Poker is life. It makes people look at a person and the particular situation at hand. It asks you to call on all of your resources. Your logic is weighing every if and or but.
Thirty-five hands ago he mad a a breath just it that; a short whiff through his noise as he lifted his head by a few degrees what is he thinking why does he do that. Am I even aware that I am thinking this? Six books of common tells fly through your had at once, so yeah I am aware. Is this logic or instinct at this speed though? Should you hold him to that or just let it go? There is something inside you saying don't let him do that! What is he holding his breath for? You can be sure that no one but you is on your side. He has his self interest in mind. With a rush of sudden clarity that comes sometimes when you just know you can win this hand. You know he read it on you. You had missed your flush and he wisely made the play that you had to fold against, but he held his breath just for a second and you knew that there was still fear there, it gave him away, as he thought had has to fold....(pausing breath) but what if he doesn't?? As you go for your chips you get the confirmation you need. He leans back in his chair exhaling. Your ace plays and he is ready to leave.
For some people it is the only time they stop to notice all the details in the world. There is only one thing that can give me such a rush. It is not love, fear, victory, or another emoticon it is all of them all at once, cards is the only situation in my life where I have to face all of then and make a choice and the outcome at times will change someones life.
You realize whats at stake when you play cards when you log on to your favorite site. To play your favorite game, and you hear the "bloop" of a message sent. Oh sweet its that guy, he must be rich as hell, "Hey do you really want to get beat again." I say goating him into a game. I just get a reply, "He can't play he is dead. This is his wife. You killed him."
I have never had to think and weigh so many things as when I play poker, you relay can learn a lot about life. Every now and then you lose a hand because you human. It is not charity you folded for you. You could tell he needed that bad. Perhaps his kid or wife is sick and that is who he held his breath for. You saw the win but you knew that he need to win that and you were right he got up and left. He deserved it too he played pretty perfect.
You don't always win at poker by winning the hand. You have to weigh everything and you may have even just got played you think to yourself. If you made that call you didn't really need that money and you still got a stack you didn't call. You may have saved him or he may be way better at cards then you think. But really with out cards all I would have to do is stare at a wall and blink. Sometimes card players relate a lot of things to cards. It is the only thing that makes them think. When it is pretty much what you do poker really is life and you learn a lot about people as you fight to stay alive; quite literally you sometimes learn.
If you see a really good play and you don't need the money. If you think your that good that you give people the win. Some times it is a lot more then money at stake. You feel like you won when you see them get up and walk away. If you were wrong they would have stayed to play some more. They needed that. Poker could be life to him too. Some times the only way to win is to see things so deep for that hand you see to you that money is just a score to you. He needs it sometimes wining is how everyone loses, its is not winning, I guess it depends on what winning is to you. You can kill people with cards and if you blame them for that I say your a killer and you have no heart. To truly be a great card player you play the man and sometimes you simply understand them, so you both win. They could have just asked, maybe I'm too kind, but it is not like I am behind.