A Lesson in Respect

Hi. Come on in. I've made up a large antipasto salad and a loaf of garlic bread. Rip off some and dig in.

I've been telling you for years that part of your poker arsenal should be respect for your opponents. I think it's even one of Roy's Rules. Too many players underestimate their opponents to the detriment of their own bankrolls.

One of the up-and-coming young new stars of poker lost in a 2004 World Series of Poker event to a seasoned tournament veteran more than twice his age. I believe the young man's loss came mostly because he did not give due respect to the veteran's play, thinking it would be a slam dunk over the mature gentleman. Not so. The veteran patiently finished him off in a few minutes. (But the young fellow is a smart player. I'm sure he has learned, and won't make that mistake again.)

How many times do I have to tell you? Give your opponent his due respect – or you will probably become careless and impatient, "underplay" him, and find a large hole in your bankroll. Assume that your opponent is a very good player until he proves otherwise.

Change of subject: Here's something else of which I think you need to be reminded. We've talked about this point before, but many of you apparently weren't paying attention. Well, the way poker is being played today, especially in no-fold'em hold'em games, this is worth money to you. Listen up!

A novice player administers you a bad beat. Or, a maniac is winning a ton of money while you either can't find a starting hand or your aces are being cracked with regularity. You begin mumbling and moaning – sending mental daggers toward these incompetent idiots, asking the poker gods to deal with them in a suitable (anguishing) manner. That's incorrect!

Be glad for their wins – yes, glad! You must realize, for your own benefit, that the poker gods love good and bad players equally. And what you wish for your poker brother might instead be visited upon you. That's for openers.

Now, here's a quick quiz: If you have to lose, would you rather lose to a good player or to a bad player. Your ego says "good player" because it doesn't like the idea of losing to a player of inferior skill and intellect. (It makes you feel terrible.) But "bad player" should be the response of your thinking brain. "Why?" you ask, lowering your chin ever so slightly. Because it will be easier to win it back from the bad player than from the good player.

Carefully consider this: If the bad players never won, the game of poker would die within a month. If the good players always won and the bad players always lost, how long do you think the bad players would continue coming back to play? How long would you? See? Eventually, they'd have to catch on that they just couldn't beat the game, and would stop playing. So, the bad players have to win sometimes so that they'll keep coming back.

About 85 percent to 90 percent of all poker players are losers. They don't lose a whole lot. If they lost a whole lot, they would stop playing. Most losers don't lose much. They usually think they are breaking even or a bit ahead. In actuality, most of them lose a few grand in a year. (Remember, we're talking low and medium limits here, the range in which most people play.) However, that's enough money collectively for the other 10 percent to 15 percent to make nice livings or supplement their incomes.

Losing players for the most part don't even realize they are losers, because, as I told you sometime back, they generally don't keep records. Most low- and medium-limit players think they are a couple of grand or so ahead each year. However, I have found that what a losing player thinks he is ahead for the year is just about what he actually is behind.

Change of subject (sort of): What would be your guess as to how many professional poker players there are in places like Las Vegas and Southern California – or Foxwoods and Atlantic City? Surprisingly few.

The winning players in the 10 percent to 15 percent we spoke of a moment ago are not necessarily professionals. You see, there are, by far, more semiprofessional poker players than professionals here in Las Vegas and other areas of heavy public poker. In the reality of 2004, there are very few true professionals anymore. There are many semipros – men and women who have a "regular" job and then augment their income at the poker table. I hope you're riding with that bunch.

It looks like you inhaled almost all of that salad and half the loaf of bread. Yum. Now I tire and seek slumber. Take a baggie full of the goodies and kill the light on your way out.

Editor's note: Roy West, author of the bestseller 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. Call 1-800-548-6177 Ext. 03.