ROLE PLAYING

ROLE PLAYING

I played $2-5 and $5-10 at Venetian yesterday booking a $750 win in 2 hours of play. I only played a couple of hours because I got a late start (around 10 pm) and was feeling tired around midnight.

I didn't play my role of poker player very long, because most of the day I played the role of friend, helping someone else move. Isn’t that always fun? It wasn’t that bad actually. In between stops I salvaged my sanity by playing Backgammon on my phone. Helping someone move I think is just one of the tasks that the role of friend is almost obligated to do. As is picking up or driving someone to the airport. It's not something we like to do, but something of an obligation that goes with that particular role.

Role playing is something we all do to survive in life. Whether that role is Friend, Husband, Doctor, C.E.O., Wife or Poker Player, there are things that are great about the role and then there are things that keep us wondering what the hell we're doing playing the part. I wondered actually as I looked around the room, how many people were aware of the different roles they play in life. And if they were for what reason? Oftentimes I’ll ask someone at the table “what do you do?” out of curiosity of their chosen path of survival. Knowing how a person spends the bulk of their day can tell you a lot about a person and how they'll play poker. I have found that oftentimes what a person does off the table affects how they play on the table.

Most of the people I played with last night did not see themselves playing the role of poker player. That playing poker was actually some form of escape from their normal, everyday role in life. 

Poker is the type of game that appears to be quite social, yet offers you the opportunity to zone out or cave in to your own personal space. It’s a game where there’s hours of boredom followed by moments of sheer terror, forcing one out of their hole just long enough to remember their alive.

I had one such moment last night in the 5-10 game. I decided to open-limp UG with QQs and slow play them by flatting to a raise and a call, something I rarely do out of position. The flop came 8-9-4 rainbow and I checked. The initial raiser bettor bet 80 and the caller flatted. I then check-raised to 240 with 3k behind. The raiser now makes it 580 with 2500 behind and the flatter tank-folds (probably JT). I can’t see working my way through this hand to the river by flatting here, so it seems to me that my play is to raise or fold if I think I’m beat. Looking at my opponent I couldn’t tell, so I faulted on the side of aggression. I re-raised to 1180 to either get value and protect the best hand or perhaps get a bigger pair to lay down fearing a set of 88’s or 99’s by 4 betting and the size of my raise. It looked like I was baiting and wanting to get it all-in. The question is; if he shoves do I call? I don’t know. If he did I could only beat TTs or JJs and it would seem rather crazy for someone to make such a move on a 5 bet, so probably not. But I didn’t leave myself much room to fold committing almost half his stack with my bet. It was a tough spot to be in, but one that thankfully went my way and contributed to me having a winning night.

I'm reminded as I write this that "winning" in any game requires playing that role well. Whatever the game or your role in life, play it well my friends. No matter the game (Marriage game, Business game, etc.) if you can't play your role well, have the courage to pick up and leave the game. Remember, sometimes folding is the best play.

Kenna James