Poker Guru Presents : Thought of the Day

Posts: 2913 · Posted: 11.04.2006, 11:09

The number one rule of successful poker players on the World Poker Tour, according to a survey among them, is: " Don't try to beat the other players; let them try to beat you."

Nothing like learning from experience (of others as well as yourself).

Posts: 647 · Posted: 01.05.2006, 00:14

That's funny - that reminds me of something else I did once. Something that has nothing to do with poker. But that's just the way I looked at it then, how that quote says to look at it.

When I was in college, someone coerced me into signing up for the IntraMural Table Tennis Tournaments with them - yes, ping pong, don't laugh!

I have never played any sports of any kind - pretty bad at basically any and all, actually... so this was out of character for me, to say the least.

I played ping pong some growing up, because my uncle had a table, and I did think of it as the one "sport" that I at least didn't suck at! But I didn't think of myself as really good at it or anything, certainly not good enough to beat anybody in a tournament.

So it was just for fun, and as I said, this guy was really putting the pressure on me to sign up with him, so eventually, there we were, entered into the University of Oklahoma IntraMural Table Tennis Championship Tournaments!

And believe it or not... we won! And I won! My friend and I WON the Mixed Doubles Tourney, and I won the Ladies' Singles Tourney!

And when it was all over, that was just the way I was looking at it - like I hadn't had to try to beat them... all I had to do and all I did was let them try to beat me.

Because the others who we were playing seemed like better, more experienced players... people who had competed at it before probably, people who had techniques and tricks... and maybe more importantly, people who were serious about this, and who really were trying to win.
They kept trying to make me miss, putting spins on their shots, slamming it over the net, and really moving the ball from side to side of the table, all kinds of things all trying to make ME miss the ball.
And I just kept trying to do nothing more than to just HIT IT BACK.

That was all - just hit it back! Their fancy shots and overly aggressive playing was what did them in - not me! All I had to do was just hit it back.

They may have never missed a single shot of mine, but kept losing points trying to get me to miss. And then it also helped that they kept trying to send their shots far off to one side of the table, so that when I did (miraculously) hit it back, it made it a very hard shot to return, since it was all over the place after I just barely caught it to send it back to them.

Anyway, so I can tell you that this advice did work well for me, at least once in my life! And if I thought about it, I could probably remember other times when it applied also. I think it really should be good to go at a lot of things in life from this perspective. And it should usually mean you won't have to work as hard as the other guy too, if you think about it. And I'm all for that!

So there u have it, 2 cents from the 1990 OU Table Tennis Champion....!!
lol

Thanks for the post - that tourney was something I hadn't thought about in a LONG time! (By the way, what did I win? 2 TShirts! No trophies, plaques or anything like that! 2 Tshirts that I hardly ever wore because the rare times I did, someone made fun of me for being a PingPong winner! hah jk)

sunspun

Posts: 718 · Posted: 04.05.2006, 18:55

Hi,

Poker Guru I believe that survey response would go with just about

anything in life....Those of us who dont need to compete with others

because we are content with ourselves always come accross someone

who is either envious or jealous for whatever reason so they choose to

cut us down or compete with us in life...I dont understand how so many

people can be so unhappy in their own lives...Be grateful you have a

life to live and live every day to the fullest....

Hugs,

sisters Smile

Posts: 2913 · Posted: 05.05.2006, 09:14

sunspun ~

and

sisters ~

I don't know when I have enjoyed any response more than these from you two!

How wonderful it makes a guru feel to know that memories have been triggered and serious thinking has occurred as the result of a few words in one of my posts!

Thank you both!

Also, CONGRATULATIONS to you both! You are deserving indeed!

Very fondly

Your PokerGuru

Posts: 718 · Posted: 08.05.2006, 11:14

Hi,

Poker Guru your thoughts of the day are great and PLEASE keep them

coming....I also love all these sayings that you have Very Happy

They really

do make on think...So thank you for making me think because sometimes

we forget....(if that makes any sense)

Hugs,

sisters Smile