The Seductive Brutalities of Poker

John Fox mentions a "Crazy Mike" in his books also. Says he was one of the top three Draw players, and the best at NL. I always assumed it was Mike Caro. Anyone know for sure? He mentions him practising looking sad before a mirror for hours...

In his "cast of characters" in Play Poker, Quit Work, & Sleep 'Til Noon, Fox calls Caro "Wild Mike," saying he's one of the 2 or 3(can't remember) best limit draw poker players in the world. This was, I think, 1977.

In the index, there are, if memory serves, 3 page references for Mike Caro, including the page in question. So the Crazy Mike quoted on that page has to be Mike Caro. Hayano wrote the foreward to Caro's Book of Tells, so they must know each other. I believe Mike is mentioned by first and last name on at least one of the other two pages of the book, but I don't have it front of me now, I could be wrong, I'll take a look tonight.


Incidentally, I just received a responding email from Mike Caro to one I sent him. He is a real gentleman, polite and well-spoken.

Not that it's that important, but I just checked the book, and Hayano does mention "Crazy Mike Caro" on the two other pages (page 66 has a very long quote); it is only on the page in question that he calls him "Crazy Mike" without his last name. It is evident that he means Caro there, though, and the index confirms this.

Hi, Andy --


Thanks for pointing out the source of that quote. I'm not sure what other things I might have said while David Hayano was interviewing me. I'm sure I was illustrating some point or just having a strange moment. The quote clearly doesn't express my teachings today.


I did experiment with many different kinds of images back then, though, to see which was the most profitable. I had acts that ranged from deranged, constantly angry and grumbling, stone-faced and unspeaking, giggling whether I won or lost, cackling (which Doyle describes in his book), polite and professional, and more.


About eight years ago, I wrote a column about this type of experimentation. However, I long, long ago decided that the most-profitable image for me was unpredictable-but-fun-and-friendly. That's also sometimes called the "wild image."


It's not for everyone -- especially for those who are more comfortable basing their profits on solid card analysis against world class players and who feel uncomfortable on the stage. It's best used to manipulate players who are having fun. However, all opponents are susceptible to it to some degree.


Not only do I not react unhappily to bad beats or to whole losing sessions, I've come to genuinely not be concerned by these events. I simply don't feel them -- and I'm guininely happy, no matter what happens. I can sense your skepticism, but it's the truth.


The only thing that disturbs me at poker today are times when I strongly suspect I'm being cheated, but can't quite prove it. My greatest weakness is that even today I find it difficult to leave a game when that happens. I believe that by playing honestly, the game should belong to me and other ethical opponents -- not to the cheaters. It's a strange, emotional flaw in my character -- not wanting to let the bad guys run me off. I'm sure they're grateful.


Fortunately, I find myself in many fewer dangerous spots today, and I've learned to actually walk away from games where I'm not quite comfortable.


Anyway, where was I? Oh, yeah -- thanks for posting the source of the quote, Andy. Sorry if I got off-track and started babbling.


Straight Flushes,

Mike Caro

I can't find the 'Wild Mike' story in the book, but I think he is also called Crazy Mike in it. In the Dramitis Personae section, he mentions that Wild Mike is also known as the 'Obscure Pornographer.' Wonder what that's all about.


At any rate, here's my excuse to reread it. It's one of my all time favorites. Anybody know what happened to John Fox.? I hope the old rogue is still alive and kicking.

If that was babbling, I hate to think what my posts should be called.


No skepticism here. Anyone who knows you, or knows of you, knows how you got the "Crazy" moniker. It is evident that David's quote must have been part of a longer conversation and/or an answer to a direct question he posed to be used in that section of his book.


In those days, I certainly played smaller than you did, so I never saw you in action, but others told me, with admiration, of what you were able to accomplish. David mentions in his book that you would sometimes deliberately play with a dead hand (6 cards), give bonus chips to losing players, play a tape recorder to decide what action to take, and challenge opponents to "death" matches, in which the loser must kill himself!


I don't find not wanting to let the bad guys take advantage a "strange emotional flaw."


Nice to have you here. Hope you'll participate on some of the other forums as well.

Mike writes: "The quote clearly doesn't express my teachings today."


I think the quote is powerful and honest. I don't see why you would want to remove it from your teachings. Isn't the whole point of teaching to go back in time to where your understanding matched the current student's understanding, then proceed forward? Surely many students today share the sentiments you had 20 years ago. I still get that way sometimes, to lesser degrees than before, and I've been working non-stop for a decade to shake those very feelings. I think it's profound that you ever felt that way. Not something to shrink from.


Tommy