Be a 'Bad-Beat Friend'

Hi. Come on in. I've pan-fried some mushrooms and sweet onions. Poker has been bountiful.

Few (if any) of us enjoy listening to bad-beat stories. If you do decide to listen while a friend tells his tale of woe, make sure you actually listen.

A sympathetic ear and a little TLC are all your friend needs to get through the grief of his loss. You won't be providing that if you can barely wait for him to finish talking so that you can tell him your sad story. "That's nothing, wait until you hear what happened to me …" (And the beat goes on.)

I'm thinking about re-establishing my popular Bad-Beat Hotline (1-800-BAD-BEAT), maybe in the next few weeks. Watch for it.

Have you ever had a slight suspicion that just maybe, the teller of a bad-beat story didn't play quite as perfectly as his tale would leave you to believe - and, just maybe, his opponent didn't play quite as stupidly as your woeful friend might indicate?

I believe, as do most bad-beat authorities, that most of these tales are told by players who shouldn't have been in the pot to begin with. They started weak, and got marginal improvement with which they then allowed themselves to be committed to the end without the numbers. Trapped. Lost bets. Upset feelings. A sad story. Before you tell someone about your bad beat, make sure it wasn't a bad play. Even good players like you sometimes play badly. Really!

Change of subject: Here's another of Roy's Rules: "Play in the game you can beat, not the game you'd like to beat."

Develop a clear understanding of your current skill level. Be realistic. Then, play mostly at that level. There are many poker players who would win consistently if their egos would allow them to step back and play at a lower limit. Don't fall into that trap.

It's natural to want to move up, but don't move up just because you can afford to play higher. Move up because you're a good enough player to win consistently at the higher limit. There is enjoyment in playing with and beating tougher competition, but anytime you find yourself outclassed, have the good sense to step back.

The bigger game will be there when you're ready. Just be sure you are ready before you play hardball with the big kids.

Change of subject: Here's another of my favorite quotations. It has nothing to do with poker directly, but it can be applied to improve your play. My students all have this impressed upon them. If you'll take it to heart, your wins will increase noticeably.

Most players will read this quotation and pass right on by. Those who see the value in it will receive value from it. It comes from one of my boyhood sports idols, Ed Macauley. He was known as "Easy Ed" while becoming a basketball All-American at St. Louis University. He also was a star in the NBA with the Boston Celtics and St. Louis Hawks.

Here's the quote; tape it to your bathroom mirror.

"When you are not practicing, remember, someone somewhere is practicing, and when you meet him, he will beat you."

You've been warned. Get to work.

Change of subject: Not so fast! Let's stay with this subject a moment more. Here's another quote. It's from Don Hudson, the great pass receiver of the Green Bay Packers: "For every pass I caught in a game, I caught a thousand in practice."

Are you getting the message? Here's one more to drive it home: "You play the way you practice," said Pop Warner.

But also keep in mind the words of Dr. Dan Hunley, who has served as a physician for our Olympic teams: "By itself, practice doesn't make perfect. Those of us with a 10-year-old son practicing the trumpet may understand that."

All things considered, it has been easier for me to learn to play poker than get an acceptable sound from any trumpet.

Good snacks and good poker talk. Now, I must retire to my bedchamber for repose. 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 108.