Poker Odds and Ends

I’ve accumulated too many pieces of scrap paper on my desk which indicates that it’s time to write an odds and ends column so I can throw away all the poker-related notes I’ve jotted down while at the poker table lately. Therefore, in no particular order, here are some miscellaneous thoughts about this game I love:

I’m tired of being around players who have a sense of entitlement. They think they are supposed to win every hand they play. They think they shouldn’t get called. They whine about their bad beats and berate their opponents. I’ve got one word for players like this: Stop!

The poker world would be better off if there was more communication between the players and the management. I like it when poker management seeks out ideas from their players. I like the “take a player to lunch” concept; the cardroom manager invites some of the players who spend a lot of time in the cardroom to lunch and listens to their thoughts concerning what they like about the cardroom and how it could be improved. Another way to gather feedback is to set aside an hour or two a week during which players can come talk to management about anything on their minds concerning the poker room. Yet another idea that goes along with this is having a suggestion box in the cardroom.

It’s flu season and lots of poker players I know have come down with horrific colds. It would be a good idea to have hand sanitizers in poker rooms. This would help prevent the spread of colds and disease.

There’s no “sorry” in poker. I think it’s silly when someone beats you in a pot and then says “I’m sorry.” Are they really sorry? The same thing goes for wishing someone “Good luck all-in!” Do you really want the all-in player to win? Aren’t you wishing the all-in’s opponent bad luck when you say this?

The Tournament Director’s Association will be meeting in 2013 (we meet every two years). The date and location is being finalized. If you have something you would like to be brought up for discussion at the meeting, please email me at [email protected]. If you are a cardroom manager, director of poker room operations, or a tournament director and would like to attend the two-day summit in Las Vegas, please write and let me know.

I really like the automatic shufflers. When they first came out, I didn’t have much of an opinion either way about them. Now after playing with them, I realize how much they increase the number of hands played per hour. The other positive thing is that there is less dealer abuse when the shufflers are used. Players look like idiots when they blame the dealer for the cards that are dealt.

I miss limit poker. Although I enjoy no-limit and pot-limit, I don’t think they are good for most poker players and most cardrooms. Recreational players often go broke in a very short time playing no-limit. They get their money in bad and usually lose. At least in limit poker, they can make a few mistakes before they go broke.

I like being one of the youngest people at the table, rather than one of the oldest. Perhaps this explains my love of H.O.R.S.E., seven-card stud, and razz? In fact, if a variation of a poker game wasn’t around in the year 2000, I don’t have much interest in playing it.

After all these years of playing, I still love to play poker. I’ve found a really nice balance in my life though and no longer feel like I have to play every day. I’m able to enjoy time at home, time with friends and family, in addition to time at the poker table.

One will never know everything there is to know about poker. Part of the challenge poker presents is that players can always improve. There is always someone who plays better than you and knows more than you. I’m constantly reading books, discussing hands, reading online forums, and going to seminars…so should you! ♠

Linda Johnson is a member of the Poker Hall of Fame and the Women in Poker Hall of Fame. She is a WSOP gold-bracelet winner and is available to host tournaments, seminars, and corporate events. You can cruise with her on a Card Player Cruises vacation…see www.cardplayercruises.com.