Poker News

Mike Eikenberry

If you are a poker professional, then making money should be your main goal. But for me and many other amateurs, poker is not solely about winning money. Other benefits are important at the poker table.

First, the development or improvement of a number oftraits and skills can make the amateur more successful in his or her personal and business lives. These include:

? an enhanced ability to be patient and more selective,

? improved observation and listening habits,

? a better ability for honest self-evaluation, increased self-discipline,

? an improved ability to bounce back from adversity without emotional turmoil,

? an appreciation for considering all possibilities with the broadest of perspectives,

? the ability to reason deductively under pressure,

? an appreciation for money management,

? better memorization skills, and

? finely honed negotiation talents.

Many of us find ourselves in the position of aging athletes. Our ability to play and compete in athletics has diminished over time. However, our poker abilities can continue to improve as we become older and more experienced. In addition, playing in poker tournaments offers the opportunity to play against the very best players in the world. Poker offers the chance to meet and play with a real mixed bag of people. Some are celebrities, some successful businessmen, others poker professionals, many just average Joes, a number from overseas, and a few are less than desirable characters. But no matter what the composition of players in a game, a highly enjoyable camaraderie often develops at the table. In fact, you often learn a lot about a person in a few hours at the poker table than you would ever learn elsewhere. In my case, on a number of occasions I have been fortunate to have this camaraderie develop into lifelong friendships.

A poker game also provides an acceptable outlet for the somewhat darker side of a player’s personality. Developing a false persona, matching wits in a verbal sparring match, or using acting skills to mislead or confuse are all actions that would not always be admired in the real world. At the poker table these same actions are acceptable and often profitable behavior.

A player can vent these aspects of his personality at the poker table and leave them there when he leaves. Finally, a poker game can serve as a teacher for some interesting and strange lessons. Here are a few I learned:

? An oversized ego can pay a hidden tax.

? Information and confusion are your allies?your information and your opponent’s confusion.

? When negotiating, ask first, don’t assume; and it’s OK to “leave a little on the table.”

? If you are not around, you can’t get lucky.

? Wealth has nothing to do with being cheap.

? Every man is honest and ethical. It’s only dictionaries that vary.

? Crazy is not always insane.

? Never give up as long as you have a chip and a chair.

? In war and poker never divulge more than is necessary.

? Luck may be a 90 percent factor in winning a particular poker hand, but skill is a 90 percent factor in who wins in poker long term.

? When a player criticizes and berates an amateur’s lucky winning play, does he want the amateur to play better or leave the game?

? Folding a big pair in a cash game can be profitable.

? Betting “in the smoke” can be hazardous to the health of your bankroll.

? You can have the stone cold nuts and be drawing stone cold dead.

? A double-fault can win a big pot and eliminate an irritating opponent.

? Trying to lose can help you win.

? You can be an undefeated loser

? Sometimes the most profitable spot to finish is seventh.

? You should quit if you are struggling to beat an empty chair.

Mike Eikenberry got his undergraduate and law degrees from the University of Virginia, where he played varsity tennis and basketball. Founder of one of the leading national tennis camps, Mike is an avid amateur who has played both tournaments and live games for over 25 years.

Filed under: Poker News