My latest foray into the poker world produced a much-improved result over the last two outings. Again, eight people sat down to play, and I managed to fend off numerous challenges and finish squarely in the middle of the pack in fourth place. Not bad, but it could have been better. Witness the following:
On the hand that ended up spelling my doom, action was down to Corrye and I after the turn. I was first to act, and looking at his chip stack, I knew we were very close. I thought about it for a moment, and realized I had a straight flush draw, and 13 outs. I moved all in, and Corrye debated only for a moment before calling. Not good – I figured he would fold. Even so, I was in good shape with my outs when he flipped over K/Q. Now, not only would any heart or seven give me the winning hand, but so would any six or five to pair what was in my hand.
So what comes on the river? Four of clubs, and Corrye wins with a king high. Unreal. Had I won that hand, I would have knocked him out, and easily had more chips than my remaining two competitors (Anthony and Tina) combined. I had 60 cents left and was all-in on the small blind on the next hand. I was leading with a pair of eights going to the river, and what happens? Yep, Mike gets slapped again by the poker gods when Tina spikes a king to give her a higher pair and knock me out.
Corrye ended up winning the whole thing for the second time this year, increasing his lead in our 2011 Points Championship. My five points helped get me back in the conversation, but if Corrye doesn't start finishing in the lower half of things soon, it's not going to matter. At this point he controls his own destiny. To the surprise of no one, Tina is entrenched in second place, five points off the lead.
***
I was thinking the other day (probably in the car; with the monotony of my commute, it happens a lot) about poker. Specifically, why do I like playing? It's certainly not because of the money – 10 bucks a tournament an average of once a month isn't going to get me rich, or make me poor, and I've played a grand total of one cash game in my life for a profit of $8.
I've determined two things. First and foremost is hanging out with friends. While all of my friends don't play, most do, and we always have a good time despite the occasional meltdown or disagreement. (The latter is extremely rare; the former slightly more common but always humorous to everyone but the orator.) Those that don't play (usually Bert, Danielle, and Heather), always hang out, and no matter what, we have a good time.
The second determination: I like the intellectual challenge poker provides. I am still in my infancy as a student of the game, and therefore, there is a LOT I still have to learn. For example, the math of the game – calculating percentages, pot-odds, value betting, etc. I'm no John Nash, but I'm not an idiot either, and I like to think I can figure it out in time.
However, the most intriguing part of the game is the psychology. I love trying to keep my emotions under control, adapting to the table dynamic and the mindset of other players, and trying (often unsuccessfully, but trying nonetheless) to outsmart people.
I had to laugh during our last game when Tina looked at me after I moved all-in at one point and announced "Mike has a tell. I just can't tell if it's when he has something, or when he doesn't." Perfect! A long time ago, I thought that there's no way I will able to be stoic with any kind of success (even though I thought I did well doing just that during my cash game at Terrible's), so my best option might be to flood my opponents with potential tells. The best part about this situation is that I wasn't consciously trying; it happened naturally.
My overall point: I look at people like Doyle Brunson and Dan Harrington, older guys who have been playing for a long time, and I think to myself, this is something I can do for the rest of my life.
I love baseball, but I'm not going to be out there making diving catches on the center field grass when I'm approaching 80 years old. It's hard enough now and I'm barely 30. Poker is something that challenges me, provides a great deal of entertainment, and will last me, presumably for the rest of my life.
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