The young gunslinger was cocky and brash...he'd rode in to a guntown on Saturday night looking for a fight. ..he was pretty darn fast with his gun ... and with his mouth.
(entered a NL SNG, buy in $100 often, and liked to always see a flop with any 2 cards...figured he could outplay most anybody after the flop, by bluffing and often going all in... he'd do this against known good players especially.
They called him the BootHill Kid...nobody wanted to face him when he squared off against them, hand ready to draw his 45 ....the stakes were too high...so his intimidation and bullying worked very well. (he quickly got a lot of chips early in a tournament with all his stealing, and all in reraising...people were laying down top pair fearing sets, 2nd pairs, 2 pairs on flush or straight boards...)
Just before midnight, over in the corner was a silent stranger, nursing a sasparilla...keeping to himself. The Kid saw him and thought he'd pick on him too. The Kid started mouthing off how he was the best with a gun and half drunk with his own bullying ways, told the silent man to stand up and draw...thinking he'd cower, and once again bolster his own bad self image ego. (the Kid, after 2 limps, bet half his chip pile with a reraise, with his A2 off, not noticing one of the players who smooth called had a chip pile just as big, who'd gotten there by gradually building it up, being patient.)
The silent man stood up and squared off against the Kid, not waverieng, not blinking, ...his eyes looking right through the Kid, not saying a word...The Kid started to draw, figuring the man would back down...(the equally big chip pile player called with his AK...flop came KKK...the stranger after 3 seconds, checked ...the Boothill Kid went all in, thinking he'd once again take down the pot...
he got called...In less than 0.03 of a second, the silent stranger drew, and before the Kid had cleared leather, a 45 slug was entering his heart...the Kid had earned his name, as tomorrow they'd be digging his grave...he'd run into Bob Munden, the fastest gun that EVER lived.
Moral - don't bluff too much!! Especially early in a tournament. Only do it every now and then, in real good situations late in the tournament...bluffing too much destroys your patience and sooner or later, people are going to start looking you up, or you're going to run into a sure beat. Wild, early in the tournament bluffers who become early chip leaders, who keep playing that way, rarely make it to the final table.