Phill's Little Green Book Notes

Updated 2/11/2017

I have all of Phil Gordon's books, including Poker: The Real Deal, one of my first poker books. His "little books", Green, Black, Gold and Blue, show his, as well as the game's evolution. They all have some good math basics, as well has his own "tricks", like how to play Ax. His best tip is the Gordon Pair Principle, about the odds someone is holding a better pair preflop.

Here are a few of the tips from the Little Green Book.

Psychology: Timing of Bets
Try to always take about the same amount of time to consider options and take action on a hand.  Not too fast, not too slow.
(use a clock or watch to vary your time; like when the second hand is between 10 and 12, act         
faster or way slower, like you are thinking about your outs or  may or may not have the nuts.)

Beating Tight and Passive Players
Tight/Passive players play so few hands that, while they may hit the flop, Phil says 35% with AK,
I think it's more likely they will only play a hand maybe once out of 9 hands, which means about 35 hands have to be played before they hit it. You should be able to pick up several small pots against them.
 OK, what's tight and what's passive.
Tight players only play the top 10 hands and even then bet weakly on the bottom half of that spectrum. 
Passive players will play a few more hands, but quickly fold to any action if they didn't hit their hand. 
Raises, Re-raises, and continuation bets will usually get either of them to fold.

Beating Loose Players
Play tight, wait for great flops that hit your hand, give them hope and lots of rope.

Implied Tilt Odds
You want to play against players that are easily emotional about either their bad beats or your bad beats and any hand they suck out on. Playing into their emotional outbursts and bad plays, even with a marginal hand, will eliminate them.

Tells: When they look at my chips.
Usually means they have a good hand and they think I'm weak. If you catch a monster hand, you can over-bet the pot or check-raise.

When they reach for chips
Kind of depends on who's looking. If they reach for chips after looking at my chips, but I bet first, make the raise. If they are not looking at my chips or anyone else's chips, they have something, but it's my turn to bet, I'll bet my hand strength depending on how many chips they appear to be grabbing and look for a pause in their grab, which means they aren't as strong as they wanted to project.

The Quick Call
Players that quickly play the flop, usually a minimum bet, frequently have a drawing hand. If they had a good hand, the top pair or better, they would be considering what to raise. If they missed the flop, they are thinking about folding or bluffing, which takes a little more thought.

The Slow Call
It's usually a raise with a strong hand or a fold with a weak hand. Calling, after a long pause, could be a ploy to suck you into a monster hand or a draw to the nuts.

Texture: After the Flop
What cards are in play, how will they interact with other players hands or hand ranges and what bet is likely to come based on the board texture. Most bets are likely to be 25% to 100% of the pot. Any less is usually a missed fishing expedition; any more is either a poor bet by a weak player with the nuts or a bluff at a nut draw or 2nd top pair. The more players still in the hand, the more likely someone has at least top pair.
   
Living up the "Weak means Strong and Strong means Weak" philosophy, Phil leans toward making weaker continuation bets with strong hands in order to entice a player to call. With weak starting hands that have good outs but miss the flop or maybe hit 3rd top pair, betting half the pot usually get slightly better hands to fold, top pair will usually re-raise though, so it's an easy fold. With medium strength hands, betting half the pot to 2/3 of the pot gets some players with slightly better hands to fold and players with Nut potential, but worse hands, to call.

After the Turn and a scare card hits
Phil likes to just check if he had the lead but it didn't help him and call a small or continuation bet, he's not liking a check-raise here.
If it didn't hit you, It may have hit them, how many players still in the hand should determine how scary the card is. If it's only you and one other player, make a continuation bet, it's still a game of fish, so you have to ask if it hit them, if you just check, they would most likely make a continuation or value bet which would cause you to likely fold. If there is more than one other player in the hand, it either hit them or helped them, if it didn't help you, you have to check, or if you do have a good hand or the nuts, check raise.

