The Ruthless Side of Me

The Ruthless Side of Me

My regular readers who follow this column have seen much of the warm side of me. You know me as a poker player who tries to act like a gentleman to his opponents as well as his friends at the table. That is well and good because it represents an important side of me.

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However, I have another side that is familiar to most real poker players call it the ruthless side of me.

I have been in cash situations where winning or losing a tournament could result in being evicted from my lodging. When your back is against the wall, you should play well, good, and strong. This may require plunges and even a bluff or two, but you need to be on your edge, waiting for the moment to strike.

I am not a passive player. It's too boring and it doesn't fit my style. I will take a chance for the thrill of it and the knowledge I may be right.

The ruthless side of me looks to check-raise an unsuspecting victim. It looks to using a raise to control the pot and a sometimes reraise when I suspect I have the edge.

When a person becomes ruthless, he loses his charm and turns into a menace. I try to retain the charm while following my ruthless path.

You should not play ruthless all the time. Save your rage for the proper moments and then explode in a wonderful hail of glory. Your actions will confuse and amaze your foes and should add to your mountain of chips.

Now it is possible when you adapt this ruthless surge that you will find yourself facing another person who is just as ruthless as you. This is when all bets are off -- or on as the case may be.

When this happens, you are on your own. Nobody knows what the other person is holding. That is the wisdom and the mastery of poker.

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