I still have the passion for the game of poker, but the thrill I initially experienced is gone and I see myself in a spot that only offers a certain time to play poker. It makes you soon realize how much you appreciate the game and all its aspects in a more reasonable and entertaining way. The vast majority of non professional poker players don’t exactly know why they play, it appears to be a hobby and distraction but is in no way serious or a sort of consistent income.
After all that is not a bad thing as long as you are reasonable enough and know why you play, yet many underestimate the socializing aspect that comes along with poker. It is easy to learn and takes a life time to master, but it also gives you the opportunity to virtually meet people from all over the world that share the same passion for this card game. Sometimes we love it, sometimes we hate it … but it always keeps us entertained, even though we might not like it.
I had the chance to meet some of my online poker friends in real life as well and can honestly say I didn’t admit anything, it was great and despite the fact that you barely seen them before you still feel a certain spirit and get the impression that you know the people for years already. Poker provides the ability to overcome the prejudices of gender, race, nationality and cultural differences and connects people from all over the world. Do you think you would have the opportunity to meet these people otherwise if you didn’t find them through poker?
If you have the chance to meet some of your poker friends in “real life” and not just on the virtual table, go for it because no matter what it gonna be a new and unique experience for you. I for one appreciate the moments and already look forward to next weekend when I will meet some of them at the United Kingdom for drinks, lots of fun and banter and of course poker. I made some lifetime friendships through this game and still remember the first careful steps when I was about to meet them the first time.
The love and hate relationship with this game doesn’t stop when you leave the poker table, it provides a lot of reason and experiences that you want to share with others who have the same passion. It is not so much about bragging, more the fact that you want to share the passion and gather feedback – sure some also enjoy the attention that comes along with it, but after all it’s up to each person what they make out of it. If you stay honest with yourself, you can barely go wrong.
There is one thing that you should keep in mind if you are involved in a discussion about poker. The other person involved may not have the same experience and understanding, might not even speak your language properly because he / she is from the other end of the world. But this doesn’t matter at all, because you know the language of poker and this unites everyone. Where others would raise their eyebrow when looking at some weird abbreviations, you know exactly what it means and there is no further explanation required.
If you post something poker related in an open discussion, do not expect that everyone will agree with you. After all you get the feedback you want and asked for and have to deal with the “consequences” in a reasonable and respectful way. We are all far from perfect and may react emotionally when we don’t agree, that is part of our nature and will always be the case. But just think twice before you go ahead and do the first thing that comes to your mind, would you want to get treated that very same way as well?
Poker is not just a game, it is by far more than cards and flop, turn or river. Poker is a passion and it never stops fascinating us, it is an entertaining experience and may also result in an emotional rollercoaster. But is that really a bad thing? I like the game for the variety and the opportunities and even though it lost a bit of thrill (mainly because I can’t dedicate as much time to it as I used to), I still appreciate it and am thankful that I can experience it the way it is.
Best of luck on and off the tables.
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