A - Z of Poker: Day 10

From London to Vegas in 26 Letters

Day10: J is for ...

J is for Jacks. Pocket Jacks is one of those hands that is routinely referred to as "the hardest hand to play in Hold'em" or used in such phrases as "I hate Jacks; I always lose with them".

There is some merit to the claim that Jacks present a difficult problem. I suppose the main issue is that they will usually be the best hand pre-flop, but will generate strong action only when behind (or racing at best). In that sense, they are similar to AQ and indeed pocket Queens: another hand that I find can lead to very bad spots.

The fact is, though, that people will extend "I hate XX" up to Queens, Ace-King, pockets Kings and even to Aces. "I hate Aces" is one of the most bizarre things that poker players utter. It's a curious syndrome which is the result of the truism that poker leads constantly to disappointment !

J is for January (and July). If it's January, it's time to reset that spreadsheet with those precise columns of P&L, hours played, rake, ROI%, $VPIP and so on. Good intentions abound. Actually, I do know of some players who really have kept meticulous records (in some cases, from the very beginning of their poker playing career). Those players tend to be winners, although the losing player with accurate records is in some ways more impressive (he/she has a peculiarly realistic and objective viewpoint on the game).

More often, though, if it's February then the spreadsheet has probably been neglected beyond reasonable hope of repair !

Now, if it's July (as it soon will be) then it's time for a 2nd chance (it's a game of two halves?) and of course it's the WSOP. If ever there was a chance to repair the damage in one go, this is it !