It's all about the odds to improve.
Based pretty much on your outs.
9 to 10 outs, like a high flush draw, maybe a nut flush draw, is about a 35-45% chance of hitting your draw, you should bet about half the pot, if you're the first to act.
4 to 6 outs, like and inside draw to 2 over cards, is about a 15-20% chance. Phil likes to bet about 2/3 the pot, but I think you need at least one Broadway card to even consider that bet and you need  to only have one other player in the hand.
Less than 4 outs is a real gamble. The newer professional and amature poker players are much more aggressive now and love to gamble. Phil likes a pot size bet here, to take the pot down, but I think position is the relevant factor here and knowing what type of player you are up against and it can only be one, two or more players are likely to have you beat regardless of position.

Tournament Strategies: Stealing the Blinds
Stealing the blinds is a critical element in tournaments. At a full table, you need an above average stack size to steal one every 13 hands or so, and position will likely make a more optimal timing of once every 16 or more hands a better option. In a six handed or less table, you should only be trying to steal from the last three seats anyway.
A blatant thief is easily caught.
It's hard to steal the blinds from "Next to BET" instead of "First to Bet", when first to bet actually raised. You have to not only be in position, but have a playable hand to commit grand larceny. You also have to have that gut feeling that they are actually trying to steal the blinds, which means they have to be no more that two seats on your right. More than two seats away is not likely a steal, but some type of good to great hand. If you're the button, then there are two seats on your right that are stealing seats, the Hi-Jack seat and the Grand Larceny seat.  
BB-SB-BTN-CO-HJ-GL-M4-E3-E2-UG

The Green, Black, Gold and Blue books from Phil Gordon.


I NEVER BLUFF

Limping & Sun-Tzu

Updated 2/11/2017

I was watching one of the poker shows on TV, I try to record most of them. One of the announcers asked the other, "I wonder what The Art of War (Sun-Tzu) has to say about limping?"
Being a advocate of The Art of War and Poker, I thought I'd take a look at it. There has already been a good book on the subject written by David Apostolico, Tournament Poker and the Art of War, and there is also a web site devoted to it. Sun Tzu's Art of Poker

From "The Art of War" by Sun-Tzu
In battle, there are not more than two methods of attack:
the direct -betting/raising- and the indirect -checking/limping-;
These two in combination give rise to an endless series of maneuvers.
The direct and the indirect lead on to each other in turn.

It is like moving in a circle — you never come to an end.

    (It's also an effective act of randomness to keep your opponent off balance.)

Masking strength with weakness is effected by tactical dispositions.
Thus one who is skillful at keeping the enemy on the move maintains deceitful appearances, according to which the enemy will act.
He sacrifices something, (so) the enemy may snatch at it.

• Simulated disorder postulates perfect discipline,
• Simulated fear postulates courage; 
• Simulated weakness postulates strength. It's all part of the Lying Game of Poker!

If we wish to fight, the enemy can be forced to an engagement even though he (is) sheltered behind a high rampart and a deep ditch -a wall of chips-. All we need do is attack some other place that he will be obliged to relieve (defend).
If we do not wish to fight, we can prevent the enemy from engaging us even though the lines of our encampment be merely traced out on the ground. All we need do is to throw something odd and unaccountable in his way -Randomness.

• The rule is, not to besiege walled cities if it can possibly be avoided.

By holding out baits -limping/slow playing-, he keeps him on the march; then with a body of picked men he lies in wait for him.
By holding out advantages -showing weakness- to him, he can cause the enemy to approach of his own accord; or, by inflicting damage, he can make it impossible for the enemy to draw near.

Whoever is first -to act-with -active or passive Aggression- in the field and awaits the coming of the enemy, will be fresh for the fight; whoever is second in the field and has to hasten to battle - will arrive exhausted.
Patience is a virtue in poker, more so in cash games than tournament, however, 

“In a balance of mutual terror, whoever ACTS FIRST has the ADVANTAGE!"

