Chris "Fox" Wallace, in Poker Pro magazine column, January, 2009, pp. 74-75. Note: I don't usually find much to like in Poker Pro, but once in a while there something of real value. I thought this column was especially good, so I'm going to post several paragraphs from it, each as a separate entry, on consecutive days.
There are only two attitudes about poker that make sense. Either you are a recreational player and you want to have some fun and see if you are any good, or you are a serious player and you only care about making money. Anything in between the two is a recipe for disaster. Trying to have fun and casually play some cards will guarantee that you lose money, and losing money when you are trying to be serious about winning will ruin your fun.
Wednesday, January 14, 2009
Poker gems, #206
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2 comments:
LOL. I could not disagree more... Having good time and winning is what poker is all about. E.g., ever watched durrrr play?
I have to agree with "Mike" in the earlier comments and disagree with Mr. Wallace. It is possible to have fun and play seriously (i.e., play to win). For me, most of the fun in poker arises from solving the logical and psychological puzzle(s) of the game. Can I deduce what cards another player has? Can I convince an opponent to fold/call when I want? Can I get a read on my opponent? Can I choose the correct play in an ambiguous or novel situation? Winning money is also fun, in case Mr. Wallace had forgotten!
This disagreement might be more of a semantic thing. If Mr. Wallace is referring to yucking it up, trading jokes with other players, tossing a few back, and generally acting like you're at a craps table, then definitely, "having fun" is not going to be a profitable poker strategy. However, I often use humor and an outgoing (even intentionally over the top) and humorous personality at the poker table as a tool for getting other players to both underestimate my ability, and to loosen up their own playing style.
Fun and work are not mutually exclusive.
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