It has been said by many prominent poker players that Texas Hold ‘Em takes a minute to learn and a lifetime to master. This much is true.
Reading other players, calculating pot odds and implied odds in a blink of an eye, and making decisions for all your chips makes the game an intellectual challenge.
For me, the hardest part of the game is knowing when to leave the game. Profitably.
Most players stay too long and give back their winnings.
One night, I was on a rollercoaster. I started with $200, built my stack up to $2000, and watched it dwindle down to $100 after taking several bad beats in a row.
I then built the stack back up to $2000, down to $1000, and back up to just over $2000.
The game broke about 4 am. As I am racking my chips and contemplating going to another table where I would have a clear advantage, my friend Larry gave me some advice.
He said, “Sammy, you have been playing for 15 hours. You had your fun. You made your money. It is time to go home.”
And he was right. And I left.
I returned the favor when a friend of mine, Russ won a huge pot one morning.
Russ did a min buy-in for $50. He built his stack up to $200 before getting involved with a big pot for all his chips.
Long story short, Russ tripled up. I pulled him aside and told him he should take the money and run.
He looks at me and says, “Now I know you are telling me that out of love, Sammy.”
It was and he left. Profitable.
Knowing when to leave is the hardest part. Sometimes even great players need someone to help them out the door. With chips.
