Poker is Life

Let's be honest, poker is not cool. Poker is not sexy. The real poker world, dudes who consider poker their 9-5, "a hard way to make an easy living," folk are losers. There exist two demographics who can own up to this "super-cool" lifestyle. #1) The I-used-to-be-an-office-analytical-grinder-for-the-man-but-now-Im-a-professional-poker-player-midforties-guy and #2) the I-could-have-graduated-college-or-graduated-college-with-a-psychology-compsci-math-stats-music-science-degree-and-taken-a-real-job-but-i-make-way-more-money-playing-poker-midtwenties-something. Thats the demographic, and thats it. And I'm right about that, trust me. Those are the only two demographics that experience some success at least. If you define success as making the same amount of money as a mid-level manager at a regular job but have no credit, community, benefits, people to trust, good friends, love, or laughter in their life, then these poker players truly are living the American Dream. Congrats.

Take a moment and consider what it means to be a professional poker player. The poker literature and rhetoric found in your local book store or gift shop advocates the importance of game selection. In other words, if you can't spot the sucker in the first thirty minutes at the table, then you are the sucker. Good advice for anything I suppose. If you can't make a layup you don't challenge Lebron to a game of HORSE. Especially for money. Especially for money you don't have and can't afford to lose. However, if you read between the lines, what such advice is actually saying is this: Exploit drunk tourists, degenerate problem Asian gamblers, manic depressives, and uneducated blue-collar salt-of-the-earth workers. Thanks for contributing to society gentleman. Well done. Philanthropy at its finest. Poker is life, and your life is meaningless.