Grinder

Posted by wynn on Mar 9, 2010 in Rounders | 0 comments

[This post is part of my series on Mike McDermott quotes from the movie Rounders]

“Guys around here will tell you, you play for a living; it’s like any other job. You don’t gamble. You grind it out. Your goal is to win one big bet an hour. That’s it. Get your money in when you have the best of it. Protect it when you don’t. Don’t give anything away. A true grinder.”

This means playing very few hands. Hand selection and position are important to being a true grinder; a rounder. I play six hands an hour with the expectation I will fold five on the flop and win only one.

I particularly like the “you don’t gamble” part. I don’t chase gutshot straights, runner-runner flushes, or any other longshot. Those hands are not profitable over the long run.