Hold ’Em Hostage (27 page)

Bee Cool's Top Tip for Surviving
High-Pressure Tournament Hold 'Em

T
he question I am asked more than any (except
maybe “Where do you get such awesome shoes?”) is “How can I win playing a big game of Texas Hold 'Em?” Try coming up with a one-sentence answer for that one as you rush to your table, or if you're me, to the ladies' room or away from a knife-wielding murderer.

Even the most seasoned of pros will be stumped by this, really the simplest of poker questions, for a moment or two, mostly because the answer that rises to the tip of the tongue may depend on the chip stack the player is sitting behind, what's in her pocket or the memory of the last four tournaments she busted out of.

If this experience in Vegas has taught me anything, it's taught me the best one WORD answer to that question.

OPI.

Okay, so maybe it's not in the dictionary.

Yet.

Yeah, yeah, so it leads to a second question, which is “What the &%@# does OPI mean anyway?”

In an effort to make OPI a household word, or at least a true poker-room word, I will explain:

O-OBSERVE.
Probably the most underrated of all poker skills, this also could be the most difficult for many. Observing requires one to keep one's eyes and ears open and mouth shut. Make your next goal to only use the words
fold
,
check
,
raise
,
all in
and
call
(Okay, Mom) and
thank you
at your next Hold 'Em tournament. See how far it gets you. If you are listening and watching everyone else, you will be amazed at how much you will learn and how much you can use against your opponents later. Many times it isn't even what is said, but how it is said that you can internalize and judge. The fantasic bonus to this is that you unconsciously eliminate most of your own tells. This is where many women (men too, don't misunderstand me) make their mistakes. Part of our makeup is the desire to make others comfortable and conversation is one of the ways we are taught to do that. Unlearn that little social skill when at the felt. Act like Frank's ex did when she played. Act mute.

P-PATIENCE.
The true dinosaur of our instant-gratification society. Their ability to simply
wait
is why so many of the old-time poker players will continue to prosper in this game through their lifetimes. The new generation is handicapped because they are trained that they gotta have it
now
. Try to live in the old days when it took the Pony Express a couple of
months
to deliver the mail instead of a couple of
moments
. This kind of mindset allows you to survive throughout bad runs, until your luck turns, also through great runs, when (if you are patient) you know your luck is bound to turn back the other direction. Now you might see some impatient cardplayer win a handful of tournaments in a row, but if he's not willing to ride through being outside the payout for a string of tournaments somewhere along the way, he won't keep playing. I daresay this is the most important of all poker tips. The rewards a player reaps from mastering patience is what will keep the game of Texas Hold 'Em from being too changed by its massive popularity.

Because the turtle still wins in the long run (even if sometimes he has to act like a hare).

I-INTUITION.
The flipside of the women's difficulty in being able to simply observe is the ease in which we are able to trust what we feel. So use it, ladies! There's never a better time than when on the felt. Don't get me wrong, though. I didn't say men weren't intuitive, just they don't as easily tap into their intuition. The most intuitive group of men in the world, I believe, will be the ones seated around the final table at the WSOP. Never underestimate the boxer wearer across The Flop from you. He may be reading your surge of adrenaline at your pocket rockets better than you are.

Now I am bound to get reamed by those who misunderstand the difference between observing and intuiting. Men usually observe the gal in seat two biting her lower lip every time a ball buster falls but might not guess it's because it's made her hand. Women might sense she bites her lower lip every time she has the nuts but not notice it's when she gets the card she needs. If you are aware of both—what you've observed and what you “know”—just think how powerful you will be at the table, especially with that healthy dose of patience to wait to act on what you've observed and intuited until it is the right time!

Okay, folks, armed with OPI, now all you need is a little luck and you're in the chips.