Six Poker Players You've Met

Although he maintains an office from which he does some kind of trading, his real business is poker. Separated from his wife, he is free to play every night. He does—at the lodge, country club or somebody's home. He plays with one purpose: to win money.

Pro reads no books, sees no plays, chases no women. One of the men tried him out with the suggestion that they skip a session and go out with a pair of blondes. Pro answered, "No, thanks. I'd rather play poker. It's less expensive and more fun."

His game is silent and tight, with just enough variety to keep the opposition guessing a little. It is, percentagewise, reasonable to assume he holds what his bets say he holds.

He expresses contempt for poker literature. "I've never read nothin' about poker. Oh, maybe a magazine article or two, if you want to count those. If you ask me, most of the guys who write about the game don't know much about it. Every writer I've ever played with turned out to be a cluck."

Mystery: How did Pro learn the exact odds in every standard situation?

Solution: He sneaked over to the library, where he copied them out of a book. In addition, and in secret, he has dealt out thousands of practice hands and kept a set of statistics.

Pro takes advantage of everything which offers an advantage. If you are careless enough to expose the tip of your hole card, he will look at it. Of course, you never get to see his.

In all-night sessions, where stamina is paramount, he is devastating.

During a game, he prefers not to discuss hands. Away from it, he discusses nothing else. He is a bore.

If you need another player tonight and call Pro before somebody else invites him, he will accept. But do not expect to get any of his money.