Now's when we'd bet. You'd put somethin' down and I'd match it or, if I thought I was gonna win, go higher. In later rounds when you bet you can fold--or quit, basically. You can't win, but it keeps you from losin' too much money if you know you're gonna lose anyway. Best to play it safe, right?

[He smiles wryly.]

But it's better to avoid that possibility in the first place and only play people you know you can beat. You learn to pick those guys out of the crowd after a while.