The Game of Poker and Life

Musings on the game of poker and life---from a woman's point of view. What happens when you mix poker, alcohol, men and women????? ANYTHING CAN HAPPEN!

Sunday, April 09, 2006

The return of Friday Night Poker

Ok Ok.....it was more like the return of me....I actually showed up at the game on Friday night....and was completely demoralized and miserable. I was getting absolutely shit cards....and felt like all I was doing all night was putting money into the pot for other people.

Everything I folded ---hit, and everything I tried to play, missed. It got so bad that at one point, I thought I would have to start drinking (I'm currently off alcohol)just to have fun.

Then when I lost my first $20, I REALLY wanted to leave, but peer pressure got to me, and I bought back in. After about one more hour of misery, I got a pair of Jacks, and there was only one other person in the hand with me....and he raised $9.75 on the river.....I thought about it...and after a minute or two....said, "I'm sick of this shit tonight..." as I watched in "horror" at myself calling! When there were two queens on the board also! And I ended up winning about $33.00 with that hand.

What was the most interesting about that was....that I had lost so many hands throughout the night, that at that point, I really didn't give a shit anymore...and if I had lost...it would have been nothing new. But I did have to risk more than half of my stack to win....and the other guy in the hand knew that I am the quickest one to assume that someone has the best possible hand...and I have no doubt that he expected me to fold.

Which led me to realize that I fold way too much....because there are certain people that trigger a fear/anxiety response in me. Something in their personality or the way they bet touches a nerve, and I go into fight or flight---which with poker usually results in my folding.

Of course, assuming the "best" of people gets me into trouble too. I know people bluff...but I assumed that this guy probably did have a third queen...or even a fullhouse...and that is why I would have folded....except that I was on tilt...and called. And this particular guy, I'm sure, has bluffed me out of many winning hands.

So I gotta work on not letting my fear response get triggered so easily. It definitely happens almost equally with men as with women...so at least I'm balanced there! It is a different fear response with men and women though.

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