Poker News

George Epstein

In the January 12, 2004, issue of Poker Player, I commented on a recent column by Oklahoma Johnny Hale in which he had expressed his opinion that “senior poker players are really not playing . . . to win money. They are playing for the fun and/or sociability of the game.” I had disagreed with that statement. And OK Johnny replied in his column. But something he said made me think: Why do we really play poker?

OK Johnny pointed out that you aren’t likely to make much money playing poker unless you play in high-stakes games. By far the majority of poker players, seniors and otherwise, play in low- and middlelimit games. It’s generally accepted that you do well to “earn” one big bet per hour of play. So, in a $5 - $10 game, you can expect to win about $10 per hour on the average. That’s about minimum wage these days. In a $3 - $6 game you will “earn” less than minimum wage. OK Johnny also pointed out, properly, that the rake and tips to dealers will cost you about $10 per hour - sort of an overhead or price of admission. That’s an additional amount you have to win to come out ahead.

Clearly, if winning money were our sole objective, we would be much better off to spend that time on a job of almost any kind. So, why do we really play poker?

Winnings: A Way to Keep Score. Actually, I believe the amount you win is simply a way to keep score. The more $$$ you take away from the poker room, the more successful you are - and the more enjoyable — the more fun - is that poker experience. . .

The Thrill of Winning. As noted in my poker book, there is also the thrill of winning, the sheer excitement and satisfaction that comes from succeeding in an endeavor in which you are involved - whether it’s playing poker or “investing” in real estate or the stock market, or competing on the tennis court. “Accept a challenge and make it work for you.”

If I were a psychologist (instead of an engineer), I would say that within each of us is the desire - perhaps the need - to be successful in our endeavors. This gives us self-esteem; we can hold our heads up high and “feel good” about ourselves. There is contentment; a deep sense of satisfaction. We dared to take a challenge and succeeded! It paid off. The greater the degree of success - or the amount of $$$ won at the poker table - the better we “feel” about ourselves.

Watch a winner as he prepares to leave the poker table: He is smiling, walking tall, and cheerful. Contrast that with the player who just went broke: sad, dejected, unhappy; he may even be angry with himself or even with that xx##// dealer who treated him so badly. He slouches down, shoulders drooping, and avoids looking at the other players. Or perhaps he rushes off in anger. Sound familiar?

Yes, I would opine that, as a reason for playingpoker, the psychological “feel-good” aspect is at least equally important as winning $$$. So what’s your opinion?

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