• Hence that general is skillful in attack whose opponent does not know what to defend; and he is skillful in defense whose opponent does not know what to attack.

Numerical weakness - lack of chips - comes from having to prepare against possible attacks. Numerical strength -many chips-, (by) compelling our adversary to make these preparations against us.

• Though the enemy be stronger in numbers, we may prevent him from fighting. 
• Scheme so as to discover his plans and the likelihood of their success.

If we are able thus to attack an inferior force with a superior one, our opponents will be in dire straits.

• When you engage in actual fighting, if victory is long in coming, then men’s weapons will grow dull and their ardor will be damped.

Do not repeat the tactics which have gained you one victory, but let your methods be regulated by the infinite variety of circumstances -Randomness and Deciet- .

"Water shapes its course according to the nature of the ground over which it flows"; the soldier works out his victory in relation to the foe whom he is facing.
Therefore, just as water retains no constant shape, so in warfare there are no constant conditions. He who can modify his tactics -Randomness- in relation to his opponent and thereby succeed in winning, may be called a heaven-born captain.

• So in war, the way is to avoid what is strong and to strike at what is weak.

So, Limping is a weakness than can mask strength.

I NEVER BLUFF

Any Hand Will Do?

Updated 2/11/2017

The Basics.
There are 1326 two card combinations in Texas Hold'em, including suits, 169, not counting suits. Seventy-eight are Pairs (6x13). 20 Broadway (A-10) cards and 16 of them are Suited Connectors.
You should get a pair, once every 17 hands or someone should be dealt a pair once every 17 hands, that's 16:1 that someone has a pocket pair, if you don't have one. The odds are 2.67:1 that your opponent also does not have a pocket pair.
If your two cards are not a pair, but suited, it's still 118:1 that you will not hit a flush on the flop.
You can not make a straight without a 5 or a 10. The 5 and 10 are KEY cards. It's still 76:1 against someone hitting a straight on the flop.

If your two cards are not a pair, you will hit a pair on the flop, 40% of the time or  it is 60% that your opponent did not hit a pair on the flop.

There are two types of hands in Texas Hold'em. A pair or better and a draw to a straight or flush. Every hand played after the flop is a contest between these two types of hands. The draws are broken down to connected cards, gapped cards, suited connectors and suited gaped cards. Anything else isn't worth looking at execpt when you are heads-up.

This is why aggression is so important in Poker, most players do not make their hand on the flop.

In a normal Cash/Ring game, you will most likely be dealt 30 to 40 hands per hour. In Tournament play, deep stack, you should be dealt 30 to 40 hands per hour in the early stages and 25 to 30 in the middle stages, with a full table. In the later stages it could average 30 to 40 hands per hour and up to 50 hands per hour short handed to 60 hands per hour with 3 or less players.

It helps to start with a good hand.

Top 5 hands: AA, KK, QQ, AKs, AQs (26 combinations) can be played from any position. AKs, AQs, usually need to bet 3xBB in early position, 2xBB to 3xBB in middle or late position.  AA, KK, may be best to reverse the betting process. The closer to the button, the more you bet, unless everyone is folding, as if you are trying to steal the blinds. Don't fall in love with AK or AQ, they are still only drawing hands. You will only flop an A or K 33% of the time, but an Ace, King, or Queen, about 50% of the time. You will flop a flush draw only about 10% of the time.
Group 2 hands: JJ, TT, AJs, KQs, AK (29 combinations) JJ, TT, Call in early position and middle position. Can raise in late position to steal the blinds or re-raise a small bet if everyone else has called. AJs, KQs, AK, will flop a straight, flush, or pair about 50% of the time. Call from early position or middle position, raise to steal the blinds or as a probe from late position or call raises if only one other person has raised before you.
Group 3 hands: ATs, KJs, QJs, JTs, AQ (25 combinations) Always see the flop, unless there are several raisers.
Group 4 hands: KTs, QTs, J9s, T9s, 98s, AJ, KQ (38 combinations)
Limp in unless you are on the button.
Middle Low Pocket Pairs: 99, 88, 77, 66 (16 combinations) Call in middle to late position or with less than 3 players.
Low Pocket Pairs: 55, 44, 33, 22 (16 combinations) Call in late position, or with only 2 or less players in the hand.

