Ways To Play Poker

Do You Play Or Do You Play To Win?

Roger was a fun player to have in the game. He was a big jolly guy who just loved to play poker. We called him Roger Funbucks. The game always picked up when he sat down. He would stay with the most incredible cards from any position. Trying to put him on a hand was like throwing rocks at the moon. Roger Funbucks played each hand to the end, saying, "You have to give those cards a chance." Roger played to play. He made a good deal of money on his job and he worked hard. So when he came to play, he played. He would throw off three to four hundred and get up and leave. As I said, we loved it when he came to play.

Winning Is My Goal

If you feel that way about poker, terrific. One hundred one ways to win. I have absolutely no objection to anyone who wants to make poker a fun experience. However, I have more fun when I win. So winning is my goal, so that I can have fun. And then I also have fun with the money I win. A double bonus. Fun to win and fun with the money. What a deal, right? The lifeblood of any game are the players who are not too' worried about doing the homework required to win. Those are the guys I am nice to. They support my habit of buying good clothes. Sure, I know it takes energy and focus to learn this game so that either the money lasts longer or, so help me Myrtle, I become a winner in the long term. I think it had something to do with the fact that there used to be machines at these locations.

An Example Of A Player

Who has gone from being a recreation player who threw off his money to one who consistently wins was Frank. We all loved Frank in the old days. He took his teamster wages and deposited them at the green felt. He played seven of ten hands, he played all right, he drew to long shots and once in a while he actually left winners. I don't know when he woke up and smelled the caffeine, but one day I noticed he only played once or twice a round. When he played to end, he showed down a quality hand that usually won the pot. "What the hell happened to Frank?" we started to ask. What used to be a donator had become a shark. He was taking money instead of contributing. Who the hell did he think he was anyway?
Frank told me that he just got fed up with playing for recreation and giving away his money. He wanted to have more bang for his buck, and he ended up being a winning player. From sucker to success.
I think it boils down to the choice we make as to what we want out of the game. Are we willing to pay the price of conquest, or do we just want to have some fun, spend a little and go home? After all, it costs money to take your wife out to dinner, to see the opera, to watch the Rams play poker. Why not have some fun at a little game of chance? Everything costs money, so why should anyone object to the price of admission? And once in a while you will hit a lick and leave winners. God bless, I say. Either way is fine. Just. make your choice. Play to play or play to win. Your choice. America is a great country.