Just a Bunch of Notes (That Just Might Make Sense)

Hi. Come on in. Make a note that I didn't cook today.

You might have noticed by looking around here that I'm a note-maker. I scribble ideas on little scraps of paper, and sometimes an idea develops into an article or talk on poker.

I have notes everywhere. Where do they come from? Well, I usually return from a poker session with notes and ideas written on several scraps of paper. Sometimes I can actually read my hasty scribbling. Often, there is just a meaningless jumble of words that takes several minutes of deciphering before my brilliant thought is once again revealed to me.

My imagination can roam in the fertile arena of the poker room, but many of the ideas, by themselves, aren't enough to keep me talking for long, so they sit in a stack on my desk. Today I'm delving into this crumpled stack of scrap paper and passing on some of these random thoughts.

Noted thought: Extrasensory perception (ESP). Most people, including Doyle Brunson (you can look it up), will tell you they believe in it but can't quite figure out just what it is, or what they believe about it. Here's a grabber of an ESP poker story that actually happened to me:

Several years ago I was playing $10-$20 draw poker in Southern California. During one particular hand, I picked up five garbage cards and tossed them away with a tired sigh. I decided to rest my eyes for a minute, so I closed them and let my head fall forward and relax. After a moment, there appeared in my mind's eye a poker hand containing four queens. They were there just as clearly as if I had my eyes open and was staring at the actual cards. My immediate thought was, "How delightful. Maybe this means I'm going to get four queens on my next hand."

At that point, the betting finished in the hand being played. As I opened my eyes, the lady in the seat next to me spread her cards on the table. Right – four queens!

Noting another thought: I still can't read this one. I'm sure it contains a marvelous idea that one day I'll be able to figure out.

And another: Here's another dandy ESP story. I was playing hold'em in Downtown Las Vegas. It was my turn to have the button, giving me the advantage of acting last on each round of betting. Looking at my holecards, I was greeted by the K Q. Great, it was a playable hand in good position.

Just as I was about to reach for my chips, a very close friend walked up to the table and, without seeing my cards, said, "Don't play that hand; it will cost you a lot of money." She wasn't even a poker player, but her words felt right. I tossed the hand.

When I saw the flop, my heart sank, my stomach tightened, and my jaw dropped several inches. It was A 10 8. I would have flopped the nut flush with a draw to a royal flush. The four or five players in the hand started betting as though they had been threatened with a severe beating if they failed to do so.

The turn card came – the 4. They all started betting and raising again. The last card was the 8. Now, it really hit the fan. The maximum number of raises was put in almost instantly.

When the dust settled and they all turned up their holecards, we were looking at four eights, aces full, and tens full. They all had slow-played their hands before the flop. I would have been in fourth place and lost my entire stack.

Another note: "Two quarts of milk and a box of wheat crackers." Toss that one.

And this note on the possible use of ESP (which you will scoff at): As weird as it sounds, this has worked a few times for me. When you just can't put a player on a hand, close your eyes and ask yourself, "What is that hand?" Then, accept the first thought that comes to mind. Sometimes this first thought will be right – really. Try it (but there are no guarantees).

I'll have something tasty next time. Now, I must nap. Kill the light on your way out.

Editor's note: Roy West, author of the best seller 7 Card Stud, the Complete Course in Winning (available from Card Player), continues to give his successful poker lessons in Las Vegas to both tourists and locals. Ladies are welcome. Get his toll-free 800 number from his ad on Page 106.