“Everything that irritates us about others can lead to an understanding of ourselves” —Carl Jung
“The reasonable man adapts himself to the world; the unreasonable one persists in trying to adapt the world to himself. Therefore all progress depends on the unreasonable man.” —George Bernard Shaw
The logic in the these two statements is flawless; it says much about the world and the way you respond to it. Because unreasonable men are often the driving forces for change, the world sometimes makes little sense. Reasonable men tend to have found their place in the world, and the rebels continue to flail against the wind. And, because everyone has causes and opinions, the “unreasonable” man who disagrees and charges uphill may irritate us because we see our own flaws in his folly. The next time you find a player, a dealer, or a floor person’s ruling upsetting you, take that opportunity to reflect and explore the nature of self awareness.
The player that attempts to play a particular style, and refuses to adapt to their opponents and the texture of the table is typical of the unreasonable man. He is trying to force the table to behave in a certain way. This often reflects the handicap of intelligence—the so-called brilliant man has been stonewalled by players that refuse to play the game “correctly.” The driving forces are players who refuse to adapt, who have no idea how to adapt, and those who are unconsciously incompetent. Winning players quietly adapt to their environment.
Many “certain I am correct players” when faced with an aggressive player to their right conclude: “I’ll keep re-raising him until he slows down, because he raises too often.” This has two possible outcomes. The player who is making a MISTAKE (raising too often) may stop making the mistake—not good. Or he will continue to make the mistake and you will begin making the mistake as well. The better players will see two maniacs making mistakes and will adjust, patiently waiting to exploit both players. For the self aware, this behavior reflects tendencies toward excessive pride (hubris) and an ego that values respect over winning.
Why do otherwise intelligent players fall victim to the trap of assuming intelligence? The mantra: “Do not assume intelligence” is frequently ignored because the joy in outsmarting an opponent is lost unless an opponent demonstrates reason. The perfectly executed three bullet bluff is called by a player who simply calls all bets with any pair. The donkey wins and the “wiser player” asks: What did you think you could beat? The donkey has an answer but he is reluctant to honestly answer: “I don’t think about what you had, I’m not good enough to worry about that. I had a hand so I called.” Who is the fool? Is it the donkey? Or is it the wise player who assumed intelligence rather than adjusting to reality. More importantly: why is this scenario repeated endlessly? Everyone wants the donkey to play, and to make poor calls. The challenge of patiently taking his money is often insufficient. It appears more exciting to demonstrate fancy plays and new gambits learned because that demonstrates skill and expertise.
Or does it?
Jan Siroky is a poker coach in the Colorado area.
