A lesson from poker

Posted on October 10, 2018 by kassabi1a

Once upon a time I played a good bit of poker. Mostly Texas holdem. For those that don’t know each player has two cards and there are a community of five to make the best hand.

One of the major lessons I learned is that no matter how much you wish or hope you can’t do anything to change the cards.

Your hand is your hand.

Your opponents hand is their hand.

The community is the community.

The only thing that is ever in your control is how you play your hand. Fold, call, raise, meek or strong, bluff or honest. The cards are the last thing in the world that matter, all that truly can change your odds is how you play the hand.

7/2 off suit was always my favorite starting hand, because in Texas that is statistically the worst hand you can be dealt. But I loved it because I knew with that bad deal I could still take down the hand.

So remember you can’t control the deal, but you can control your attitude and actions.

Seven Two Off Suit

Posted on June 3, 2017 by kassabi1a

The seven two off suit is the lowest percentage starting hand in Texas Hold’em. They are the lowest two cards you can have but with such a gap that they don’t connect for straight possibility and you would have to run four cards to the flush leaving you with best case scenario a 7 high flush. Bottom line it should never win.

It’s my favorite hand.

And if I’m being real picky I want 7clubs 2spades. I see that hand and I know I can’t lose. I won’t lose. I will play that hand like its gold.

And more often than not it works.

It works simply because of how it is represented. The embodiment of you can’t control your cards only how you play them.

So remember the next time you want to feel sorry about your hand, it has nothing to do with your hand, and everything to do with your ability to play it. Play it like its gold and you’ll find yourself rich.

#259 Folding

Posted on May 16, 2014 by kassabi1a

Survival Tip #259

Folding

Every poker player knows based on the odds that 9 out of 10 hands should be folded. Sometimes folding the is the best option. It prevents you from losing your money and limits your risk at the table. Other times you’ll damn the odds and play anyways. Sometimes it’ll work, other times it won’t. But always remember there is no fail safe on a bluff. If it goes wrong, it goes all the way wrong. Folding is always the best option to protect your own stack.

#235 Can’t Change the Cards

Posted on April 11, 2014April 11, 2014 by kassabi1a

Survival Tip #235

Can’t Change the Cards

If my loyal readership hasn’t caught on I like poker almost as much as the end of the world. I always keep two decks of sealed cards in my go-bag. They are light and great entertainment.

The poker game I’ve played most in my life is Texas Hold’em. This is a progressive game where the field of cards you can use increases with each round of betting until the final card comes out which is called the river card(or sometimes 5th street depending on where you play)

You can think you’ve got the best hand all the way through only to have it entirely spoiled on the river. Often times this type of beat will come out of no where. This is part of the game. You can’t change the way the cards fall anymore than you can stop the Earth from turning. By the time its fully sunk in you’ve been beat the next hand will already be underway. You just have to put the hand behind you and play the next one.