"Elements of Poker"

I have made many wrong turns in my life. And I don't mean metaphorically. I mean in my car. I'll be driving along, and my mind will be elsewhere, or I'll be talking, and I'll just drive right by the place I intended to turn. And I might not notice it for a while. I have made so many wrong turns that I am no longer miffed when it happens. Passengers are surprised by how unsurprised I am after I make a wrong turn. They'll be like, "Dude, we just lost half an hour because you're an idiot. Do the right thing here and show us a little shame!"

What am I supposed to do? Act like I'm mad at myself? For the sake of others?

The same thing happens at the poker table. Like the time I was playing in a game with $10/$20 blinds, two players limped, the small blind completed, and I checked in the big blind with 72o. The flop was A-Q-J rainbow, and everyone checked. The turn was a fourth-suit king, and everyone checked again. The river was a ten, putting an ace-high straight on board that I didn't see because I was busy ordering food from the waitress. We all checked again. They checked because we all had the nuts. I checked because I thought I had seven-high. When the last guy checked on the river, that made me first to show, and with no hope to win, I just mucked. The dealer started to split the pot three ways and that's when I noticed my mistake. The total pot was $80 which means I cost myself $20 by ordering a $10 meal. A couple of guys were snickering. Oh well. Wrong turn. "Elements of Poker," by Tommy Angelo

Good stuff. Tommy's Poker Articles are classic.