Crybabies

Folks, I play poker. Mostly, out of convenience, I play online. I prefer to play in person, but not being a resident of Nevada or New Jersey, that’s a bit challenging. So, I’m limited to online poker rooms, charity events and play-money tourneys at corporate parties, and the rare but always welcome living room game where I can make my friends wish they hadn’t invited me. Love the game – love almost any card game – and love the thrill of playing for real money, even when the stakes are only 11 cents.

So here’s my beef: crybabies in the poker room. I have won money and lost money; I have had my pride and confidence shaken by beats good and bad. I have often wondered just how legitimate the software is when my Q-10 suited is beaten by a 2-3 off-suit that lands a 4-6-5 flop. But I do not sit around crying about it, and I don’t clog up the chat feature with my complaints. Sadly, many others do. The “this site has more bad beats than any other” is the most common gripe (and patently ridiculous, as I hear the exact same thing on every site). Then there’s “this site is rigged”; this is my husband’s favorite lament, as he is sure that they track how much money you have left in your account with them and then deal you hands such that you invariably lose and have to make a new deposit.

But the one that probably bugs me more than any other is the one with the general theme of “you’re not playing like you’re supposed to”. The comments include things like, “What the ****? You limped in with pocket Ks and then call me all in with a 4-7?” (This is usually after said 4-7 lands an exceptionally lucky straight or full house on the river.) Granted, some poker behavior is inexplicable. Many people bet hands they shouldn’t; others refuse to bet hands most others would play. Still, this expectation that there is some kind of textbook poker to which all of us are expected to adhere DRIVES ME ABSOLUTELY MAD. Folks, the whole beauty of poker – the fun, the challenge, the point – is that you don’t know what the other guy has or is gonna do with it. Yes, good poker players develop a pretty good radar for what the other players have based on betting patterns and odds (online), and mannerisms and other tells (in person). But a good player also knows this about other good players, and is going to try to shake things up a bit so as not to be predictable to the point of beatable. Hence, while I would agree that it is generally not good policy to go all-in on a 4-7 unless you already have the nut flush or full house, sometimes, you do the less obvious thing for any number of possible reasons – to throw off the other guy, because you just have a “feeling” about this hand, whatever. AND THAT’S OKAY. That’s poker! Crybabies, get over yourselves!!!