This and That About Poker

Hi. Come on in. I've cooked up some chicken fried steak with Southern gravy. Actually, it's Northern gravy. It's the only kind grandma taught me to make. Dig in.

Last time, we talked about some aspects of being a poker pro at the low and medium limits. We decided it was "a tough way to make an easy living." Today, I want to make it easier for you by taking you back to "beginner" status, whether you are a beginner, an intermediate, or a professional. But first, let's check out your "attitude."

For most of us, playing poker like a "professional" doesn't have as much to do with quitting the job and living off poker winnings as it does with our attitude about the game and the way we play it. Even if it's not your living, you can still play with a professional attitude. You can "turn pro" by becoming professional in your playing habits. A pro plays his best game every game.

A mark of a professional is that he has a game plan and the discipline to stick to that plan. And he has the self-confidence to continue in the face of adversity, knowing that his skill will make him a winner in the long run. A professional attitude is to be highly valued.

I also believe that we should always retain something of the "beginner" about us. A beginner has an attitude of wonderment. He's ready to drink it all in, and to expand and grow in his abilities. He wants to learn everything there is to be learned. If he's lucky, he'll retain that attitude for as long as he plays the game. If not, he may very well become saddled with the liability of arrogance.

Arrogance might often look like self-confidence. More likely, it's hiding a low self-esteem. It destroys our beginner's interest. The source of our arrogance is usually fear. If we let people know that we still have something to learn, we will appear to be less worthy in their eyes.

Think back to a time when you still had your "beginner's interest." Remember how much you learned – and how much more you wanted to learn? Well, as much as you have already learned, there is still that much more yet to be learned – and more beyond that. You'll never learn it all, but why not learn as much as you can. How would your continuing poker growth be different if you still had your beginner's interest? What do you not study now because you're "too advanced" for it?

When you stop learning, you stop growing in your poker abilities. That can happen only if you let yourself believe that you already know it all.

Even today, I consciously work at keeping my "beginner's interest." It keeps the game fresh, and I keep learning. I've talked before about the immediate success I enjoyed as a beginning poker player. That success almost cost me my beginner's interest.

I had read a basic poker book and scored some nice wins, and then I stopped reading. Why should I use my time reading about poker when I could be at the tables winning money playing poker?

I didn't realize at that time that the cards were running well above probability, and I was getting hit with the deck. Then one day, the cards starting coming at or below probability. The wins evaporated. I was mystified. I knew I was doing something wrong, but I couldn't figure out what it was. So, I bought another poker book. This one had more depth to it, and I was able to understand what had happened. I stopped playing, started studying, and took some lessons.

When I returned to the tables, with the cards running at probability, I was able to resume winning. Without a revival of my "beginner's interest," my life would be different today. I'd probably still be a disc jockey in Los Angeles, hoping every day that the lights would stay on.

That Northern gravy is quite good. It has lumps in it because that's the way grandma taught me. Now, I tire. Take a couple of steaks 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, has a toll-free number and continues to give his successful poker lessons in Las Vegas to both tourists and locals. Ladies are welcome. See his ad on Page 44.