I can't tell you how many times I've heard players whine when they get sucked out (including myself once upon a time), by lesser starting cards, saying "How could you of played those two cards, especially after I raised"?

My response these days is: "It was easy, I put my chips in, and said call", which in turn really ticks the other player off even more.

What many players who've been playing a while fail to realize, is this.

If you forget your past, you are doomed to repeat it, meaning to get inside the heads of a novice or intermediate player, you must first remember how YOU yourself played, when you first picked up this wonderful game of poker.

In addition, it's like they feel that I, and every other player, should play poker THEIR way, simply because they have read some book on the subject, or have been playing longer than the other person they are playing against.

Now, why should I, or anyone else do that? Why should I go to war, and tell my enemy, even though I'm no good at their style of war, I'm going to give up my style of war, and battle their way?

That would be quite stupid on my part, don't you think?

It is however, how the British lost the war of Independence to the American Militia men.

If you remember your history, the British were masters at war, and most major countries at the time, battled the same way they did.

Then came the American Revolution, and us yanks, well, we didn't play by the same rules as the Brits, because for the most part, we just didn't know any better.

The Brits marched in straight lines, while we yanks we hid behind the bushes and the trees, didn't know much about the 'rules of war', yet we won battle after battle, simply because the Brits couldn't or wouldn't adapt to our style of warfare. They were convinced their way was the only way, and were inflexible to the fact that there could be other ways of warfare, than just theirs.

So in love were they, with the style of war they'd played for centuries, they just couldn't figure out what made the American's tick. Why after they, the Brits had proven that this formal style of war, really was the best, did the Yanks persist in fighting the way they did, and even worse, the yanks were winning! Yet, so rigid they were, they refused to even consider adapting their style of warfare, to counter the style of the Yanks.

Now, equate this to poker.

We have the pro's and those who love to read the books of the pros, who with only a few exceptions, are so in love with the formal style of playing poker (best two cards pre-flop), that they fail to realize, that in reality, any two starting cards have the potential to win at poker. After all, it takes 5 cards at the river, to make the best hand, and they don't HAVE to be premium (starting) cards to do so.

Gus Hanson is however, as pro's go, is one exception that I've seen on TV, and has realized this, and has stated as much on many occasions. He plays the player, and not the cards, and he does quite well doing so.

Why should I, or any player, battle the same way the pros do, especially if I'm not good at doing it their way in the first place? Why should I be forced to play their game, go to war as it is, their style, simply because they've been playing longer than I have?

To me, it would seem quite stupid of me, to play their style, simply because some book says I must.

Granted, the books have quite a few good tips in them, but at the same time, the person who wrote them, isn't me, and isn't my personality, nor are they the persons or personalities of other players.

I can't count the number of times however, where someone has fallen in love with Ace King preflop, missed the flop, turn and river, with them betting it all the way, and then gotten upset because I or another player hung in there because we did hit the flop ourselves.

This is because many players who play poker the traditional way fail to realize, is that A/K is only a premium starting drawing hand, not a made hand.

I have a saying about Ace King, or any hand you fall in love with for that matter preflop, and I'm most willing to tell it to anyone who will listen.

"Getting Married to Ace King is not a good idea, because the divorce settlement will be painful, if it doesn't work out"

Poker is a reflection of life, and the person playing it.

No one is going to play text book poker all the time, and you shouldn’t expect your opponent to play poker your way, especially if they are new to the game. To do so, is a major mistake on your part.

One other mistake I see many experienced players make as well, is that while there are indeed many fish out there, that there are sometimes opportunities to learn from the fish as well. While the fish might be 99.99 percent wrong, there might be that .01 percent of truth that the fish knows that you don't know.

If you can take that small percentage and add it to your game, you will become a better player.

So, don't be like the Brits, instead of going off on some player because they sucked out on you, because they were playing their way instead of yours, adapt instead.

Say nice hand, and move on, making note of what kind of cards that person is playing, and be aware of it for future reference.

In that way, you won't be the like the Brits, and be inflexible, and you'll only lose one battle, instead of the entire war.