Big Al Leiter and Poker

May the baseball Gods bless the Yanks tonight!

Thus, a small post about experience and Al Leiter. So how does this have to do with poker? Well the truth be told it’s a short post but hopefully one can gain something from it.

The Yankees got an old man when they picked up Al Leiter this year from the Florida Marlins. Yes, the Marlins threw the old lefty out to sea to let him swim with the sharks. His careers seemed to have reached its end. He was on the down and outs and he had compiled a weak 2-7 record for the Marlins when the Yankees picked him up. I suppose this is similar to some of our poker games when we hit our low points…we just don’t see the end in sight and want to pack it in.

Yet, Leiter had a new chance to live and breathe in a new environment and redefine himself. As a middle-reliever none the less. What am I getting at with this post? Well I think I read Pauly’s post about changing one’s game every once in a while when running bad or was it CJ. In any case, the point being, that sometimes you have to change your environment to get your groove back. I find that many people who only play one type of game get stuck and can’t find a way out. I say you should try a new game to get your mind off the losses at your solid game. You just need to switch gears sometimes and switching via a new game is what is needed from time to time. Who knows, you might even find that you enjoy the new game you have taken up…such as Omaha08 or Razz.

The reason being is that ego is a huge part of poker and there are many people who just can’t get away from one game because their ego won’t let them. They think they have mastered the game and thus should be able to beat it. I know, I know, everyone knows about variance and the mental games it plays with your game. But just like Al Leiter was ale to adjust to the middle reliever position, sometimes you might need to change your game to get yourself out of a mental rut.

Another thing you notice when Leiter is on the mound is EXPERIENCE, and there is no substitute for that. I once heard Johnny Chan say the best thing for a poker player to do is play live at a casino and get the feel of money in your pocket; it’s something one can’t do online.

In any case, I wanted to point out a small move the Leiter pulled last night that I thought was just fantastic. When he came out to pitch with a runner on, Leiter got Estrad to ground into a double play and end the 7th inning. Yet, there was a lot of experience on the mound and that made that play possible. Sure it was a simple roller to Jeter, but it was hit fast enough to turn the double, but Leiter let the ball go so Derek could turn two. If he would have cut it off and tried to turn the double himself, the double play ball may have not turned two not to mention it would have taken two long throws to turn the double, instead of a simple flip of the wrist.

Thus, know your instincts and let that control your game. Leiter knew when to let he ball go and let someone else deal with it. Just like when you are at the card table and know you are beat, don’t call down just to keep them honest. Why the hell would they check-raise you when a fourth heart hit? I don’t know, just something to think about.

Sorry for the ugly post. I’m sick as a dog.

posted by Joaquin "The Rooster" Ochoa @ 11:50 AM