Lots of people give their mother flowers on
Mother's Day. I got mine a column.
As we celebrate our nation’s mothers today, I sat down to reflect on what I learned from my own Mom. It turns out that everything I learned about poker, I learned from my mother.
10. Manners
No one wants to sit at a poker table with a jerk. And how much fun is it to sit at a table with a bunch of people who are seething mad at you anyway? Mom taught me to respect other people, and I’ve found poker to be more fun as a result.
9. Card sense
I come from a card-playing family, and all those games of Crazy Eights and Hearts with Mom helped me establish an understanding of how to keep track of 52 cards and estimate the probability of getting the card(s) I needed to win.
8. How to take a bad beat in stride
Mom didn’t stand for whining. Growing up, I understood that “no” wasn’t an answer that could be revised. My fate on a bad beat won’t change either, so there’s little point in whining about it. Now if I could only teach that lesson to my own two-year old son.
7. Patience
Mom always says you have to play the hand you’re dealt. Well, maybe she doesn’t say it, but she certainly lives it. I’ve learned that there’s little point in losing money with bad cards. Better to be patient, and eventually you’ll start running hot.
6. When to take a chance
While I did learn patience from my mother, I also learned the importance of calculated risk. Mom has taken some chances in her life, and sometimes you have to make a move hoping that the other guy doesn’t have the goods.
5. The value of a dollar
Lots of poker books will tell you that you need to have utter disregard for the value of money when it comes to making poker decisions. I couldn’t disagree more. Selecting a stake level is the most important decision a poker player can make, and I’m glad my mother provided me with a solid understanding of the value of a dollar.
4. Reverse implied pot odds
Well, I guess Mom didn’t teach me everything I know about poker.
3. Family and friends come first
When I was in my 20s, I had dreams of being a professional poker player. I’ve since come to learn that I am most fulfilled by my family and friends, not by grinding out a small profit on the low stakes tables of an Internet poker room.
2. Honesty within
My mother may be the most introspective person I know. She is constantly assessing her own goals, thoughts and actions. These traits have rubbed off on me in all aspects of my life, including poker. Being honest with myself has allowed me to set reasonable goals and expectations for my game, and it has helped me learn from the mistakes I’ve made.
1. Desire for self-improvement
This goes hand-in-hand with number 2, but my mother could single-handedly keep the self-improvement publishing world afloat. She is constantly trying to improve herself professionally and personally, and that has become an important part of my life, too. Every day, I try to find ways to be a better husband, father, writer, employee, and when I get the opportunity to play, a better poker player.
Happy Mother’s Day Mom, and thanks for giving me all the tools I needed to learn the game of poker. But more importantly, thanks for giving me the skills I needed to grow into the man I am today.
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