A Lucky Horseshoe

'Dear Geno,' an email begins. 'Help! I have been on a losing streak that just won't quit. It has me so discouraged I am thinking of stopping gambling. And this is coming to you from a decent poker player who has years of winning play as part of my background. What can I do to stop losing? I need a lucky horseshoe.' Bob H., Sacramento, CA.

All I can say to Bob for starters is, welcome to the crowd.

All gamblers, and that includes poker players, go through losing streaks. And that includes the good players.

One of my poker playing friends who lives in Las Vegas used to tell me that he compares poker to a baseball game. Each inning represents one session of poker. If he loses that session, he shrugs his shoulders and simply says, 'The score is 1-0. No problem.'

But sometimes that 1-0 lead increases to 2-0, then 3-0 and on occasion it gets out of control and you find yourself looking at a long string of losses and don't know how to stop them.

Lady Luck is a fascinating gal who can become quite naughty. She can ride with you for a while and then, suddenly, simply abandon you. And for a while, nothing you do seems to work.

In my case, I often go on a losing streak after making a good win. I don't know why it happens, but it does. Poker is a psychological game and that little deck of 52 cards can produce many, many different combinations that can send you soaring to Mars, or plunge you into blood somewhere north of the Milky Way.

That's why it's called gambling.

My advice to Bob would start with advising him to stop playing until he wakes up one morning and feels lucky. Not only lucky, but super-lucky.

You need to be hungry to win at poker. You need to feel superior to the other players. And youo need to feel lucky.

That is why a player who is physically ailing or who is having problems in a relationship rarely wins. There is just too much going on in his head. The good vibrations are crowded oout by the bad and the odds are against you.

If you're short of money, that's another bad time to play. Scared money rarely wins. You will be overcome by a happy-go-lucky player who has deep pockets and not a care in the world, and your stack of chips will end up in his pile.

I would advise Bob to spend time with his family or friends. Don't go to a casino. Take a trip. Have a backyard barbecue. Attend a sports event or just watch a movie. Do anything that doesn't involve gambling.

Wait until the burning urge to win sweeps over you and then try again.

Go into the game full of confidence. Smile at the dealer and the other players. Order a drink. Tell jokes. Flirt with the cocktail waitress. Fake it til you make it.

Don't gamble until you figure out the table. That means fold a lot of hands until you get one you like. Then play it. When you win a hand, wait for the good cards to come again before you throw your money into the pot. It's the only way to win.

After winning a couple of pots, try a bluff. Make it deliberate. If you get caught, smile and show your cards with a disparing remark. Something like, 'My mother warned me against playing against players like you.'

The other players will smile, but they will remember the bluff and will pay you off down the line. Trust me on that.

I wish Bob good luck. And thanks for the email.

Author: Geno Lawrenzi Jr.

(Geno Lawrenzi Jr. is an international journalist, magazine author and ghostwriter and poker player who lives in Phoenx, AZ. He has published 2,000 articles in 50 magazines and 125 newspapers. If you want to share a gambling story or book idea with him, send an email to glawrenzi@gmail.com ).