Poker Chips (part 1)

There is something to be said for experience, even though all the wisdom and practice one can possibly gain will never equal half of what life has to offer. Whether it's a malfunction in human capability or a deficiency in man's capacity, the fact remains the same.

Still, there's something to be said for experience, and that's about all I have to rely on now. I've been told that I have what's called 'big game experience', unfortunately big is relative. The problem was clear from the start; I know I'm in for a long night, and I have a lot more money to lose. Possibly gain, but almost certainly lose.

And here I thought I knew what pressure was...

This is the gambler's curse. Well, part of it anyway. Even though I'm unsure, even though I'm convinced that I can't win, there's still that slim chance. That little piece of hope is all it takes to risk the loss. The gambling man lives for that risk. Adrenaline junkies by nature, we love the thrill of putting everything into Fate's fumbling hands, on a simple turn of the cards. 'All or nothing,' becomes life's mantra.

There are a multitude of tricks, palms, slips, and cheats that can guarantee your victory in poker and I know all of them. Most are easy enough sleight-of-hand maneuvers, or other magician's table card tricks, all of which are nothing but giveaways for beginners. There are a few more advanced tactics undetectable by the human eye, but here and now, none of that matters.

Most of the other guys left already, leaving only myself and two others at the table, and these two were players. Fast company. And you just don't pull tricks in fast company. Fast company is quick enough to catch you and that can get you hurt, in some circles that can get you dead. Following the tradition of my luck, this is one of those circles.

Poker's a game built to test a man's nerves, and everybody has their own way of releasing the pressure that builds, they sometimes call it luck. Personally, I do this weird little thing where I push all of that unsettling energy out of my hands and into those tiny, round chips. I somehow force them and not the cards to represent the embodiment of luck in my mind, and only then can I relax enough to play. I really can't explain why so don't ask.

I've wisely folded my current hand; I'm just too unsure about one of my opponents. On the outside this is a game of hard drinks, cigar smoke, crude jokes, and a fragile camaraderie, but there is no friendship here. A man after your money is a man not to be trusted, and one should always be able to trust their friends.

The man to the left of me is a Stonehenge. He has no need for sunglasses or baseball caps because his face hasn't changed expressions - win or lose - since we started. As far as I can see he has no tells, unlike the man to my right. Even his high-collared jacket and thin rimmed glasses can't protect him. He's excited about what he's holding. He's trying to keep it in and it's exposing him, as his eyes dart back and forth to those circular plastic jewels piled high in the middle of the table. I'm certainly no pro but even I can see what's coming. He is far too confident in this situation and he's about to be gutted like a fish, poor bastard.

Sure enough, Stonehenge baits the hook by going all in and the fish bites. I almost can't watch. It's so much easier to take big risks when playing with chips. In their uniform, multi-colored stacks they're easier to lose than currency because a little represents a lot in terms of dollars. For example, Mr. Right agrees to the all or nothing bid and slides his last twenty-five blue chips into the middle of the table, something he might not have been apt to do if he had to deal with the $5,000 in cash each chip represented. $125,000 is enough cold green to make any sane person think twice. Two pair and a half dozen obscenities later and a fool learns a lesson the hard way to a full house, jacks over nines. Next time he'll think twice before he tries to bluff a half-hand for big money, but probably not. Some gamblers can never learn.

It's now down to me and stoneface and it's my deal.






(Keep checkin back for part two, coming soon)