Too Old for Excuses
Ashley Adams
Today’s my 50th birthday. I’m old enough for the seniors poker circuit for the first time. It’s hard to believe.
I received two birthday cards (at least so far). Each has to do with poker-in a way.
The first was from my mother. It was one of those modern cards that sings a song when you open it up. On the front it said “Happy Birthday-Another Year Older.” On the inside it said “And You’re Hotter than Ever.” The card played Ring of Fire by Johnny Cash.
Come to think of it, that’s kind of a strange card to get from my mother. But that aside, playing poker is often like that song Ring of Fire by Johnny Cash. He’s writing about the heat and danger of falling in love. But the parallels to poker are obvious. Instead of the consuming flames of love, in poker, flames of action seduce and then surround us. They are compelling. And they can be deadly too as they lick at our stack. We need to keep our heads not to be seduced and burned in the process.
The key is to decide on action based on our independent judgment-not to be induced into a fiery battle based on what others are doing or saying. Many otherwise good poker players lose themselves into this burning ring as it rises up around them-burning right through their bankroll. How much better to be the one lighting other people’s wallets.
The second card was from my eldest daughter Rebecca, the poker player and dealer. Her card had a picture of a dog on the cover reading the newspaper. The caption was “HEADLINE NEWS! Age 50 Now Officially Declared Old Enough to Know Better.” The inside of the card said, “You just lost your last good excuse!”
We poker players do tend to rely on excuses from time to time, though excessive youth is one seldom heard these days, that’s for sure. But there are many others. How many times have you heard players explaining their losing session by mentioning how long they had played? Or they justify, somehow, their bad play, by noting that they are on tilt from a bad beat, or playing with “other people’s money” or they’re drunk, or they’re just biding their time until a seat in the bigger game opens up.
We should all learn to lose our good excuses. If you’re on tilt because of some bad beat, walk away from the table. If you can’t handle the distractions of a public poker room-if the action is too fast or aggressive-don’t stay and complain about it. Just stop playing. If you’re stressed out, drunk, tired, or otherwise distracted, do something else. Don’t use it as an explanation for your loss.
In poker, we are always old enough to know better. I’m just starting to wonder if there is an age after which it gets harder to concentrate, focus, and play at my aggressive best. What, after all, is the point of a senior’s event in major poker tournaments? In a way it’s insulting. Are the organizers implying that, as in golf, track and field, or tennis, those of us who are over fifty are not able to compete on the same level as the youngsters?
In my opinion, getting older is not in and of itself either an advantage or a disadvantage. Depending on ones perspective, like just about anything else at the poker table, it can either be an excuse or an opportunity. I choose to use it as an opportunity. Now, with all of the AARP travel and hotel discounts I’m eligible for, I’ll be able to travel to more poker tournaments.
Filed under: Poker News