FULL TILT POKER BLOG

How Much is That Donkey in the (Tournament) Window?

Posted by anonymous | Filed under Uncategorized

Hello there! Anni here, a semi-pro player from California who enjoys long walks on the beach, Sunday brunch in bed…oh wait, wrong intro. I log in an ungodly number of hours playing poker, watching poker, and eating and breathing poker.

Donkey. I think that has to be an online poker player’s favorite word. Every time someone is knocked out of a tournament it was because of a major donkey play. It is inconceivable to them that they were outplayed, or even online their tells are so flagrant that another player can play them like a grand piano. But sometimes, when it comes out of left field, even I get non-plussed.

Case in point: I recently was in a Red Rock Satellite tournament. I played my game, switching up my play from aggressive to conservative, paying attention to other people’s betting patterns, and making sure my mistakes weren’t as costly as their mistakes.

Well it came down to heads up play between myself and another player (whos name I shall withhold to protect his identity and shield his stupidity from the rest of the online poker world).

Play went back and forth, each of us swapping the chip lead in what seemed like a congenial game. Finally, on what turned out to be the last play of the game, he showed his true colors, and made what I considered an insult of EPIC proportions. Here’s how it went down:

I am in the small blind and am dealt 10-2 of hearts. I bet out 2 times big blind. He raises me one more blind, and I call. Flop comes Q – 2 – 10, with two clubs on the board. He bets out and I reraise all in trying to discourage him from a possible flush draw. I had him covered, and two pair, so I was fairly confident.

He took awhile to make his decision, and elected to call my all in. I held my breath, expecting him to turn over a set of Queens, but alas, he was holding Q-5 of clubs. It was a brave call, but I didn’t fault him for it. The turn comes, and another 10 pops up, so I have a boat now, and when the river fired a blank, sailed away with the rest of his chips. It was good game, and I got the best of it.

Now here is where it gets interesting:

Before I even have a chance to say ‘gg’, he spits out ‘donkey play, you moron’. I was in shock. First because he had been so pleasant during the tournament, and second, he called ME a donkey?!!? With my all in bet, I could have held a Queen with a better kicker, a 6 would have done it. Since when am I the donkey because I put pressure on him with the best hand?

And if that is a donkey play, then My God he indirectly insulted the man who won the World Series of Poker with my exact hand!!!! TWICE!!! Does that make Doyle Brunson a donkey? Or what about Gus Hansen, who is known to play any two cards, and will sometimes come up with the better end of it? My goodness…every pro is a donkey! My head boggles with the magnitude of it all.

The reality is, when you get outplayed, or lose in a tournament, try to be a little gracious. It could have just as easily gone your way. There is no such thing as someone who is “Not supposed to be in the hand”. This is gambling my friends, if you can’t handle it, take up something safe, like crochet. When you call someone a donkey, you are revealing yourself to be the idiot.

And to that anonymous player who inadvertently insulted the greatest poker player that has ever lived, may the poker gods have mercy on your starting hands….you’re gonna need it.

Popularity: 1% [?]

Be Sociable, Share!