Annie Duke on “The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson”

Was up late last night following the WCOOP on PokerStars (discussed yesterday). Yes, we Americans can at least follow it, although I’ve heard some have had trouble even downloading the client to do so.

Since I was up anyway, I found myself watching some late night television as well. Looked in on the U.S. Open some, surprised to see that Roger Federer match start just before midnight. I also did a little channel surfing and ended up catching Annie Duke’s guest spot over on “The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson.”

I don’t watch Ferguson’s show regularly, but have enjoyed it well enough whenever I do. He seems to have that love of absurdity and non sequitur that works well sometimes in the absurd, non-sequential format of late night talk shows. I did take note a few months back when Ferguson devoted much of his opening monologue to discussing poker and Black Friday, something I wrote about a little in one of my “Community Cards” columns over on the Epic Poker site.

Duke appeared near the show’s conclusion, her visit only lasting 5-6 minutes or so. They began by asking each other “How are you?” and when Ferguson said he was was “very well” he then asked Duke if she knew whether he were telling the truth or not. That led to some initial small talk about reading people’s faces at the poker table.

Later they’d revisit the topic of tells, with Duke mentioning how licking or pursing one’s lips is supposed to be an indication that one was lying.

“Or coming onto you!” answered Ferguson.

They discussed how players often wear sunglasses or hoodies to help hide their expressions. When Duke mentioned how players wearing hoodies resemble the Unabomber, the crowd laughed, indicating how most people don’t think about Phil Laak as much as some of us might.

They only talked briefly about the Epic Poker League. Was interesting how when the league was brought up Ferguson noted “I thought poker became illegal or something.” “Only online,” Duke explained. Seemed to me that Ferguson was making the comment with tongue partly in cheek, knowing full well that poker isn't (utterly) illegal. I think it was also pretty clear that Ferguson was referring primarily to Black Friday -- which he talked about at length in that monologue last spring -- and that in her response Duke was simply clarifying that what happened in April did not concern live poker or the EPL.

They then spoke a little about Decide to Play Great Poker, the book she has co-authored with John Vorhaus.

"It's kind of complicated," Ferguson said after about a half-minute of strategy talk. "I kind of like playing cards, but I don't have patience to learn," he added, putting the book down as he did.

There was a little about Duke’s four children, with Ferguson asking if they played poker (no). Then Ferguson ended things by having Duke play a game I’ve seen him do with other guests, although I think the latter choice is a new option: “Awkward Pause, Mouth Organ, or Touch My Glittery Ball.”

Duke chose “Mouth Organ” -- an easy opening for various innuendo (“Which end do I blow?”) -- and the pair played harmonica together before saying good night.

A brief glimpse of poker in the cultural “mainstream,” then -- if we want to identify Ferguson’s show (airing at 12:35 a.m. Eastern time) as such. I suppose we could spend some time reading into it, talking about how poker was presented -- as vaguely illicit, as “complicated,” as a training ground for better reading others’ sincerity -- although doing so would probably be making more of it than was really there.

Still, it’s always interesting to see how poker gets discussed and presented in such contexts. Today many in the poker world will be looking to see how goes that second EPL main event which starts a little under a half-hour from now. There’s a much larger world, though, in which poker signifies all sorts of things of which we often make little note.

The Limpede

I’ve begun reading Annie Duke and John Vorhaus’ new strategy text, Decide to Play Great Poker. Have completed the first of the book’s three parts, the one dealing with “Pre-Game and Pre-Flop Play.” Next up (“Play on the Flop”) is a lengthy part full of chapters concerning how to proceed following various flops/scenarios. Then comes the final part (“The Rest of It”) which looks like it focuses on some river situations and “Other Matters” including reviewing some additional concepts plus a last chapter on bankroll management.

There’s a term used in the first part, one I believe Vorhaus employed in his earlier Killer Poker books though I don’t know who deserves credit for coining it. Kind of sounds like a Tommy Angelo-type neologism, in fact, although like I say I’m not sure where it originated.

The term is “limpede” and refers to that scenario that sometimes occurs in no-limit hold’em in which a player limps in from early or middle position, thereby encouraging others to limp behind as well, thus creating a stampede of limpers or a “limpede.”

It’s a funny-sounding word. The sound of the word -- as well as the behavior to which it refers -- kind of makes me think of “lemmings,” too. And the scenario to which it refers is common enough that it probably represents a concept worth knowing about.

It does happen. Limping up front will sometimes encourage limpers all around. And I suppose you might say that whenever you have a bunch of limpers seeing a flop, any hand is likely to be “run over” by the herd. (Thus is limping with a premium hand up front generally not recommended.) Of course, sometimes amid all the limping it will happen that a player -- having been dealt a real hand and/or correctly sensing weakness all around -- will instead raise and (often) scatter the lot.

Been thinking further about this idea of the “limpede” and how it applies outside of poker. Kind of recalls those terrible stories from introductory psychology about the so-called “bystander effect.” You remember those? A violent crime is committed with numerous witnesses, yet no one intervenes or calls the police, the presence of others (also passively resisting any action) weirdly keeping everyone from acting.

Joining the “limpede” could be said to satisfy many desires -- to “play along” or participate in a non-conspicuous way, to avoid upsetting the status quo, to belong. Can be a powerful, highly influential force, as readily evidenced in politics and government, the business world, and elsewhere.

In other words, it’s hard sometimes for us to resist the urge just to follow along. But we must. Or rather, I must. You can do whatever.