texas hold'em

i was playing texas hold'em online, with virtual money not real ones so while i gain experience on mechanics, it's a bit harder to gain experience on the real thing - the psychology. i did learn a few lessons though.

one: patience does pay off. i held my hands and went to town when i had good ones. i not only outlasted a few of the stars but for a few brief moments, was the chip leader.

two: patience and fortitude does not beat skill. there was a player on my table who from a few observations, i could tell was a better player than i was. his cash reserves fluctuated far more than mine did but he rose much faster as well. it seemed like he had a lot of good hands but i felt it was also because he was better at bluffing and calling bluffs. myself, as of now, i can tell roughly if a player is reckless or conservative but not much beyond that.

three: emotions really do play a part and must be controlled. while playing online leaves things impersonal for most part, you could still feel the emotions. when i became chip leader over a few others in a dramatic fashion (i lured them in), i knew that for at least the next few turns, they'd be trying to take me out anyway they can.. even if their hands aren't so good. knowing this, i managed to make a profit. haha. of course, later on, my streak ended when i hardheadedly went all-in even though the chance of winning wasn't that great -- my judgement was still clouded by the fact that i almost.. almost took him out (i was 1 card from taking him out when the river card gave him a double. doh!) and that the failure let him double up on me.

four: know when to stop. i was playing it with the mindframe of a poker tournament player and wanted to practice my head-to-head skills. but still.. reaching $6k+ from $200.. if i wasn't so heady with my winning streak, i might have decided to stop, fake money or not. i mean, imagine what the feeling would be like if it was *real* money. $6k just like that. would you stop? it's like the "deal or no deal" show.. if you're on a streak, would you stop? i guess this is when knowing why you went in becomes critical -- the emotions do get.. a bit strong. very dangerous especially if you're on the losing end of things.

anyhow, that was a lot of words. i'm curious about mahjong as well but as it is, texas hold'em poker seems pretty cool. espn and other sports channels cover poker tournaments and its just so cool watching them go at it.

i suppose this is the part where i make a disclaimer: i'm ok with responsbile gambling since i think it gives things a bit of flavour BUT i'm hesitant about institutionalized gambling. on one hand, i think it's unfair to deprive everyone of something because of some people.. on the other hand, that some people seem to be a fairly large percentage (yes, yes, impressions are not equal to facts and statistics) and the effect on their lives and the lives of others.. really, i don't know. as for actually banning gambling.. that has enough qualifications for a post of it's own. haha.