Play Your Players

Poker is a fascinating game that often raises more questions than answers. The other evening I was playing a limit Texas Hold'em game at Talking Stick Casino near Scottsdale, AZ. There were the usual number of raisers and calling stations in the competition.

I looked at my hand and found pocket queens. When the betting came to me, I raised the pot. Three players called my raise. The flop came eight-eight-seven which I thought was a good flop for me. I came out betting and two of the players called me.

On fourth street, the dealer dealt a two fo diamonds. Again, I came out betting. This time, one of the players -- a conservative man in his 60s -- immediately raised me.

WHOA! This was serious.

The other player folded and I was left there to either call or fold. I looked at my queens, stared at the player and smiled.

"I think you have me beat," I said as sI flipped my pair upright on the table.

He smiled, raked in the chips -- and showed me pocket eights.

There are many different grades of poker players. They can be classed as fair, good, and superior. This gentleman who flopped the quads was a fair player. A superior player would have waited until the river to fire the big guns and rake in as many chips as possible.

I like to sit at a table that has one or more females. Although I respect women players, most of them play at a certain level that I can relate to and understand. While I will occasionally be fooled by a better female player, most of them don't have that extra depth of understanding that converts an average player into a really good one.

Of course there are exceptions. Players like Annie Duke, who happens to be a psychologist, can fool you and take away your chips like she's using a velvet blacjkack. You don't even know what hit you! All you realize is that you just lost a big pot.

When I sit down at a table, I spend the first hour analyzing my opposition. I pay attention to the good players, and note the calling stations who rarely raise. Those are the ones I will exploit when the conditions are right. The good players speak for themselves. They are tricky and know very well how to use the 'steal' position to rob the pot. They are like Robin Hood and h is merry band of outlaws lurking in Sherwood Forest, ready to spring out of the trees and waylay a person.

Let your instincts rule your play. Don't try to outthink yourself, but if you are in a multi-way pot with a couple of good players, try to read their minds and act accordingly. You won't always win but you will collect your share of pots and the respect the other players have for your play will grow.

The player who made the quad eights later confronted me at the casino's coffee shop where I went to order a Starbucks.

"That was a pretty smart play you made when you folded those queens," he said, smiling. "Mind telling me how you knew you were beat?"

I shrugged. "Just call me a coward at heart," I said.

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 ).