Trap hands

Use when you have a really strong hand and someone else has a lesser hand they can’t lay down. The trap is usually sprung by the flop. Any pre-flop 2 or 3 gaped middle cards; like 9-6, 8-5, or small pairs that have hit a set or better.  Only call small bets, if you don’t hit the flop, don’t bet unless in position, must always be played cheaply, fold if not hit on the flop.
Against good players, large bets like 6xBB to 2x pot or more, from late position, when all else have folded, may be a trap with AA,KK, otherwise it’s someone trying to steal the blinds with a weak hand.

Pre-FlopHands

High pairs: (AA, KK, QQ): vary from call to big raise (3x-5x); re-raise 3x the raiser,  re-raise the re-raiser.
KK will flop an over card about 20% of the time, QQ about 33%, each successive lower card about 12% greater than the last.
(AA,KK) Can slow play a tight table or against loose players, but always re-raise the raiser at least 2 times their raise.
(QQ) vary your raises; call, do not re-raise unless heads-up only or the raise was small
Middle pairs: (JJ,TT): Raise 2x,3x, do not call or slow play; raise only, do not re-raise, unless heads-up. TT will see more action and likely to flop possible straight draws, due to being a KEY card.
Mid-Low Pairs: (99, 88, 77, 66): Raise 1x-2x, call small raises, do not re-raise. Likely to flop straight draws.
Low Pairs: (55, 44, 33, 22) Raise 1x-2x in early position, call in Middle to Late Position; Fold large raises.
There is a 10% chance Pairs will make a SET by the river make, 16% for 2 Pair, 1% for a Full House, and about .25% for 4 of a Kind.
AK,AQ,AJ (suited or un-suited): Raise 2x-3x, call small to medium raises, fold to large raises except for heads-up, then call. Good hands to raise in the blinds, but only 1x BB.
AT-A6 (suited): Call all small bets, raise in early position 1x, fold all large bets, except when heads up.
AT-A6 (un-suited): Call all small bets, don't raise or re-raise, fold all large bets, except when heads up. Try to see the flop cheaply. Call in early position, can call small raises if less than 3 other players.
A5-A2 (suited & un-suited); Call all small bets, fold 2x+ raises and large bets, except when heads up. Suited has more options than un-suited. Call suited cards in early position, fold if raised.

Move up a group if someone raises or bets 3x or more before you, unless you are heads-up

KQ-KJ-KT-QJ-QT (suited); bet 2x-3x in any position, call any small bet, check any normal bet or if more than 3 remaining players.
KQ-KJ-KT-QJ-QT (not suited); bet 2x-3x in early position, bet 1x-2x in middle or late position, call any small bet, check any normal bet or if more than 3 remaining players. Fold any large bet.
Any other 19+ hand: (suited), bet 1x-2x if everyone checks, call small bets, fold large bets. (Points)
Any other 19+ hand: (not suited); call small bets, check if possible, fold to large bets
Middle suited connectors: check if possible, bet in late position, call small bets in middle position, fold to large bets. Likely to flop flush and straight draws.
Middle non-suited connectors: check if possible, call small bets in late position, fold large bets. Likely to flop straight draws.
Low suited and non-suited connectors: check if possible, bet in late or middle position, fold any bet if more than 2 remaining players. Likely to be middle or low pair. Great trap hand if a set is made on the river.
Gapped suited cards: Try to keep the gaps to 2 or less. The higher the lead card the better, K-2 can be bet in late position, best to check only; Q-2 check only, fold any other, unless heads-up, then call only small bets. Cards with 1 gap are more likely to hit a flush than a straight. The chance of hitting a straight with 1 gap is the same as any suited connector.
Gapped non-suited cards: Try to keep the gaps to 2 or less. Cards with 1 gap have the same chance of hitting the flop for a straight as any non-suited connector.

