A Lesson About Focus

I have spoken to many purely amateur poker players who brag to me about their exploits in going online and playing at several virtual poker tables at once. By firing up multiple browser windows, it can be done. Sometimes they've even been on the phone with me while they're doing it. "Hey, I'm playing four games at once, guy."

This, to me, is very silly.

Maybe it's an excess level of testosterone talking.

You know, grand masters in chess have been known to play exhibitions where they compete against a number of players simultaneously. They walk up and down a series of tables and it makes for a great visual. But the opponents they're going up against are clearly nowhere near their level.

And they're not betting their own money against them either.

Are you a genuine world-class poker player who can roll through a number of games (which move much quicker than chess, incidentally) and be effective? How can you be sure of the skill level of all those opponents, who you have not met or played against before and certainly have never seen? Of course, you can't.

Don't be a fool. Focusing on the task at hand is such a key. Playing the percentages is of paramount importance. Don't let your reach exceed your grasp, and don't let your ego run away with you, just for the sake of bragging rights.