Play the Hand From Where You Stand

Anybody who reads my columns knows that an underlying tenet of both my game and my life is that you play the hand from where you stand. Whining about how bad things are or how your two black aces in a five-way capped pot are looking at the 8 7 6 5 board on the turn doesn’t matter a bit. How you got here doesn’t matter a lot. What are you going to do now? That’s what matters.

2009 was a rough year for a lot of people, the country, and, in some ways, poker. A lot of people are broke, and have even lost their homes. There is less money in play in poker than there was in the boom years of 2002-2006. The lingering effects of the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act (UIGEA) have put a damper on the Internet game. And, tournament attendance is down.

So what? You play the hand from where you stand.

Things tend to be darkest before the dawn. Real estate seems to have bottomed. The stock market has recovered much of its losses. Unemployment — a lagging economic indicator — is growing at a slower pace. The worst isn’t necessarily over, but at least not all of the news is bad, as it seemed for a while.

Some significant new properties are coming online in Vegas. Economic giant California continues to churn, if at a temporarily slower pace. The Poker Players Alliance continues to chip away at congressional opposition to poker. President Obama is a poker player. Macao has opened up Asia to the game of poker in a big way, and Europe has embraced poker. There are significant legislative developments in New York, Texas, and Florida — state economies No. 2, No. 3, and No. 4 — which bodes well for legalized poker, as well as Pennsylvania and Illinois, both of which are top 10 state economies.

But all of that is out of your control. You have to ask yourself this: What can I do to improve the hand I’m holding? What can I do to affect the play of future hands?

First of all, be honest with yourself. Were you a loser in poker? Did it turn you into a loser in life? Far more people lost than won in poker last year, and most of those who lost blamed it on the deck. It’s likely that you are lying to yourself. If you are losing with any kind of regularity, it’s not likely because of the poker gods; it’s you. You have to ask yourself what is causing your losing. And if you won last year, you could have performed better. How much poker equity did you let leak out last year?

Are you playing your best? Is your best good enough to beat the game you are playing? Do you think you are better than you really are? Do you study the game? Are your opponents outworking you, out-studying you, outplaying you?

Do self-discipline issues affect your game — perhaps drugs or alcohol? Can you leave a bad game when you’re stuck? Does losing emotionally affect you? Does your ego get in the way of rational thinking? Do you let superstitions take command of your thoughts rather than logical analysis? Do you possess the intellect and the perception to obtain an accurate feel for what is going on around you? Do you have the competitive desire and heart to beat the game? Be honest!

Most losing gamblers blame their losses on external factors. They make excuses that justify their losses to themselves. They tell bad-beat stories to each other, believing that nobody has ever suffered such injustice. They delude themselves, thinking it will end soon, that justice will prevail and they will get out of the trap they are in. But the deck has no conscience and no memory, and couldn’t give a damn about your results — and is not to blame.

Some players just lack emotional control. Sometimes it’s the gambling environment that makes them that way. In other cases, it is just their personal psychological makeup. If your losses are rooted in your emotional state, do you have the strength and will to overcome them?

The real difference between winning and losing, both in life and in poker, is finding it within yourself to do what it takes. It may not make you a superstar in the game or in life, but it will make you a better player and help you to make a better life for yourself and your loved ones.

Make committed decisions to grow and learn, and to be disciplined, and act on them. Most importantly, act on them. Take care of your mind and body. Study the game at and away from the table. Read poker literature and forums, watch poker videos, and use your time at the table to read hands and get a line on your opponents. Develop a personal pride in doing your best and get your ego involved, but keep it under control.

Many people find excuses for not making the changes required to correct what is wrong in their lives, seeing them as being too costly in personal terms or in effort required. Try taking a look at it from a different perspective. What will it cost you in life if you don’t make the changes?

Losing in poker doesn’t make you a loser in life. And winning at the poker table doesn’t make you a winner in life. But if you develop the habits and lifestyle of a winner, both your poker game and your life will be better for it. And always keep this in mind: It doesn’t matter how you got here; what matters is what comes next. Play the hand from where you stand!

Longtime poker pro and author Roy Cooke’s Card Player column has appeared since 1992. A successful Las Vegas real estate broker since 1990, his website is www.roycooke.com. Should you wish to inquire regarding real-estate matters — including purchase, sale, or mortgage — his phone number is (702) 396-6575. Roy’s longtime collaborator John Bond’s website is www.johnbondwriting.com.