topic that an online poker company (I think) had asked him for his opinion.

The topic they were discussing was protecting the fish. From how I remember it, what the card room wanted to do was rate players on their skills and group the sharks with the sharks and the fish with the fish. From the card room's perspective, this is a great idea(ish). They are protecting the fish from the sharks. I think Lee is right though, the sharks will hate this.

This got me thinking about the whole fish/donkey/dumb ass thing. In Super System by Doyle Brunson, Doyle talks about being competitive with class:

"Not only is it bad manners...it's bad business." (pg. 47)

One of our goals as a better poker player is to cultivate competitors that will continually bring money to the table that we can when, if we play better. Make sense, right?

But the hardest thing to do at the poker table is keep a level head on this subject. Take this hand I played to end a sng the other night. We are in the money 3 handed. The villain min raises from the button. He's done this so many times and when he only min raises and his cards exposed, it's always been an ace. I figured he was always doing this just to steal the blinds and his min requirement was A high. In the BB, I decided to just smooth call with AKo. My thought is there is an extremely good chance I have this guy dominated. He hits two pair, so be it, but if we both pair our ace. BOOM. I should be a 3:1 favorite. Let's do this.

Everything went as planned. Ace in the door, he min raises again, I pot size reraise and there's the shove. I call to find my dream, he's got AQo. Right where I want to be right? 3:1. You might just suck at poker if you don't know where this is going, but there was a Q on the river.

I don't know why this is so hard, but with all my strength, I just really wanted to make a comment about what a sucker he was. I mean damn! Friggin' hand of the devil beat me! Ugh!!!

Why is this so hard? Deep down I know every time I put my money in the middle, I want the other guy to do something stupid and leave me way ahead. But when that 3 outer hits on the river...this game can be so cruel.

I've noticed over the years that every now and then I can't take the beats any more I just dust off some of my bankroll playing like an idiot myself. Why is this? I suppose, Doyle mentions in the same section a few pagers earlier,

"Never Play upset." (pg. 39)

But yet I do.

Telling people they are morons because they got in weaker then they should isn't helping the bottom line. What I want to learn how to do is take my beat and let the other guy walk away thinking how much fun it is to play poker. Sure, he's a got a little bit of my money in his stack, but in the long run, won't I win it back? Isn't this just like spotting them a little for the next encounter?

How do you keep from ripping into the winner of a crazy 3 outer?

Where has the time gone? and the money?

OK, I'm not broke, but this blog has been pretty quite lately.

First, my family suffered the loss of my wife's grandma. If you are really interested, I posted much more about this at my person/family blog. This sent our life into a tizzy for about 2 weeks. Saying we were tired just doesn't go far enough.

Normally, I post every couple days because poker has become part of my scheduled existence. Every Tuesday night, I play league poker at a local bar. That's be on hiatus for 2 weeks. Bodie25 and I usually find some place to play on any off weeks...but that dang Christmas and New Year holidays mean...very little chance to get out of the house. For pretty much the last 2 weeks, it was online poker. I played a lot of sngs.

Now, there was one exciting poker adventure, I won the friggin' mookie! But we already new this. But blogger brethren, the Mookie has ruined my game. Well, not really. But it did have a serious affect on how I thought about poker. It would seem that bloggers play better poker than your average idiot and I had high expectations after winning. This caused me to lose track of one key thing in poker, Know Your Opponent.

When I reached the final table at the Mookie, I know there weren't going to be many people that would call my all in with QTo. Most bloggers know that that is a stupid play. The average Joe at the $1 45 person sng...no so much. That's a monster. Got a gut shot straight draw...keep calling baby, you could get lucky.

This is not good for someone looking to learn more control of one's emotions, but the worst part; I was reading their hand correctly. I caught myself saying, "You hit your friggin flush, damn it! I call." WTF? I knew better, but I just couldn't stand it. I'd call just to see what a moron they were. Again, WTF?

I have taken some time away from the table and eased back the throttle. I know how to play this game. I can play very well. Lesson learned, again. Showing a flopped set isn't really gonna do any good when they hit the straight on the river. You just sometimes need to muck a made hand. That's how we make money.