The Control Masters

Have you ever had a job that you liked, but only up to a point. Something was missing.

You couldn't quite put your finger on it, but you knew something was wrong. You enjoyed the work and the work atmosphere. The pay was good. But there was something lacking and you couldn't quite figure out what it was.

The answer is control.

I have had jobs that were perfect except that I was not in control of the project. I always had to do what my superiors expected from me. And that made the job less than perfect.

Perfect is a different matter. In poker, you as a player must control the game. You can't let any one else control it. In poker, control matters.

There are many ways to seize control of a poker game. I will share some of those methods that I use with you.

While I have written on this subject before, a sense of humor at the poker table always gives you an edge over your foes.

For one thing, by joking about the game or with the dealer or other players, you relax yourself. You make the other players think. And you focus their attention on you.

Plan your moves ahead of time and set up check-raise situations. You make a powerful flop against a raising player. You check, he bets. You call. On fourth street, you check again. He makes a larger bet. You call.

On fifth street, he re-bets an even larger amount. This time, you raise. Sometimes you even go all-in.

You are controlling the game.

Being a control master gives a player a confident frame of mine. It puts him in control of the movement of chips and he adds to his stack.

Instead of you feeling intimidated by the other players, they are intimidated by you. Don't be surprised if some of the veteran players request a table change. It happens and it happens often when you are a control master.

I like to sit down at a new poker table and complain to the dealer, 'This is the table my mother warned me about, but nobody listens to their mother. Deal me in.'

Sometimes the other players will get wise to you. The old-timers will know what you are doing. At times they will answer to you in kind. You smile, accept their comments, and stay in control.

I remember in my early years being intimidated by another player. I cringed when I found myself sitting at his table. But after a while, my game improved. I found myself beating him on a regular basis.

And, yes, I saw fear. It developed in his eyes and in the way he responded to my bets and raises. You don't mess around with a control master.

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 ).