Walk before You Fly

When I was a child, we moved into a house that had a big apple tree in our back yard. I would spend a lot of time in the attic looking at the beautiful tree. There was a robin's nest in its upper branches and I was fascinated as I watched the mama robin teach her babies how to fly.

The tiny birds would very tenuously walk on the edges of the nest and then onto the branches. After a certain amount of time, the mama bird would literally push her offspring out of the tree in order to teach them to fly. It generally worked and before long the baby robins woould be flying as capably as their mother.

Some poker players make the same mistake as some of the baby robins did -- they try to fly before they learn to walk.

I know of a poker player who lucked into a major tournament win. He picked up over $60,000 in a tournament. Naturally the other players flattered him and tried to talk him into playing games that were over his head -- an invitation he foolishly accepted.

Now some players don't realize this, but just because a person can play tournament poker well does not necessarily transfer to cash games. This particular player becan playing in high limit games that were far beyond his degree of skill. He began losing. Thinking he simply needed more practice and more time, he continued playing at the higher limits and he kept on losing.

After he had lost more than half his winnings, he came to the sad but right conclusion that he was in over his head.

He admitted his foolishness to his wife and his friends, and went back to the lower limits. Quickly he began winning again and it wasn't long before he had made up the losses he had incurred.

There are classes of poker players and a player must determine early-on which class he belongs to if he wants to be a winner.

I have always been more comfortable playing limit rather than no limit poker. While I have won my share of no limit tournaments, I have lost more money at no-limit cash games than I have won.

Doyle Brunson was right when he said no-limit play is hours of boredom followed by moments of sheer terror.

Veteran no-limit players buy into a no limit game with a lot of chips for a good reason. Intimidation. They want to intimidate other players when they make a sudden move and go all-in on a hand. They may or may not have the nuts. It's up to you to decide and it can be a very intimidating moment.

Learn to walk before you learn to fly. Know your skill limitations in poker and act accordingly. Otherwise you may quickly discover that your considerable bankroll has suddenly shrunk to zero.

I like to buy into a no-limit game with far less chips than the big boys at the table. I don't mind being the underdog in a poker game. It gives me a special kick to be able to outplay the big boys when they try to move over me with a big bet or raise.

Limit the number of hands you play in no-lilmit poker. Set traps for the players with chips. Don't fall into traps they create for you.

Remember that little baby robin walking on a limb, waiting to test its wings. And make sure you learn to walk before you take a chance on flying.

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 ).