The state of poker

November 6, 2007 | 09:12PM  | maudie dot b - gmail d c | |

I wish I had a clue in regard to the title of this post. From the time the UIGEA's torpedo sunk the USS Online Poker, it just doesn't seem like we'll ever again see the surge and excitement we all enjoyed in the Party Poker hey-day. Geeze, I miss those times. Sorta.

I'm one of the fortunate ones, in that my state finally took the corn-cob out of its ass and passed a lottery law that, as a by-product, allowed table games - such as poker - just in time for the boom. I just have to travel down the road a couple of miles to satisfy my poker jones. I really feel for folks who don't have that luxury. Plus, with what I'm reading from the G-Vegas crew and F-Train up in the Big Apple - holy cow, I wouldn't dream of joining an underground game right now.

I have zero faith in the movers and shakers to get anything going our way in Washington. Any glimmer of hope I might have had disappeared months ago...

Depressing, huh? Well, maybe not.

I had a big light bulb moment when I finally acknowledged my considerable lack of success at the poker table. For the past four years, I've attempted to be a Serious Poker Player™. Like every poker blogger out there, I read every poker book, bought the tracking software, analyzed my game, managed A Bankroll (it's hard not to titter at that one). I've cursed the fish and felt smugly superior to the average Joe sitting next to me at the table. Don't "tsk, tsk" me - you've done it, too.

Here's the thing, friends. The reality is I'm just a gal who likes to play cards. I kinda lost touch with that fact. It got buried under a whole lot of frustration about not "winning." Not being a "successful" player. When I acknowledged that little fact, it was like my fever broke. The poker fever, if you will.

You see, I think we've all been trying to be the players we've read about, the rounders, the Texas circuit boys, the Vegas pros. Some of us have that talent and have successfully stepped into that arena, but I'd venture to say that the vast majority of us are just folks who like to play cards.

So, I'll leave you with this to ponder - especially the next time you throw your keyboard across a room or wanna beat to a pulp that dork at the end of the table who hits his one outers hand after hand - is all that sturm und drang really worth it?