When I find a game that I like to play I tend to approach it with intensity. I don't back down. I don't pretend to lose to make my opponent feel better about themself. There are plenty of other hobbies that exist to achieve self-worth.
If someone would've told me a few years ago that I would be playing Texas Hold'em on a regular basis, I would've laughed, not because the game itself is not worthy of my time, but because I don't like to gamble. I heard enough horror stories of people losing fortunes over gambling to keep me out of that lifestyle.
It started with the poker boom of 2003, when an amature poker player named Chris Moneymaker (yes, that's his real name) won 2.5 million dollars in the WSOP Main Event. Hold'em was televised regularly on ESPN, and I started to watch, interested in the rules and somewhat confused with the terminology being tossed around.
It took numerous invitations for me to finally give in and play a game for money with my friends. Like I said, I don't like to gamble, but playing for money is the only way to play poker. It gives players incentive not only to play the game, but to take it seriously.
I lost in that first game, but I was already hooked. I had to learn more. I had to become a winner. Enter online poker into the scene.
There aer numerous advantages of playing online poker. You can play at any time. The games play faster, allowing more hands to be played. There are games available with buy-ins as low as 2 cents. Multiple games can be played simultaneously. Playing online is where I really started learning the game on a higher level.
I eventually became a winning player. Of course, I had to lose a little and learn my lessons the hard way. Indeed, playing poker is a gamble, and an important lesson to learn is how to manage a bankroll. A player who properly manages their bankroll should be able to keep playing without losing any money in the long run.
What I enjoy most about Texas Hold'em is its balance and ability to host as many players as can be accomodated. Most card games have a maximum limit of 4 players, whereas Texas Hold'em is limitless, granted you have enough room, chips and cards to meet the demand. My weekly home games have averaged around 15 players over the past couple of months. For someone who's competitive like me, it's a dream come true. The money doesn't mean anything to me. Well, maybe it does a little...