Mental Exercise: Remember the last 3 flop textures. The probability is higher of a favorable flop hitting your hand if your hand is the opposite of the previous flops. (Gambler's Fallacy, but you will be surprised at how often it happens)

I NEVER BLUFF

Playing Pairs

A couple of things about the 2 most loved cards, the Ace and King. It's about 110 to 1 that any specific pair will be dealt, like AA or KK. It's about 220 to 1 that Kings will be beaten by Aces. If you think someone has a higher pocket pair, the odds go up about 2% to 4% for each pair from 22 to KK that your pair has been cracked. At a full table, AA will win about 35% of the time and KK will win about 31%. 22 wins about 12% at a full table and about 55% heads up. That being said, you should get a pocket pair once every 16 hands and putting into perspective, someone should be dealt pocket pairs once every 16 hands, or one and a half rounds at a full table.

At a full table there is about an 87% chance that at least one person has an Ace and about 70% that 2 players have an Ace and you can reduce that by about 5% for each person less than the full table. It's also about 87% that someone will have a King, or any other card you can name. AK vs AA, AK will win about 7%, at a full table and about 5% heads up. AA vs KK, AA wins about 81% heads up and about 29% at a full table. A 1% or 2% variance is a non-issue because the pot odds will be too high to consider such a small percentage.

"Gordon Pair Principle" from Phil Gordon.

If you have 99, there are 5 higher pairs that can beat you, if there are 5 players left to act, you multiply the numbers, 5x5 = 25, then divide by 2, for 12.5, which means there is a 12.5% chance of someone beating your pairs. It's not rocket science, but something good to use when it comes down to a hard pre-flop decision.

AA (0%)
At a full table AA will win about 35% and about 88% heads up, so you need to get heads up or at least reduce the field to increase your odds of winning. Even against a Mental Midget that will go All-in pre-flop, it's a hand you don't throw away. Heads up is about the only place to slow play. You might try it if you're on the button and everyone has folded around to you. You have to re-raise on the flop, regardless of who bets.

KK (0.5% to 4.5% that someone has a higher pocket pair)
KK vs AA, KK will win about 18% at a full table and about 19% heads up. AA wins about 23% at a full table and about 81% heads up.

KK vs XX , KK wins about 30% at a full table and about 85% heads up.
You can almost play KK the same way you play AA, except there is an 87% chance at least one person has an Ace at a full table and about a 70% chance that more than one person has an Ace. Anyone with an Ace may call a normal bet and anyone with an Ace with another Broadway card is also likely to call a normal bet, or even raise. Anyone with an under pair like QQ or JJ may raise any bet. You need to reduce the field in early position and protect the KK against anyone calling with hands like an Ace with a good kicker.

QQ (1% to 9% that someone has a higher pocket pair)
QQ vs AA or KK
QQ vs AA, QQ wins about 15% at a full table and AA wins about 27%. AA wins about 81% heads up against QQ.

QQ vs KK, QQ wins about 18% at a full table and KK wins about 24%. KK wins about 81% heads up aganist QQ.

QQ vs XX, QQ wins about 26% at a full table and about 82% heads up.

JJ (1/5% to 13.5% that someone has a higher pocket pair)
JJ vs AA or KK or QQ
JJ vs AA, JJ wins about 17% at a full table and AA wins about 27% at a full table. AA wins about 81% heads up against JJ.

JJ vs KK, JJ wins about 16% at a full table and KK wins 27% about at a full table. KK wins about 81% heads up against JJ

JJ vs QQ, JJ wins about at 17% at a full table and QQ wins about 23% at a full table. QQ wins about 81% heads up against JJ.

JJ vs XX, JJ wins about 25 % at a full table and about 79% heads up.

