I Love It When a Plan Comes Together!

Well, another Tuesday night at Dave’s went according to plan. Normally I go into the session with a simple two-fold plan: 1) Wait until Dave gathers chips from everyone else at the table, then 2) Take them from him. This plan has proven to be a successful, albeit somewhat boring, way of filling my home with the latest toys.

The poker books, however, say that a good player should change it up now and then. Since I like to think of myself as a good player, I decided to shake things up and go into Tuesday night with a different strategy: WWDD (What Would Dave Do?). My two-fold strategy for this night was: 1) Bleed all my chips out to others, then 2) Rebuy, and bleed them all out again. I must say that I was quite proud of the way it played out.

Like a cagy veteran, I called several large bets with drawing hands, and none of them got there. I didn’t really have many playable hands throughout the night, yet I threw in the pre-flop call like a dutiful beast of burden. Ignoring my gut instincts, I called down opponents to the river with second pair. On those rare occasions when I did have the best hand on the flop, I played passively enough to allow someone else to catch up and take the pot away. In short, in a room full of donkeys, I was the King!

Strangely, at the end of the night I had far less money than when we started. This was a result I obviously hadn’t anticipated, but it’s now clear to me where this new strategy will lead. I’ll need to start having yard sales in order to pay for the cable bill. To get lunch money, I’ll have to set up a corner lemonade stand on sunny days. I’d need to get a second job repairing VCRs or toasters to pay for gas for my car, except that I’d probably just end up having to sell that too.

Dave, on the other hand, apparently employed a new strategy of his own, because he cashed out for more than he bought in for! The last time this happened, Reagan was president and Duran Duran was at the top of the charts (a sad time by all accounts…).

While I have a newfound appreciation for donkeydom after walking a mile in Dave’s shoes, I think I've decided to go back to Plan A. I’m guessing that this will be better for my financial situation in the long run. Dave, I trust your will also abandon your little experiment, return to your own Plan A, and continue to support me in the lifestyle to which I’ve become accustomed. Heck, in some states I’d already be entitled to half your assets. Besides, I make terrible lemonade.

See ya at the tables…
Rick