The Dude Abides

WALTER: They're nihilists, Donny, nothing to be afraid of.
DIETER: Vee don't care. Vee still vant zat money or vee fuck you up.
--The Big Lebowski

At the poker table, I am like the nihilists. I believe in nothing, and I want the money.

It's hard to believe in nothing though. Superstitions always creep in.

I've written about how to appease the Poker Gods before, but there are other myths I tell myself as well.

Like when I'm on a good run, I think I should play more to maximize my profit. Of course, that only makes sense if I'm running well because of superior play and not dumb luck.

Or when I was on my way to winning a small tournament at the Golden Nugget in Las Vegas, I was sure to take my watch off any time I washed my hands, and then I made sure my hands were dry before putting it back on.

That was the only way to assure victory.

Does that make sense? None whatsoever.

But I don't think my transgressions are nearly as bad as many of the professionals I read about.

They have faith in things like intuition, which may exist, but more often than not it's a perception of tells.

People such as Doyle Brunson say they always play the next hand after a winning hand. Playing junk cards just because I had won the previous hand never worked for me.

Others talk about competitive spirit and motivation, but I think what they really mean is that they're focused and lucky.

The danger of these beliefs is that they can get the best of a player who lets them affect his play.

But superstitions are not without their merits. Believing in something often gives a player a psychological advantage, most often in the form of confidence.

That would be a comfort.

I'm doomed to the hard road of cold facts and odds.

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