TT (2% to 18% that someone has a higher pocket pair)
Everyone plays the Broadway cards, AKQJT. With four cards to beat you, and 5 cards to come, TT should only be played in late positions or from the blinds. Each position behind you that stays in the hand means someone has higher cards or a possible pocket pair. Each player to play in front of you could have higher cards and a higher pocket pair. Never call with TT. You have to bet. How much will depend on what bets were placed before you and how many players are left behind you.

TT vs XX, TT wins about 20% at a full table and about 77% heads up.

99 to 22 (2.5% to 54% that someone has a higher pocket pair)
Need to play them more like a drawing hand. If you don't get trips on the flop, consider folding to any normal raise. Call normal bets, but fold to bets that are more than 2x the BB.
A raise that gets re-raised usually means someone at least has QQ and you should fold. It would be good to calculate the odds someone has a higher pair by using the Gordon Pair Principle.

I Never Bluff

Bluff or Semi-Bluff in No Limit Holdem? (pt 2)

Dan Harrington’s Law on Bluffing: "The probability someone is bluffing when he shoves a big bet into the pot is at least 10%", (until the final table)
(back to Part 1)

Bluffing Pre-flop

First of all, you should rarely bluff pre-flop, unless you are one of the blinds and only one other player has bet. The only other times to consider a bluff would be at the final table or heads up. Even AA should never be slow played pre-flop, especially since there is usually at least one loose aggressive player at a table and more than one selective aggressive player. It's when there are also one or more poor players that will hold on to top hands all the way to the river that someone with AA needs to make a reasonable bet or raise. Good players aren't going to gamble pre-flop against a full table, unless they are short stacked. AA only wins about 88% of the time heads up and against a full table it only wins about 36% of the time anyway. I love it when Mental Midgets go All-in, pre-flop, on the first hand. Even the Mental Midgets that win, because other Mental Midgets follow suit, tend not to last very long.

Bluffing by Table Type

Loose Tables

Loose tables tend to have many poor players so a good player is rarely going to bluff at a loose table. In loose games, tighten up on semi-bluffs and losen up on legitimate hands. In a loose game, play more drawing hands and do not play loose with marginal hands.

Tight Tables

Tight tables tend to have more good players, so bluffing is actually easier, but good players are going to pick and choose the best time to bluff. Good players are not going to go overboard on bluffing, but there will be better bluffs going on. Pure bluffs can be profitable at a tight table, but have to be abandoned if called or raised. You will usually only be called by players that have a top hand at a tight table. Aggressive players will be able to steal the blinds, but lose more when they have a good, but not great, hand. Don't play as many drawing hands in tight games.

Bluffing by Position

Early Position

Early position hands are just too vulnerable, even with good hands, to consider a semi-bluff, unless the table is weak and/or tight. That being said, the opportunity exists to represent a top hand against weak players and/or a tight table. Accepting that the range of hands for early position is mostly the top 5 to 6 hands, you might be able to consider a semi-bluff with some of the other top 10 to 15 hands.

Middle Position

In my opinion, middle position is the worst position at the table. Middle position players are usually sandwiched between the early position top 5 or 6 hand ranges and the late position's pure strength of their position. That does give a good oppertunity to exploit a weakness shown by an early position weak bet and represent a top hand against weak late position players. Against good late position players it may be a good place to occasionally try to steal the blinds.

Late Position

First of all, you have to Semi-bluff less often if you are the last to act and have to opportunity to get a free card, because it's still about the Semi-bluff. Secondly, someone could be sandbagging. It's all about how many are still in the hand and the strength of their bets. Against weak bets, it's a good place to make a play, but analyze who is making the bet. Against weak timid players, it's a good place to test their metal. Against good players, it's representing a hand that can beat the board. With 3 or more players still in the hand, someone is sure to have a good hand, but how good. Late position is probably the best place to try Arnold Snyder's "Rochambeau" style or Blair Rodman and Lee Nelson's "Kill Phil" style. Although the button is the place where poor players try to steal the blinds, the cutoff seat just before it and the real stealing position just before the cutoff position, are where the good player try to steal the blinds and/or take down the pot.

