Poker's Great Truth

And I think I have finally learned it.

Despite an ignominious early exit from the Mookie (AQ vs AK, which held up), I have discovered Poker's Great Truth, which is no more complex than this:

YOU DON'T HAVE TO WIN EVERY HAND. Even if you are fairly well convinced that you have the best hand.

If staying in the hand puts you in a position wherein losing would cause more damage than winning would be of benefit, just fold. It's not necessary to take down every hand. Just the gigantic ones.

Let me give you an example. Before the Mookie I played a $10 HU with a very polite gentleman who was cleaning my clock because I was playing my usual empty-headed brand of blind aggression and disbelief that my opponent had anything like a hand. So I took a deep breath, changed up my philosophy, and started winning. And biding my time. And eventually I had a great hand when my opponent had a good one. Boom. Ten bucks.

You don't need to win every hand. Even when you're fairly well convinced you have the best hand.

Until next time, please remember that patience is a virtue, except when driving in Boston.