Chasing Winning Hands

Some interesting thoughts at Mr. Helpful regarding the recent election and claims of Bush's intellegence (or lack thereof): bq. Chasing Winning Hands Poker players all over this great nation know and understand certain truths. One of these is that you ALWAYS, ALWAYS, ALWAYS encourage bad players at the table to continue playing exactly the way they've been playing. Successful application of this truth can easily lead to more money in your pocket. bq. This is more difficult than it sounds. Say, for instance, Joe Fish insists on chasing bad hands by constantly staying with cards he should fold but doesnt because he thinks, against great odds, that he's gonna catch that one card which will fill his inside straight or flush draw. We all do that from time to time and, in fact, there are situations where it's the intelligent way to play. Sometimes you even catch the card you need and the gamble pays off. But Joe Fish insists on playing this way an inordinate amount of the time and, consequently, ends up being nothing but red meat for the sharks. The Joe Fishes of the world struggle through the game as perpetual losers; their plight made worse by their complete igorance as to who is to blame which is, of course, themselves. Their time at the table is usually punctuated by groans and moans and constant mutterings about how "Oh man, all I needed was ONE CARD!!" bq. The reason it's hard for the rest of us to encourage this behavior even when it benefits us is there is a natural tendency to call attention to someone's poor play by making remarks like "Jesus, where did you learn your game"....or...."Even if they dealt you four more cards, you wouldnt have hit that straight, pal"...or..."Christ, what a stupid play, you moron"...or..."Keep playing like that and you're gonna spend your life broke". bq. The really good poker player resists that urge and, instead, says encouraging things like "Dang, you almost made that straight"..."Better luck next time, buddy"...."Keep playing like that, you're bound to win sometime". Use these terms at a table when Joe Fish is present and your bankroll is bound to grow exponentially because, the truth is, bad players simply dont realize they're bad players. bq. In the aftermath of Tuesday's presidential election, the same concept applies to Democrats. The overwhelming urge is to point out what "bad players" they really are and do so in a most withering fashion. And, just like Joe Fish, the Democrats have absolutely no clue they are "bad players". Joe Fish thinks there are a myriad of reasons why he loses all the time. So do the Democrats. The Dems are on a horrific losing streak, punctuated by Tuesday's election, and it isnt because of bad luck. It's because of their literal incompetence and they dont even see it. bq. Want proof? Look no further than the post-election analysis spewing from the Democrats. Apparently one huge talking point is, since exit polls showed that a portion of the voters named "moral values" as the driving force behind their voting choices that meant Kerry lost because the gay marriage issue drove more conservatives to the polls than were expected. Heh... There's more and it's well worth reading -- check it out.