Never Judge a Book by Its Cover

The year was 1998 and I'd just had a very successful tournament at Foxwoods, building my bankroll up to $60,000 from $2,000 a month before. The Rio was holding its annual Carnivale of Poker tournament in January, and now that I had money, I wasn't going to miss out on any of the fun.

Before I'd even entered the tournament room at the Rio, I'd already spent more than $5,000 in the shops. I bought a Versace jacket, a pair of shoes, and a pair of pants. Ah, no big deal, I'd just go win it in the live games, right?

I sat down in a $75-$150 hold'em game and bought in for $5,000. The game appeared to be really good; some young blonde girl who didn't look old enough to get into the casino was in the game, and so was this other young hotshot who raised every pot and never shut up.

I had my strategy all figured out: I wouldn't bluff the crazy young kid, but I'd attack the poor little blonde girl. I thought, what is she doing playing so high, anyway? Well, she probably won't last long, so I'd better get some of that money before it's gone.

Well, about an hour had gone by and I was already losing more than $3,000. That annoying little blonde girl was crushing me! Every time I raised, she reraised me, and every time I bluffed, she called. I shook my head after she called me once again when I had nothing, and she said, "Ace high."

Ugh, how annoying. Oh well, be patient, she'll give it all away – or so I thought.

I was now stuck a little more than $9,000; all I had left on the table was $300, so it was time to reload. My hotel was across the street, so it gave me a chance to take a little walk – and it was a good thing, too. All the way to the hotel, I talked to myself. What the heck was going on? So much for paying for my clothes, at this rate I'd have to return them! I started to go over all of the hands I'd played with her throughout the evening. Then, it finally dawned on me: This was no novice little rich girl; she was playing better than I was.

I finally made it back to the poker room and the little blonde pro was racking up her chips. I couldn't imagine why – with me in the game, she was bound to win another $5,000. I asked the loud, crazy kid, "Who was that?" Layne Flack responded, "Who, Jennifer? That's Jennifer Harman." Oh, yeah, I was in a good game, all right; I was clearly the worst player in the game!

Luckily for me, Layne also quit and went to play in some humongous pot-limit Omaha game. Layne and Jennifer were replaced by a couple of older guys I didn't know (Berry Johnston and Ray Zee). Little did I realize that I was still the worst player in the game.

The poker gods were very nice to me that day, though; they let me out of the trap and I won the $5,000 that I'd spent on my new wardrobe.

More important than the money I won that day was the lesson I learned: Never judge a book by its cover. I mean, this little girl looked like she had to be about 17 years old. How could she possibly be a professional poker player? Well, she wasn't 17 – but she'd been playing poker for about 17 years.

As for the wild and crazy Layne Flack, that too was a mirage. There was method to his madness, but I was blinded by all of the talking and raising he was doing. He was playing very aggressively, but he was no dummy.

We all know Jennifer Harman to be one of the best all-around poker players in the world today. (I won't say, "for a woman," because that doesn't apply at all). You could never in a million years guess that by looking at her, yet inside that 103-pound frame lies poker talent and knowledge that most people could never dream of having in a lifetime.

I was taken by surprise that night, and was determined to never again allow myself to stereotype people's poker-playing abilities by their looks. I wonder how much extra money Jennifer has made in her life because people have made the mistake I made and taken her lightly? Or, how about Chris Ferguson, with the big cowboy hat, long hair, and beard? You'd never guess that he is a math whiz, would you? You'd assume that he plays on hunches and feelings rather than a sound understanding of the mathematics of the game. Don't be fooled!

This advice applies regarding drunks, as well. Have you ever encountered a drunk who was giving away his money, yet, amazingly enough, he hardly ever lost?

When evaluating whether or not you are a favorite in any game you're playing, make your judgement based on the play of the hands. Don't let yourself fall into the trap of allowing your stereotypes to make these important decisions for you.