M.J. Morgan asked:
Machismo is defined by Wikipedia as “a prominently exhibited or excessive masculinity.” This expression is naturally associated with men, but as a dominant aspect of human culture, some women have adopted its traits. When playing poker, both women and men can suffer if they apply a prominently macho strategy, which is not advisable.
“Macho” poker stands on a basis of a few commandments, here described by author and player Alan Schoonmaker:
• “You must have enough confidence in your judgment to act decisively.
• You must take stands to prevent aggressive players from running over you.
• You must bet and raise to protect your hands and get the full value from them.
• You must have enough cockiness to create a strong image.”
However, some players have taken those poker principles too far, and instead of increasing their bankroll, they harm it. Shoonmaker lists some dangers of poker machismo that can leave players (both male and female) empty-handed.
Playing unaffordable games. A characteristic of machismo is having something to prove all the time. This ego-driven energy makes some players get involved in poker games they cannot afford financially or psychologically, which results in devastating loses and no learning experiences.
Attempting to beat more powerful opponents. An innate trait of machos is the fact that thy cannot accept the existence of players better than themselves. Machos try to prove they are always better than everybody else, which more than often results in humiliation when they have to empty their pockets to their “inferior” opponents.
Playing bad hands. Some macho players think they can just play any hand by bluffing and expect a good result, which is a fallacy, since good players only risk their funds when they have a large edge, not a large ego.
Overplaying bad hands. A macho way of kicking it up a notch is proving they are big gamblers when they have a bad hand, which sets them up as ideal victims for good players who notice and take advantage of this.
Getting personal about blinds and weak hands. Once a good player figures out the macho pattern and starts attacking, machos get offended and the personal drama starts, insulting others or complaining of unfair dealing.
Challenging players for heads-up matches. This is the most violent action you can propose in a poker game. What follows is a duel against a cooler-headed player which may include a display of fancy moves that will ultimately put the macho’s money in the hands of the other player.
Taking revenge. The thirst for making others suffer in a poker game usually blinds macho players to their own mistakes, leaving them broke more often than not.
Playing expert or big brother. Machos stimulate their ego with criticism or lectures to other players, but what they are really doing is scaring the fish away or educating them, both bad strategies.
Hiding their failures. A typical macho act is covering their messes to protect their ego; what they don’t understand is they are not letting themselves look at their mistakes and learning from them.
Schoonmaker has some recommendations for macho players who are now suffering from their actions and ready to make a change:
1- Show people what a wonder you are at places other than casinos, where it will not only cost you your dignity but also your money.
2- Catch your destructive ego-tripping by thinking about the reasons why you engage in any of the previously discussed behaviours: most of the time you will discover you have wrong reasons for acting a certain way and you can actually start changing your macho ways.
3- Focus on learning from others rather than on showing off or getting others to admire you; poker is about money, not people.
Machismo is definitely not the best path for anybody; it can only assure to maintain personal insecurities and ignorance in people’s relationship with gender as well as in their relationship with poker.
Party Poker Code
Machismo is defined by Wikipedia as “a prominently exhibited or excessive masculinity.” This expression is naturally associated with men, but as a dominant aspect of human culture, some women have adopted its traits. When playing poker, both women and men can suffer if they apply a prominently macho strategy, which is not advisable.
“Macho” poker stands on a basis of a few commandments, here described by author and player Alan Schoonmaker:
• “You must have enough confidence in your judgment to act decisively.
• You must take stands to prevent aggressive players from running over you.
• You must bet and raise to protect your hands and get the full value from them.
• You must have enough cockiness to create a strong image.”
However, some players have taken those poker principles too far, and instead of increasing their bankroll, they harm it. Shoonmaker lists some dangers of poker machismo that can leave players (both male and female) empty-handed.
Playing unaffordable games. A characteristic of machismo is having something to prove all the time. This ego-driven energy makes some players get involved in poker games they cannot afford financially or psychologically, which results in devastating loses and no learning experiences.
Attempting to beat more powerful opponents. An innate trait of machos is the fact that thy cannot accept the existence of players better than themselves. Machos try to prove they are always better than everybody else, which more than often results in humiliation when they have to empty their pockets to their “inferior” opponents.
Playing bad hands. Some macho players think they can just play any hand by bluffing and expect a good result, which is a fallacy, since good players only risk their funds when they have a large edge, not a large ego.
Overplaying bad hands. A macho way of kicking it up a notch is proving they are big gamblers when they have a bad hand, which sets them up as ideal victims for good players who notice and take advantage of this.
Getting personal about blinds and weak hands. Once a good player figures out the macho pattern and starts attacking, machos get offended and the personal drama starts, insulting others or complaining of unfair dealing.
Challenging players for heads-up matches. This is the most violent action you can propose in a poker game. What follows is a duel against a cooler-headed player which may include a display of fancy moves that will ultimately put the macho’s money in the hands of the other player.
Taking revenge. The thirst for making others suffer in a poker game usually blinds macho players to their own mistakes, leaving them broke more often than not.
Playing expert or big brother. Machos stimulate their ego with criticism or lectures to other players, but what they are really doing is scaring the fish away or educating them, both bad strategies.
Hiding their failures. A typical macho act is covering their messes to protect their ego; what they don’t understand is they are not letting themselves look at their mistakes and learning from them.
Schoonmaker has some recommendations for macho players who are now suffering from their actions and ready to make a change:
1- Show people what a wonder you are at places other than casinos, where it will not only cost you your dignity but also your money.
2- Catch your destructive ego-tripping by thinking about the reasons why you engage in any of the previously discussed behaviours: most of the time you will discover you have wrong reasons for acting a certain way and you can actually start changing your macho ways.
3- Focus on learning from others rather than on showing off or getting others to admire you; poker is about money, not people.
Machismo is definitely not the best path for anybody; it can only assure to maintain personal insecurities and ignorance in people’s relationship with gender as well as in their relationship with poker.
Party Poker Code
