Heart of a Hero

Every person who hopes to be a consistent winner at gambling must possess the heart of a hero. Nothing less will do.

Like many of my readers, I grew up captive to my childhood heroes -- masked men with guns and whips who rode fast horses and who always triumphed in the name of justice.

I grew up along with my two younger brothers playing the stars of our favorite western movies. That same hero worship of the western figure carried off into my young adulthood. Today I still dress and think western, one man against the starkness of the sky.

That is what a poker player represents. An architecture trying to build an impossible dream where the desired cards always fall and the pots revert to him.

I have ventured into strange casinos in the jungles of the Caribbean. I played at the Atlantis Casino in lovely St. Maarten, living on the Dutch side and gambling on the French side of the island.

There machete gangs roamed. These were two-man teams who rode a moped and who carried machetes or pistols. They would find a target in the country and plan an attack. Fortunately none of them ever got to me, but they came close a couple of times.

I would venture into darkened card rooms where the players consisted of police inspectors, tourists, sugar cane workers and vagrant Americans like myself who were seeking adventure.

The Heart of a Hero comes when you are willing to put your money down against strangers in a strange setting far from home. The heart beats faster, the pulse quickens. Time stands still. You order a drink and accept your cards.

It is always nice to know you have a good seat. If my first few hands give me good cards, I assume I have a good seat and play accordingly.

A winner must get in rhythm with the table. He must get a feeling of which direction the table is shifting and where the power is coming from.

You must be crafty as well as sneaky and know when to be bold. The rest of it is all luck.

The Heart of a Hero lets you sleep better at night. When you know you have given the play your best, you do not worry about the outcome of a hand or two.

There will be times when you lose, of course. That is something every player must accept. You must always ge ready to surge forward when the cards shift in your favor.

Don't be surprised at what happens at the table. You provide that surprise and make the others react to you. That is your key to controlling the game and winding up a winner.

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 ).