Poker (for the Strong Minded only)

Poker is one of my biggest passions and frustrations in life. Quite honestly, I have a love- hate relationship with the game. I am fascinated and consumed by it, yet oftentimes rue the day i learned to play it. The suck outs, the bad beats, the trap hands, it's enough to drive a sane man (or woman) mad. The losing streaks make you want to lock yourself up in your room and bawl for days. Yet the sweetness of taking down a monster pot when you have the nuts is incomparable... Joie de Vivre (the joy of living!). Or pealing your hole cards and seeing American Airlines at your fingertips.. your heart skips a beat just like the first time you met your significant other.

Poker is such a simple game to play. Yet there are so many complexities that come with playing poker WELL. It is easy to become a poker player, but extremely difficult to become a GREAT one. To be able to execute a well-timed bluff, to accurately reading your opponent's hand, to be able to call a river bet with only ace high, now that is an ART. Watching a great poker player, such as Phil Ivey or Daniel Negreanu, on the felt is like watching Da Vinci paint the Sistine Chapel or sculpt Michaelangelo. It is a masterpiece at work.

Contrary to popular belief, poker is not merely a game for hot-blooded young men with the above-average bluffing skills. It takes an extremely intelligent person- with a strong mind and willpower- to become a successful poker play. They often say that luck plays a big factor in poker. But so does aggression, analytical skills, instincts and courage.

I believe that how you play poker reflects how you are in real life. Are you strong or weak? Timid or aggressive? Patient or trigger happy? Do you like to gamble and take chances or are you cautious and guarded? All the choices you make on the felt can be seen in the choices you make in life. The key to playing poker well is being able to read the situation clearly and benefiting from it as much as you can- maximize your wins and minimize your loss. Just as in life, we strive to become successful, to attain our goals and learn from our mistakes.

This blog is the start of my writing career as a novice poker player (with high aspirations), a certified world traveler (a nomad that lives out of her rollerbag), and a junkie of life experiences (with the infinite drama-dies that come with the everyday life of a social butterfly).