One of the most frustrating things in Hold ‘Em is waiting for the right set of cards. They say every player has their own favorite two. It could be anything from the ever-popular and omnipotent big slick to something as simple as Fish Hooks to something as trivial as Jack-Queen. Pocket pairs are always appreciated but we should be so lucky to get them frequently. Then there are the others.
They can mean a lot of things to different people. A 7-9 off suit could be a blessing for some, or a curse to others. How high or low your stack is could further distort its playability. Regardless of how you interpret it, any player will always come across a questionable couple, at least once in a game.
The most agonizing time to have it would be midway through the game, far from being the chip leader nor next to be booted out. You’re neither searching nor in pursuit. There’s no real pressure to take it all the way, nor is there to simply fold. But one can’t help but examine the possibilities. Sure it could connect here and there to make a wonderful flush. Who knows, the lowest of the two could be the first of a quad. While there’s quite a deal of strategy involved, you still can’t eliminate the element of chance.
Much like pocket pairs, some couples work straight out the gate. Others can be strong before the flop, before slowly crumbling under circumstance. Others seem like an odd fit, hardly anything you’d expect to work, yet somehow even stronger after the test of time.
You really begin to wonder what the secret bond is between the two, if there’s a way of finding it, a simple formula you have to adhere to. Trouble is, there’s no real consistency. It changes from hand to hand and flop to flop.
Which brings us back to that moment when you slowly turn them over to see what you’ve got, breathe in for a moment and think — is this worth taking all the way to the top? It can only be one of two things; a ticket to the finish, or an invitation into heartbreak hotel. It’d be foolish (or at least, that’s what they say) to play with what you feel. It’s a game of chance, after all. You can weigh the consequences for an eternity, deciding which will yield the largest returns.
"Is this worth keeping, or do you toss it all and wait for something better?"
There's no insurance that something better will, indeed, come along. Only one thing’s for certain, you won’t know until you place your stack on the table. Maybe you can bluff your way through it. Maybe they'll find you out. Myabe something better will turn up. For the moment though, you're stuck in the present, with a decision at hand. Suddenly that eternity of indecision seemed like such a nice place.
4.22.2006
4.13.2006
Big Slick
For those who don't play Hold 'Em, Big Slick is arguably one of the best hands you can get in poker. Ace and King are two of the highest cars in the deck, and if they're of the same suit, they'll set you up for a mean Two Pair, Killer Full House, or the best 5 cards of all, a Royal Flush. It's a killer combo; one you'd be wise not to mess with.
Like the Ten Commandments, the Seven Deadly Sins stem from just two roots. These two, in themselves, are just different results of the same original state. They’re all a matter of possessions, and varying degrees of maintaining them or acquiring more. No two sins illustrate these more accurately than Pride and Greed. Pride is a matter of protecting what exists. Greed is a matter of acquiring more, irregardless of what’s already there.
Lately, it seems I’ve been guilty of both. Pride because I’ve been reveling in what some can perceive as a personal accomplishment. It’s changed me positively on some fronts, but negatively in others. Yet here I am, still rejoicing and rather smug about it. Greed because, despite the fortunes I’ve had so far, the temptation to exploit it further has been too great to resist at times. The trouble with greed is that you’re never satisfied with what you have. Pride only reinforces the idea that you could get more. Those in tandem with the five other sins… well, you get the picture.
Indeed the others are just as deadly or addictive. But it’s the combo that gets you, some perhaps more effectively than others. Boy isn’t that Satan a devious fellow. So who's up for poker?
Like the Ten Commandments, the Seven Deadly Sins stem from just two roots. These two, in themselves, are just different results of the same original state. They’re all a matter of possessions, and varying degrees of maintaining them or acquiring more. No two sins illustrate these more accurately than Pride and Greed. Pride is a matter of protecting what exists. Greed is a matter of acquiring more, irregardless of what’s already there.
Lately, it seems I’ve been guilty of both. Pride because I’ve been reveling in what some can perceive as a personal accomplishment. It’s changed me positively on some fronts, but negatively in others. Yet here I am, still rejoicing and rather smug about it. Greed because, despite the fortunes I’ve had so far, the temptation to exploit it further has been too great to resist at times. The trouble with greed is that you’re never satisfied with what you have. Pride only reinforces the idea that you could get more. Those in tandem with the five other sins… well, you get the picture.
Indeed the others are just as deadly or addictive. But it’s the combo that gets you, some perhaps more effectively than others. Boy isn’t that Satan a devious fellow. So who's up for poker?
4.05.2006
Half the Distance
They say that jokes are half meant; a subtle way of sounding your intentions without the ramifications of, well, intent. The benefit is it will always be taken likely. Any awkwardness that arises will alert you to possible conflicts. Thank goodness it can always be brushed aside in favor of humor.
The best times for these kinds of jokes are in light and liberal company. They’ll laugh along and even play along if they’re game enough. Just as long as things don’t get carried away. It’s all too easy for one thing to be followed by another. Before you know it, you’ve tumbled down a slippery slope, with little or no recollection of how you’ve rolled down so far.
Situations like these are an odd mix of pleasant surprise and shock. On one hand you appreciate the other side for playing along. On the other, there was just a little too much revealing enthusiasm involved in it. Two half-hearted intentions meeting in the middle are still a half each short — the distance between them is there for a reason.
A certain scientific theory states that any destination can never be reached. Because you can cover half, and half, and half... and still have an infinite number of halves in between.
Perhaps the most frightening is the awkward silence that follows realization. Reverting to the light and funny path will only highlight the truth that’s already spilled. Jumping onto the other path that’s been gouged will be a bumpy preempted journey indeed.
While one is thankful for the path that’s been haphazardly put up, you can’t help but be wary of the expectations that come with it. The first few meters may be as smooth as freshly laid asphalt but who knows how far that will stretch. Inevitably, the bumps that impeded intention will undoubtably resurface.
As much as I’d like to thank a certain teacher for showing me the joy of pleasant surprises, I can’t help but wonder if coincidence is all it really is.
The best times for these kinds of jokes are in light and liberal company. They’ll laugh along and even play along if they’re game enough. Just as long as things don’t get carried away. It’s all too easy for one thing to be followed by another. Before you know it, you’ve tumbled down a slippery slope, with little or no recollection of how you’ve rolled down so far.
Situations like these are an odd mix of pleasant surprise and shock. On one hand you appreciate the other side for playing along. On the other, there was just a little too much revealing enthusiasm involved in it. Two half-hearted intentions meeting in the middle are still a half each short — the distance between them is there for a reason.
A certain scientific theory states that any destination can never be reached. Because you can cover half, and half, and half... and still have an infinite number of halves in between.
Perhaps the most frightening is the awkward silence that follows realization. Reverting to the light and funny path will only highlight the truth that’s already spilled. Jumping onto the other path that’s been gouged will be a bumpy preempted journey indeed.
While one is thankful for the path that’s been haphazardly put up, you can’t help but be wary of the expectations that come with it. The first few meters may be as smooth as freshly laid asphalt but who knows how far that will stretch. Inevitably, the bumps that impeded intention will undoubtably resurface.
As much as I’d like to thank a certain teacher for showing me the joy of pleasant surprises, I can’t help but wonder if coincidence is all it really is.
