Enormously Large Heads
Good poker players have tremendous egos: they're good and they know it. Some of them are all too ready to let you know that they are good also.
In the first part of this blog entry, I am going to discuss my ego. In the second part, I am going to discuss someone else's ego.
I must confess: My ego is HUGE! I have a PhD in engineering and I think that I am more intelligent than virtually everyone that I meet in my everyday life. Now, I don't tell people this (else I would be a pariah), but it's what I think (note: my wife will accurately tell you that she is "right" more often than me). At the poker table, my ego means that I think I am the best player at the table.
I am not describing my ego as a narcissistic, insecure means of trying to convince you of how smart I am. In fact, I am trying to explain why my ego is a hindrance at the table. I know how to play more hands in more ways that should clearly show my skill. Unfortunately, most of my "inferior" opponents don't recognize my skill; they're merely happy to collect my money after they call with their better hand after my superior move. Jennifer Harman termed this "Fancy Play Syndrome" (FPS) in Super/System 2.
Earlier today, I had a session where I was so guilty of ego-driven FPS that I should have been sentenced to four consecutive life terms in poker prison. I kept making well-timed bluff-raises on the turn, which should have caused my opponent holding middle pair to fold (nope). I'd limp from early position with AA so that I could win a huge pot, which I'd lose to something like J3o after a flop of J 7 3. Doh!
In the end, I realized my ego was getting in the way of playing poker. I decided to be more "stupid" and to merely play solid. I grinded my way back to the point where I only lost about $80 for the day (about 10 big bets... so not so bad). But, I'd definitely be a better poker player if I didn't think that I was so damn smart. Yep, I might be smart, but I'm pretty damn stupid too.
Ego also played a prominent role in today's heads-up HORSE sit-n-go that I played at Full Tilt Poker. I bought into a $20 tournament this evening and I immediately found myself behind my opponent. He played hold'em very well, while I was pretty much card-dead. I was genuinely concerned that I was going to lose my first-ever HORSE SNG (my ego had decided to hide for a bit, I guess).
After the game switched to Omaha 8/b, I started to catch a few cards and I started to grind my way back into the game. I won a big pot when I had three-pair on the turn and called a raise from my opponent who had a made flush. He was quite upset at my call when I caught a full-house on the river. He started lecturing me on the dangers of chasing and how my luck wouldn't last. I didn't remind him that my call was justified by the fact that I could have had the best hand (two pair wins many pots in heads-up Omaha 8/b); and if not, I had six outs to a full house -- these outs were mathematically sufficient to justify my call because of the pot odds.
I really started to dominate the match when the game switched to Razz. I was again lectured when I capped the betting on fourth street with (A 2) T 4... when he showed Q5. He was even more upset when he caught another Q on fifth street and he had to fold when I caught a six. He literally complained that I had no idea of what I was doing because his hand was clearly better on fourth street. (I'm still trying to figure that out)
I continued to dominate my opponent when the game switched to 7stud. He again started to complain when I called a raise on sixth street when he had a pair of sixes showing. I figure that he had two pair, but that I would win the hand with kings up if I caught two pair on the end (which I did). My opponent apparently had no concept of pot odds. He complained again that I called him to seventh street on the last hand of the match when he clearly had a pair of jacks... unfortunately for him, I had two kings... and caught third one on the end.
Anyway, I'm still undefeated at HORSE SNGs. I am sure that it won't last for long, especially considering that I am willing to play way above my bankroll. In fact, I was tempted to play in a $200 heads-up SNG, even though I only had $210 in my account.
Anyway, I hope that you laughed while reading this (i.e., laughed AT me, not WITH me).
In the first part of this blog entry, I am going to discuss my ego. In the second part, I am going to discuss someone else's ego.
I must confess: My ego is HUGE! I have a PhD in engineering and I think that I am more intelligent than virtually everyone that I meet in my everyday life. Now, I don't tell people this (else I would be a pariah), but it's what I think (note: my wife will accurately tell you that she is "right" more often than me). At the poker table, my ego means that I think I am the best player at the table.
I am not describing my ego as a narcissistic, insecure means of trying to convince you of how smart I am. In fact, I am trying to explain why my ego is a hindrance at the table. I know how to play more hands in more ways that should clearly show my skill. Unfortunately, most of my "inferior" opponents don't recognize my skill; they're merely happy to collect my money after they call with their better hand after my superior move. Jennifer Harman termed this "Fancy Play Syndrome" (FPS) in Super/System 2.
Earlier today, I had a session where I was so guilty of ego-driven FPS that I should have been sentenced to four consecutive life terms in poker prison. I kept making well-timed bluff-raises on the turn, which should have caused my opponent holding middle pair to fold (nope). I'd limp from early position with AA so that I could win a huge pot, which I'd lose to something like J3o after a flop of J 7 3. Doh!
In the end, I realized my ego was getting in the way of playing poker. I decided to be more "stupid" and to merely play solid. I grinded my way back to the point where I only lost about $80 for the day (about 10 big bets... so not so bad). But, I'd definitely be a better poker player if I didn't think that I was so damn smart. Yep, I might be smart, but I'm pretty damn stupid too.
Ego also played a prominent role in today's heads-up HORSE sit-n-go that I played at Full Tilt Poker. I bought into a $20 tournament this evening and I immediately found myself behind my opponent. He played hold'em very well, while I was pretty much card-dead. I was genuinely concerned that I was going to lose my first-ever HORSE SNG (my ego had decided to hide for a bit, I guess).
After the game switched to Omaha 8/b, I started to catch a few cards and I started to grind my way back into the game. I won a big pot when I had three-pair on the turn and called a raise from my opponent who had a made flush. He was quite upset at my call when I caught a full-house on the river. He started lecturing me on the dangers of chasing and how my luck wouldn't last. I didn't remind him that my call was justified by the fact that I could have had the best hand (two pair wins many pots in heads-up Omaha 8/b); and if not, I had six outs to a full house -- these outs were mathematically sufficient to justify my call because of the pot odds.
I really started to dominate the match when the game switched to Razz. I was again lectured when I capped the betting on fourth street with (A 2) T 4... when he showed Q5. He was even more upset when he caught another Q on fifth street and he had to fold when I caught a six. He literally complained that I had no idea of what I was doing because his hand was clearly better on fourth street. (I'm still trying to figure that out)
I continued to dominate my opponent when the game switched to 7stud. He again started to complain when I called a raise on sixth street when he had a pair of sixes showing. I figure that he had two pair, but that I would win the hand with kings up if I caught two pair on the end (which I did). My opponent apparently had no concept of pot odds. He complained again that I called him to seventh street on the last hand of the match when he clearly had a pair of jacks... unfortunately for him, I had two kings... and caught third one on the end.
Anyway, I'm still undefeated at HORSE SNGs. I am sure that it won't last for long, especially considering that I am willing to play way above my bankroll. In fact, I was tempted to play in a $200 heads-up SNG, even though I only had $210 in my account.
Anyway, I hope that you laughed while reading this (i.e., laughed AT me, not WITH me).
posted by frazwood at 11:14 PM
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