Lesson From Friday Night Poker: Play With Patience

Last night, I was reminded of an important lesson in Texas Hold'em, and that is to play with patience.  I took last week off and upon returning last night, I lost the 1st 2 games badly.  I was getting really bad cards, but that happens.  The problem was that I kept playing them.  Face it:  folding is not fun.  After folding a few hands in a row, I start thinking about how late into the game, I'm going to have a serious chip deficit if I don't win some hands.  What an idiot!  Instead of folding, I played bad hands and lost even more chips.  So, the 1st game was a total disaster.

The 2nd game was worse.  I went out in less than 5 hands and I didn't exactly lose to the best player at the table.  Through those 1st 2 games, I tried bluffing.  That didn't work.  I chased river cards.  That almost never works.  I did everything but play smart.  I was second-guessing myself, feeling irritated with my game, doing negative self-talk.  Shoot!  I was in my own head.

So, of course that bled over into the 3rd game, but by that point I was mentally beaten.  The way my head was, I probably shouldn't even have played the game.  As the game started, the bad play continued.  I just kept donating my chips until we were down the the final 4 and I was unbelievably still in the game.  I had the lowest chip stack of the remaining 4 and in fact, it was the lowest chip stack I had ever had before losing everything.

Then something clicked.  I had been in that position before.  I've won lots of times after having a depleted chip stack.  I started talking to myself.  Don't play stupid.  Be patient.  Fold for God's sake!  I waited for my spots, picked up some decent cards and things started turning around.  I made it to the final 3 and still had the lowest chip stack.  The other 2 guys were really playing for 1st and 2nd.  Then, each of them started chipping away at each other, and I took turns taking down pots from each of them little by little.  A strategically placed all-in here and a big raise there and 3 sets of pocket 9's inside of a 10-hand stretch didn't hurt either.  I completely turned it around to where I finally made a bet large enough to call BOTH of them all-in.  One guy called and the other folded so he could guarantee himself 2nd place.  I won, taking me from worst to first in what was turning out to be my worst night of poker in 2 months.

At the point, in game 3, when I had a sick little stack of chips, I could have just thrown in the towel and made one last stupid bet to put myself out of my misery, but instead I got out of my own head and started playing with patience.  It isn't over until all of your chips are gone.  When you're down, even almost out - you're still not out yet.  Play your game.  Play with patience.  Don't beat yourself.  Give yourself a chance to come back and win it all.