(Bluff or Semi-Bluff pt 1)

I Never Bluff

Mr Lucky

Updated 2/23/2017

Knowledge is POWER.
Here I am in my quest to improve, learning as much as I can about the games of poker. From Mike Sexton, "the game that takes a minute to learn but a lifetime to master". One of the things I try to do is to learn something new every day.

Trying to live each game by the Golden Rule of Poker:  

Patience is a virtue!

Golden Rule:   
Be Patient! Do not check, call, bet, raise or fold without asking yourself:

• What is this hand’s best possibility to win? 
• Who is in this hand and what is their play style and chip stack size? 

Always try to take the same amount of time to make a decision, call for "Time”, randomly.
Randomness is the key to table image! You need to create an image of being unpredictable. 

Who Am I?
According to the merge of Babylonian Celestial Omens, 2nd millennium BCE, and Egyptian Decanic Astrology, early 1st century BCE, now called Horoscopic Astrology,
I AM A GEMINI.I wonder which person showed up today?The phrasing is relevent to the other 2 parts of me as shown below.

Part 1
According to Myers-Briggs I am an E-N-T-P Extraversion - Intuiting - Thinking - Perceiving 
As far as scores go, first is Intuition (higher than the total of the other 3), second, but followed closely by Thinking, is Extraversion, and tying it all up is Perceiving.
(Interestingly, one of the side effects of Extraversion being bookended by Intuition and Thinking, is it tends to be subdued. Isn't it great to be a GEMINI?)

Any wonder why I like poker?

Extraversion: That's right! I have more than one version of what we are about to discuss. May not be what you thought, as there may be more than one version because the Gemini rules, --- Let's talk !
Intuitive: I have my own Tarot Cards and a cloudy Crystal Ball, ~~~~~ Let's Talk!!
Thinking: I think, therefore I am, I think? I'm not so sure about you though. ~~~~~ Let's talk!!!
Perceiving: Says it ALL!! You could be in trouble before you open your mouth. ~~~~~ Let's Talk!!!!
ENTP
Quick, ingenious, stimulating, alert, and outspoken. Resourceful in solving new and challenging problems. Adept at generating conceptual possibilities and then analyzing them strategically. Good at reading other people. Bored by routine, will seldom do the same thing the same way, apt to turn to one new interest after another.

Now we come to Part 2 of ME, and it's all about ME!

According to the Clifton Strength Quest TestI am - (in this order):
1: Learner
Learner People especially talented in the Learner theme have a great desire to learn and want to continuously improve. In particular, the process of learning, rather than the outcome, excites them.
2: Ideation
Ideation People especially talented in the Ideation theme are fascinated by ideas. They are able to find connections between seemingly disparate phenomena.
3: Strategic
Strategic People especially talented in the Strategic theme create alternative ways to proceed. Faced with any given scenario, they can quickly spot the relevant patterns and issues.
4: Individualization
Individualization People especially talented in the Individualization theme are intrigued with the unique qualities of each person. They have a gift for figuring out how people who are different can work together productively.
5: Achiever
Achiever People especially talented in the Achiever theme have a great deal of stamina and work hard. They take great satisfaction from being busy and productive.

Any wonder why I like poker?
In poker you need to learn everything about the game and the people. Once you have learned about them, you need to get ideas on how different people connect to the game, the thought process that people take playing the game. Once you have an idea of how different people play the game, you need a stratagy on using the information to win the game. Once you have a strategy to win, you need to adapt it to the unique qualities of each person playing the game. Once you know how to win over different people, you know how to acheive the goal of winning.
http://www.strengthsquest.com/

The Bottom Line:
Any wonder why I like poker?

"I Never Bluff"