Rule 6: It's important that a player starts seeing...

It's important that a player starts seeing «staying too long on marginal hands» as where the money goes. This is a rule for less experienced players, but even long-time players are guilty of this at times. And make no mistake, this is where the money goes. It's where the actual leakage takes place. In fact, it's a money «leak» of such proportions that it can bring down the entire rest of our game – a major avenue of seepage. If this were a house and we were looking for thermal-heating leaks, it would be the equivalent of having the front door open.

A good deal of the money lost in poker games is lost when players continue past the point in a hand when they should be out. Yet they are still in, still hoping for a miracle, still «donating». Not only is this «where the money goes», it is also where the winners get most of their money «from». The money that «fuels» most low-level poker games comes from this source.