eyes wide open with poker
The game that recently consumed me and the one I love to play over the internet is Poker Superstars II. According to the information provided, the game is called No Limit Texas Hold ‘Em, and it is the fastest moving, most exciting variation of poker yet.
And like a Montessori level 1 student, I am adding new words to my vocabulary. NO LIMIT means I can bet part or all of my chips at any time, called moving all in. ANTES are the most familiar forced bet in poker, but in No Limit Texas Hold ‘Em, there are also mandatory BLIND BETS. The player left of the DEALER places the SMALL BLIND, and the BIG BLIND, which is twice that amount, is placed by the next player. The blinds are also raised throughout the ROUND, which forces the smaller stacks into action, and that is going to drive up the betting.
Now here is the complete instruction on how to play: After the deal is made, and after the antes, each player receives two cards face down called Hole Cards. This will initiate the first round of betting.
Then three Community Cards are dealt out in the center of the table. This is known as the flop. After the second round of betting, the Turn Card, also called 4th Street, is revealed. It is followed by the third round of betting. Then the final cards, the River Card, or 5th Street, is exposed and the fourth and final round of betting begins. The players then combine the community cards, with the face down cards, to form the best possible poker hand of five.
The official ranking of winning poker hand begins with the highest card. But any pair will beat that high card. Then you have two pair, followed by three of a kind also known as a set or trips. A straight is five cards in sequential order. A flush is any five cards of the same suit. Next is a full house, or full boat, which is three of a kind and a pair. Then four of a kind, sometimes referred to as quads - then followed by a straight flush, all five cards in numerical order and of the same suit - and finally, and the best possible hand, the royal flush.
Since I brought poker into my life, I started to get to know myself better. I admit that I have accepted my quirks, but poker is teaching me a host of self-defining lessons and placing everything in perfect clarity for me. It humbles me when I am faced with weak cards and I am forced to fold and not join the hand. It challenges, excites, crushes, encourages, cautions, lifts, quizzes, depresses, taunts, and lectures. Alternately, I scream, churn, laugh, dance, frown and rejoice. And almost always, the question of - SHOULD I OR SHOULD I NOT? It's a maddening moment!
I was speechless the time I won a hand with just a pair of two when the others got their high cards of Ace, King and Queen respectively. I regretted not placing all my chips in, but then again, I knew that the confidence was just in hindsight, when all the cards are down. On the other hand, calling another's bluff when I held a pair of Ace and a three of a kind of tens was so exhilarating - such a full house indeed!
In the game, the number of times that I lose is way, way over the number of times I get a lucky hand. And I know that the losses are nothing though, because I am just playing with the computer and not with real opponents. But nudging at the back of my mind is the knowledge that I am liking myself, whether I got scared once there or cocky there too. And at the end of a round, the computer would ask me if I am the future of poker. Hahaha! Far from it, but to my future, where poker now plays a part, and with you real breathing partners soon – here’s looking at you!
But wait, let's stay away from strip poker and just start with marbles for chips, okay?
