Buster Collings

u know, as a poker player i often hear other poker players talk about how they play winning hands. in fact most books about poker emphasize the right (correct or proper) play in certain situations. although i’ve heard many pros state that to become a pro u have to pay your dues… which means u have to lose and learn from your losses. the thing is nobody talks to much about their mistakes.

well not me… haha… i guess i’ll just come out and say it… i make mistakes. sometimes some big ones. the big ones are the ones that i’ve learned the most from. so without total embarrassment and for your benefit i will mention some of the big ones i’ve made.

Big Mistake Number: 1
Game: No-Limit Texas Hold’em
Cost: $50
Title: Flopping the ace high flush
Story: i sit down at a table with $50 (the blinds are $.25/$.50)and after a couple of hands i get an Ace & Queen of diamonds (happy to see it). i lead out with a raise to $1.50 and get 1 caller. the flop comes: 2,9,Jack of diamonds. i’m first to act so i check… and yes… he puts in a raise of $3.00 and i smooth call. the turn card is a Jack of spades and i check again. he puts in another raise… $5.00 and i smooth call. the river card comes and it’s an 8 of clubs. at this point there is $19.00 in the pot and hey… i got the big flush… unbeatable right… haha well… not quite. anyhow i push in all the rest of my money (another $40.00) and he hesitates for a while… so i’m thinking… ‘call it sucka’ and during the hesitation i’m looking at the board and it dawns on me that there are 2 Jacks on the board…. meaning there could be a possible full house… which would destroy my BIG FLUSH… so now i’m thinking ‘dont call… please dont call’. well, he called and guess what he had pocket 9′s, he must have been afraid i had a Jacks over fullhouse versus his 9′s over fullhouse, hence the hesitation.

so 50 bucks gone and WHAT DID I LEARN? a few things:

1. first things first… with every card that hits the board think and study. figure out not only what u have but what can beat u and if there is the possibility of that or those hands being in your opponents hand. this doesn’t mean ‘be scared’ of every card that hits the board… just give each card respect, don’t be blinded by your sweeeet hand.

2. in this situation, where there is a possible full house and he was leading with a raise i feel strongly that i should have checked to him and called his final raise. chances are he wouldn’t have pushed in as much money as i did, not knowing i had a big flush. of course if i had known he had a full house i wouldn’t have even called a penny… but with a big hand like a flush… even if a full house is possible it’s hard to lay down just because a ‘possible’ full house exists. i woulda been ok with losing $15.00 trying to find out if my flush was good… but $50.00 hurts… especially when i was the SUCKA for pushing in.

hopefully u will take this example to heart and not get hurt with the same play!