Poker Strategies
After receiving pocket cards, you are immediately faced with a choice: play your cards and either raise or call the blinds, or fold.
Practice Matters
After an hour's play, Bernstein, who sat against the wall, was a
After an hour's play, Bernstein, who sat against the wall, was a $25,000 winner, making his table stakes total $175,000. The Greek possessed $125,000. Then the hand which was to beat Nick the Greek popped up. The pot held a total of $90,000 when Bernstein and Nick the Greek received their last upcard. The Greek drew an ace, and Bernstein's hand showed an open pair of deuces. Nick the Greek decided to tap himself out for $80,000. Then he made the mistake of taking a last peek at his hole card and Marie, his girlfriend, also took a peek. After the peek the Greek pushed his $80,000 worth of chips to the center of the table, making the total pot $170,000. Seconds after the Greek had pushed his $80,000 in the pot, Marie rose from the table, excused herself and said she was going to the ladies room.
Nick, in his staccato Greek accent,
Nick, in his staccato Greek accent, needled Joe Bernstein to call the $80,000 bet. Bernstein eyed the Greek's four upcards—ace, jack, six, and five (Bernstein himself possessed a pair of shown deuces). Then Bernstein recalled Marie's getting up from the table after seeing the Greek's hole card, and he reasoned that if the Greek's fourth upcard or any one of the three previously dealt cards had paired the Greek's hole card, he was beaten. Then he figured Marie's leaving the table as a losing hand for the Greek because Marie realized the Greek could not beat his (Bernstein's) pair of deuces and didn't want to be around when her boyfriend lost the pot. Bernstein called the $80,000 bet. The Greek immediately threw in his hand and remarked, "You win, Joe. Marie blew the pot for me—you read her actions."