| Machismo is defined by Wikipedia as "a | | | | this. |
| prominently exhibited or excessive | | | | |
| masculinity." This expression is naturally | | | | Getting personal about blinds and weak hands. |
| associated with men, but as a dominant aspect | | | | Once a good player figures out the macho |
| of human culture, some women have adopted its | | | | pattern and starts attacking, machos get |
| traits. When playing poker, both women and | | | | offended and the personal drama starts, |
| men can suffer if they apply a prominently | | | | insulting others or complaining of unfair |
| macho strategy, which is not advisable. | | | | dealing. |
| | | | |
| "Macho" poker stands on a basis of a few | | | | Challenging players for heads-up matches. |
| commandments, here described by author and | | | | This is the most violent action you can |
| player Alan Schoonmaker: | | | | propose in a poker game. What follows is a |
| | | | duel against a cooler-headed player which may |
| - "You must have enough confidence in your | | | | include a display of fancy moves that will |
| judgment to act decisively. | | | | ultimately put the macho's money in the hands |
| | | | of the other player. |
| - You must take stands to prevent aggressive | | | | |
| players from running over you. | | | | Taking revenge. The thirst for making others |
| | | | suffer in a poker game usually blinds macho |
| - You must bet and raise to protect your | | | | players to their own mistakes, leaving them |
| hands and get the full value from them. | | | | broke more often than not. |
| | | | |
| - You must have enough cockiness to create a | | | | Playing expert or big brother. Machos |
| strong image." | | | | stimulate their ego with criticism or |
| | | | lectures to other players, but what they are |
| However, some players have taken those poker | | | | really doing is scaring the fish away or |
| principles too far, and instead of increasing | | | | educating them, both bad strategies. |
| their bankroll, they harm it. Shoonmaker | | | | |
| lists some dangers of poker machismo that can | | | | Hiding their failures. A typical macho act is |
| leave players (both male and female) | | | | covering their messes to protect their ego; |
| empty-handed. | | | | what they don't understand is they are not |
| | | | letting themselves look at their mistakes and |
| Playing unaffordable games. A characteristic | | | | learning from them. |
| of machismo is having something to prove all | | | | |
| the time. This ego-driven energy makes some | | | | Schoonmaker has some recommendations for |
| players get involved in poker games they | | | | macho players who are now suffering from |
| cannot afford financially or psychologically, | | | | their actions and ready to make a change: |
| which results in devastating loses and no | | | | |
| learning experiences. | | | | 1- Show people what a wonder you are at |
| | | | places other than casinos, where it will not |
| Attempting to beat more powerful opponents. | | | | only cost you your dignity but also your |
| An innate trait of machos is the fact that | | | | money. |
| thy cannot accept the existence of players | | | | |
| better than themselves. Machos try to prove | | | | 2- Catch your destructive ego-tripping by |
| they are always better than everybody else, | | | | thinking about the reasons why you engage in |
| which more than often results in humiliation | | | | any of the previously discussed behaviours: |
| when they have to empty their pockets to | | | | most of the time you will discover you have |
| their "inferior" opponents. | | | | wrong reasons for acting a certain way and |
| | | | you can actually start changing your macho |
| Playing bad hands. Some macho players think | | | | ways. |
| they can just play any hand by bluffing and | | | | |
| expect a good result, which is a fallacy, | | | | 3- Focus on learning from others rather than |
| since good players only risk their funds when | | | | on showing off or getting others to admire |
| they have a large edge, not a large ego. | | | | you; poker is about money, not people. |
| | | | |
| Overplaying bad hands. A macho way of kicking | | | | Machismo is definitely not the best path for |
| it up a notch is proving they are big | | | | anybody; it can only assure to maintain |
| gamblers when they have a bad hand, which | | | | personal insecurities and ignorance in |
| sets them up as ideal victims for good | | | | people's relationship with gender as well as |
| players who notice and take advantage of | | | | in their relationship with poker. |