Poker & Philosophy: George Savile
by Bodog Poker | Aug 26 2010
There is no reason at all poker players should relate to the 1st Marquess of Halifax, an English Statesman, writer and politician. But that quote above, that's certainly very applicable to the game we all love, isn't it?
If you've ever read a history of parliament - something that is not recommended - it's obvious that the people who helped make England's representative body such an important part of world history have consistently had to deal with a labyrinthine, intumescent process that it's incredible that they've managed to do anything at all.
Poker players have to contend with many of the same issues, even if they're fighting for chips and dollars and not trying to ratify a clause in an amendment in a document that'll be lost to history.
Patience in poker begins at the beginning of the hand; right when you sit down to join a game. (We're going to work under an assumption that this is a cash game we're referring to in this article - tournaments require a whole different set of skills that will be addressed in another piece.)
When you sit down, that first hand you're dealt is going to be very tempting to play. We've all fallen victim to that sort of impatience and it can do two damaging things right away: it can hurt your bankroll because of your eagerness and it can hurt your table image. (Unless, of course, your table image is that you want to be perceived as the sort of person who goes in on whatever hand happens to hove into their view.)
It goes without saying, of course, that if you are magically gifted with AA or KK in your first hand in a cash game that this is clearly a sign and you need to take advantage of it right away.
After the initial sit-down and shuffling, etc, you're also going to want to continue to use patience as a constant companion as you play.
Poker, particularly lower-and-middle-stakes games, requires a level of patience and the best grinders at the tables are the ones who hold off until they've reached a point where one of two things happens. First: they're holding a good workable hand for their position or second, they see an opportunity to take a marginal-at-best hand and bluff their way into a pot.
Patience is your ally either way, as you'll need to carefully ascertain the right time to strike or wait for the cards you'll want to play.
Finally, patience in poker is important when it comes to your bankroll. Proper bankroll maintenance - knowing the right amount to a table and knowing when to talk away from the action if it's not going your way - is key.
As much as we wish every session of poker played would end with us being in the black, that's simply not the way the game works.
It's essential to be willing to cut your losses when the cards are cold. It happens to everyone, and taking the longer view on the game is what makes a good poker player into a great one.
