Why I Play
Why do I play poker? Why would I risk my money, my dignity, or my future for a game? Questions like these arise all the time when I tell someone unfamiliar with poker, I enjoy playing competitive poker. They tell me I am too loose with my money, or may be too wayward to trust because I enjoy the occasional underground gambling. When people are unaware of what really happens at the table, they always imagine a dark, dirty cesspool of activity that is glorified by films and media that make back-room poker seem like a gateway to further illegal behaviors. These concepts and exaggerated beliefs are over played, and are not relatable to the poker games of most of America’s high school and college-aged players. While some games may be played in dimly lit basements, most poker environments are safe and comforting to those who find they are home when playing with their poker family. Through our play, my poker buddies and I became a closely-knit group who loved playing together and supporting each other over. Poker adopted certain characteristics of a team sport to us, and we bonded through our experiences. |
To me, poker is more than a game; poker creates a family through the bonds and relationships it forms. Through competition and mental sparring people divulge who they truly are at a poker table. While people try to cover their true emotions, it is how they mask themselves that a person can see into their underlying feels. Poker is an outlet of stress and creator of friendship. For everyone who disagrees with this observation, I invite him or her to play with a group of righteous peers and not feel a certain form of enlightenment or bond with the players you share this intimate experience with.
|