Saturday, June 09, 2012

Steve Zolotow is a fool!

Steve Zolotow's column in the May 30 issue of Card Player magazine is about becoming a tricky player, one who is difficult to read. His point is that you have to play different starting hands the same way as each other, and also play the same starting hand different ways at different times.


For his first example, he takes A-A and discusses the default play (reraise) plus some alternatives. He then does the same for suited K-J, medium suited connectors, and a small pair--in each case mentioning the default play plus how they should sometimes be played as if the cards are something else, like A-A.

Fine so far.

But then he screws up. For his last example, he uses 4s-2h. Yes, the Mighty Deuce-Four. Of this he says, "With 4-2 offsuit, your default play is to fold. But occasionally you can raise as a pure squeeze play, hoping everyone folds. If you get re-raised, it is an easy fold."

The man does not know whereof he speaks. He is clearly unqualified to be writing a poker column. I demand that he be fired at once!

However, he does mention something I had not heard before, which he says is "an old pun": When one wins with the 4-2, one can say, "It was a fortuitous hand."

Get it?

Four-two-itous.

3 comments:

grrouchie said...

He obviously included said example to get a rise out of the grump.

Steve-o-rino 1
Grump 0

~Coach said...

The fortuitous comment is even beneath me... :)

Rob said...

Ugh.

What he should have pointed out was, that when you win with the deuce-four, you not only take down a big pot, but you completely befuddle your opponents so they no longer have a clue as to how you play.

In other words, it's a two-fer.
.
.
.
2.....4