I've been called a lot of things. I've been called lazy, loose, crazy, lucky, and an incredible pickleball player. But I can't think of too many times in my life I've been called a nit.
But here we are.
Just this week, I was playing with a guy at the World Series of Poker. I was short-stacked and...well, I explain my reasoning in this video here. Watch that, and then I'll explain.
Is it bad to be a nit?
A nit is the poker player who treats chips like his late dad's baseball cards. He's holding onto them until you pry them from his quivering, aching hands.
A nit that person you're playing with who isn't splashing around like a bluegill on the bank. He is not mixing it up. He is not three-betting light because he probably watched a YouTube video at breakfast or something.
The nits you know fold hands most folks would at least think about playing. They wait. And wait. They sits there like a your grandma guarding her apple pie before dinner.
And then when your nit finally puts money in the pot, everyone within the nit zone screams, "I fold!"
In short, being called a nit isn't a compliment. In poker language, it means you are too cautious, and too unwilling to gamble. You only play premium hands. Here's the thing: Nobody says, “That guy is such a nit” with admiration in their voice. They say it like they are talking about someone who brings their mom to a bachelor party.
There are worse things than being a nit
Nits aren't always wrong.
Nits can survive. Nits are people who buy flood insurance before it rains and then cash in. Nits are boring, but they can win. Watch the people who mock nits right before they punt their buy-in with jack-high. It's fun!
But don't get too nitty unless you enjoy having your lunch money stolen every day.
And for the record: Chris Moneymaker isn't a damned nit.
Featured image courtesy of the WSOP.
