High Variance with changing fortunes

[Vince Lepore]

I was watching poker on TV this evening. The poker super stars invitational it is called. Some well known names in this game. Howard Lederer, Doyle Brunson, Chip Reese to name a few. I was surprised that I didn't see me at the table but then I remembered how modest I am and how unlike me it would be to claim that I am a superstar of poker.

One of the commentators, not Mark Gregorich, one of the other fellows made a comment that I found interesting and I think right on the money.

Hey Chip Reese just went all in against Hansen with A,K. Gus had A,9 and folded. Hansen asked how much Reese raised. The commentator said that the way Chip counted down his chips (definitively) he was giving a tell that he had a strong hand and wanted gus to call. Gus folded....hmmm interesting. Oh,o, Hansen just raised again with a K,Qo and Lederer raised all-in. Hansen asked for a count and you know what Howard used the same definitive method to count his chips. But he only had A,T and I don't think he wanted a call or thought his hand was real strong. Well Gus must have thought the same thing and called and lo and behold a flopped Q won the pot. Bye Howard. So Gus knocked out Ivey early with a worse hand, K,Jo vs A6d and now Howard wih a worse hand. Oh, ooo Gus has got Johnny Chan all in with Chan a 4-1 favorite. Ooops Johnny won this one.

Oh, oo Doyle is in trouble, 6,6 against J,J. Bye Doyle Barry Greenstein's J,J holds up. They went all in on a flop of 5,5,3. Guess Doyle thought Greenstein had over cards,. Hmmm.. he was right, but in this case they were unsuited Jacks. Oh, well even superstars mess up sometime. Guess Doyle forgot the no set no bet rule when he called a raise with them thar sixes.

OK, commercial time, so lets get back to my point here. One of the commentators and maybe it was Mark said that No Limit Holdem is a game of high variance and changing fortunes. Those fortunes changing on the turn of a card. Just thought that was an interesting comment so I wanted to share it with you. That's all.

Vince