I Once Was a Poker Champ

Eric • 4th Sep 2007 • Uncategorized

I’m hosting a poker game this weekend, and need to freshen up on my skills. I once was, for a brief time, the top-ranked poker player in Western New York. How’d that happen? Ray, over at WNYPoker.com, put together a formula for ranking, and I won the first game (out of like 43 people). Because of the size of the game, no single player was able to take over first place by winning just one game. So for about 6 weeks, I was ranked #1, with 97.44 points, until someone scored enough points to knock me out. Slowly, I played less and less and dropped to 26th position.

To win, I read Doyle Brunson’s Super System: A Course in Power Poker. It’s a big book… I just read the chapter entitled, “General Poker Strategy”, and then studied and memorized the charts in the back of the book. Because I have a game on Saturday, I cracked open the book again and will re-read the “General Poker Strategy” chapter.

Along with Doyle Brunson’s strategy, I have a theory that helps me win at poker. I only play poker, when I want to WIN.

See, I don’t play when I want to play. If I want to play cards, I tend to stay in hands that I shouldn’t be in. And I don’t play when I don’t want to play. If I’m playing, but don’t want to play, then I don’t care what happens and I play stupid.

The other self-imposed rule is that I don’t play when I’m hosting, or managing a game. Too many interruptions… where’s the beer, what’s the house rule in this case, I need to color-up, we have a player out & need to even the tables, etc. However, this game is for a good cause, so I’ll be playing.

If you’re looking for some WNY Poker games, check out WNYPoker.com. They cover Buffalo, Rochester, Niagara Falls, and the Southern Tier. Tell Ray that Eric sent you, and get a free gift!*

Thanks to Soceus, the snack sponsor for this week’s game!

*I’m not sure if Ray has any gifts… I just said this. If he doesn’t, buy yourself something nice from his store.