When I was eight years old, my parents took my younger brothers and me to a public swimming pool in Ligonier, PA. I didn't know how to swim and stayed close to shore for the first couple of hours. Then, for some stupid reason, I ventured into deeper water and nearly drowned.
I went under the water once, twice and then three times. Each time I bobbed above the surface of the water I yelled 'Help,' but the lifeguard was too busy talking to girls to see my distress. My father spotted me, jumped into the water, and saved my life.
Poker players can drown, too, if they play against competition that is too tough for their skills.
The other night we were playing $8-16 Omaha High-Low. An older man took a seat to my right. He entered the game with a lot of chips, over $500. Since he was new, I kept my eye on him to see how he played.
In Omaha High-Low, the idea is to start out with three low cards, hopefully with an ace, so your hand can materialize into a low or high hand, or both. This guy didn't seem to know that. He kept playing hands that contained high pairs like nines or 10s which could not convert into a low hand and he kept being beat.
After about two hours his stack of blue $2 chips had been decimated. He reached into his wallet and bought another $200 worth of chips, which he also lost. Then he bought $100 worth of chips. He did that several times after losing his stack and turned to me with a glazed look on his face.
'You sure go through hundred dollar bills fast in this game, don't you?' he mumbled.
He was drowning and didn't know it.
I felt sorry for the guy, but what could I tell him? That he didn't belong in this game because he didn't know how to play Omaha High-Low and seven-card stud high-low poker at this level? That would have been an insult. He kept playing until he had had enough and then he slunk off into the night.
That evening I was experiencing my own problems. My good hands were being beaten by better hands. I kept reaching for $100 bills and I was down about $500 before I started coming back. I made back most of my losses before calling it a night, but I knew how the poor guy must be feeling. It ain't easy being a loser.
My formula for bouncing back after an evening like that is to play in a smaller game the next day.
The competition is not nearly as tough. You can buy into the game with a lesser amount of money. And you can have more fun winning because you are operating at a level where your skills will dominate the opposition.
I hope I see the guy again who lost so much money. If I am in a generous mood, I will caution him about playing in a game where he is in over his head. It's hard to breathe when you are under water. Take it from somebody who has been there.
The other players, of course, love to play against people who don't know the game. They have a killer instinct for going for the jugular vein and they move fast to trap a person who is on a losing streak.
I have a sneaking suspicion this guy was a Texas Hold'em player. He certainly had a lot of money to invest in the game, so he wasn't a beginner. Unfortunately, it takes losers to make winners at poker. In order to become a skilled poker player, you need to pay a price to be educated. His education is not yet complete. The next time around he may have learned a few tricks and he might beat me.
Heh, heh, heh. I'm waiting.
Author: Geno Lawrenzi Jr.
(Geno Lawrenzi Jr. is an international journalist, magazine author and ghostwriter and poker player who lives in Phoenx, AZ. He has published 2,000 articles in 50 magazines and 125 newspapers. If you want to share a gambling story or book idea with him, send an email to glawrenzi@gmail.com ).
