Be Fair, But Firm

So what would you have done with David Williams's flopped full house?

We think he smooth-played it too much. Instead of checking, we would have put out at least a small bet right away. That would have allowed him to feel out the opponent's hand a bit -- and maybe scared him away. A bigger "I'm serious" bet would have come on the turn, after a little 3 showed up. (But we admittedly doubt that would have chased Sammy Farha off the pot.)

Ecclesiastes 3:8 declares there's "a time for war and a time for peace." With a big hand, it's time to go to battle -- but carefully, lest everyone else declare a time of peace and run their chips into hiding.

NBC's Ali Nejad is right when he talks about poker sometimes being unfair. Life is the same way, as President Jimmy Carter once said to a reporter. But that doesn't mean we shouldn't care about fairness.

Solomon wrote most of Proverbs, as well as Ecclesiastes. It was written in part "for acquiring a disciplined and prudent life, doing what is right and just and fair." (Prv. 1:3)

Be fair to others, and they might actually be fair in response to you. It's an offshoot of that famous "golden rule."