Hi. Come on in. Let's lift weights while we speak of poker. There are several items that I want to get out of my "notes" box.

Sayings that I hear at the poker table that I never want to hear you say: (Notice that they all begin with, "Well …")

"Well, I've gone this far, I might as well go the rest of the way."

"Well, someone has to keep him honest."

"Well, I had a straight; I couldn't just throw it away. Both of those guys could have been bluffing."

"Well, I know you have me beat, but I'll call anyway."

See if you can top this story: While playing seven-card stud, what is the highest low card with which you have ever had to make the third-street forced low-card bet? For me, it was the A. How is that possible, you cry out – the A forced low? (Remember, this is a game in which the lowest card is forced to open.)

The more astute among you have already figured it out. I was playing in a shorthanded game – there was a total of four players. On the hand under discussion, each player was dealt an ace for his upcard on third street. Clubs are low, and I was it.

We chatted about the odds of such an occurrence happening during a lifetime of poker, which was fun, and then we got back to playing. (I won the hand, but don't remember how – lucky for you.)

Ready for another of Roy's Rules? Always – yes, always – have enough money or chips on the table to play a hand all the way through to the end.

I was reminded of this rule when a guy at my table went all in three times. Each time, he won the "main" pot, but got no part of the side pot, which was larger in each case. So, it cost him a lot of money.

Don't play with short money on the table.

Another note, with a question – and hopefully an answer: Why do bad players so consistently call third-street raises in seven-card stud without having strength of their own? Answer: Because they don't know why you are raising. They can think of no earthly reason why you'd be raising with only three cards. So, it must be a whim or a mistake, or you're just being mean and ruining the game. (As a novice player, that was exactly my thinking.) They wouldn't raise on third street so it never enters their minds that you would have a logical reason for such action. Here's another answer: They didn't travel 2,000 miles to fold. They came to play.

Bless those bad players: Bless them all, each and every one – and also bless their wins. If they didn't win occasionally, they would soon stop playing. Then, you'd have to butt heads every day with only the other good players. What a bummer that would be.

Bad players, good players, winning players, losing players: Here's an opinion, expressed in numbers: No matter how badly you play, you'll win about 20 percent of your sessions. No matter how well you play, you'll lose about 20 percent of your sessions. This comes from the fall of the cards. It's that other 60 percent of your sessions where your skill comes into play and increases your number of wins. (Amazing – hold your applause, please.)

Another note and another question: Why is it so much easier to put a player on a hand when you're not involved in that hand? You might have noticed that your accuracy rate at judging a player's hand is higher when you are just watching, and when you're involved, it becomes tougher to read his holding. For the most part, that's because when you're not in a hand, your mind is relaxed and free to roam among the possibilities. But when you are involved in a hand, your mind is a maze of activity, as well as emotional involvement. After all, your money, your reputation, and your ego are on the line. With that turmoil of activity whizzing around in your head, it's easier to overlook something as you consciously scan the play of a hand. When you're out of a hand, your mind is relaxed and you pick up more information, especially on a subconscious level.

Now, I need a nap after all of this weightlifting. Kill the light on your way out.

Editor's note: Roy West, author of the bestseller 7 Card Stud, the Complete Course in Winning, available from Card Player, continues to give his successful poker lessons in Las Vegas to both tourists and locals. Ladies are welcome.