The Old West and Poker - Luck, Skill and Character

[WildBillHickok]

[WildBillHickok]

…”I’m the best that ever lived! Come over here and lick my boots ole man!” shouted Ringo.

(Ringo, like most people didn’t realize he had character flaws…he had an empty hole in him that he tried to fill with drinking, bullying and drugs. These would never work. He thought the problem was outside of him so that was the way to treat it. That’s why, although good, he’d never get better. This is why the crowd, the majority, will always remain mediocre or 2nd best. It goes for all of life, not just poker. Poker players that get really good, look within…what am I doing wrong, HOW can I fix it? Always staying a bit humble, looking to learn more…looking within. Loud can get good, but in the long run humble aggression will take the most money (Mad as Hell vs DinosaurMan comes to mind…’you got little cajones, I got big cajones…DinosaurMan quietly takes notes and ignores him…poetic justice and Universal Law comes later on.) Throwing the best hand away sometimes…sometimes ignoring pot odds, good players value bet you know… money saved is money earned. Humbleness = Don’t get Greedy = Long Time Winning Players…TJ comes to mind…There are many flash in the pan winners, few of them have longevity though)

(A seasoned lawyer turned politician put the final screws on...he'd put pressure on the Walking Horse Assoc. to fine and vote down a poker player he didn't like, who coincidentally owned some of the finest horses in Tennessee including the number one horse the politician wanted to buy. The owner didn't like it...nor this politician.)

JB’s head remained still though his eyes were fixed on the kid. JB also spoke Latin.
“I got your old vino veritas right here boy” he thought… over on the right the piano player played Danny Boy and a soiled dove ran her fingers thru a cowboys hair, while pinching a $20 gold piece from his vest pocket.

(The Kid SU was on a roll, 3 of the 4 businessmen had bought in for more…Slim, PP were down a bit, the ball playing Texan was barely holding his own. PP had to leave the game early to check on his Walking horses and some rumor that one had been stolen. SU would have to wait till another day to get a crack at PP)

…then the BIG hand came up…It always does…SU brought it in mid position with an A8o for 3x BB, Slim called with 88, Ball Player called on the SB w/ an unknown hand, 3 piece called on his BB w/ KQd.

Pot: $65 Flop comes Jd,8d,Ac

SU, hoping to feign weakness, leads out for $30…Slim is licking his chops and min raises, Ball player calls, 3 piece calls with his nice draw. SU calls.

Pot: $305 4th St. comes Ad

SU is thrilled, but again feigns weakness, slows down and checks.
Slim is glad to see this, but is worried, and bets $285.
Ball player calls after 10 seconds.
3 piece is elated and shoves all his stack in…not considering the paired board.
SU waits 5 seconds, then calls.
Slim says “this dog may not hunt, but I’m putting’er in the field anyway” and calls.
Ball player calls with what little he had left.

Pot: ~ $3700 River card comes and is 7d

SU, full of himself, announces he’ll wager $3000 on the side and slaps it on the table waiting for takers.
Slim slumps his shoulders and stays quiet.
3 piece turns white.
Ball player reaches into his pocket, pulls out a wad of hundreds big enough to burn a wet mule and slaps it down beside the Kid’s money…saying “you’re covered”
They all show their hands...
Sometimes A’s and 8’s will kill you. SU is stunned and gets up and goes out to buy some candy for his nose. Slim grins and congratulates the ball player, who remarks how he got lucky, as he drags in the huge pot. (what did he have and who was he?)
The game broke up. SU became one of the greats, but his character flaws took him from the game early as he self destructed. Slim and the ball player played for many years to come. )

That fateful West Texas day, the town dandy politician was walking down the wooden sidewalk way too full of himself...but alas, he lacked good character. Everybody knew he was crooked. But there is a justice in the Universe. What goes around...eventually comes around.

JB stood up not blinking and faced Ringo. “Carpe Diem boy”
Ringo feigned turning to get a drink, but hiding his hand, he was going for his 45.
JB was one step ahead and ready for this.
Ringo slung around starting to fire…JB already had a 200 grain bullet on the way and had holstered his ivory handled Colt by the time Ringo was jerking his trigger. Ringo fired too fast and his bullet went 6 feet wide of JB, exiting the saloon window and hit an unlucky politician walking down the sidewalk, about a quarter second after JB’s slug entered Ringo’s heart and cut on through to the spine. Ringo dropped like a bag of sand. The politician did too. JB was lucky in this shot placement. But then JB had always been lucky…He was BACK!

(…miles away, the 24 year old blues singer belted out Me and Bobby McGee and the Universe had self corrected again)

[WildBillHickok]