Poker Friendships
The poker community tends to be somewhat of a tight knit bunch, and everyone seems to have a certain group that they fit into. There are those that fit in with the “hip NL” players, there are those that are “old school”, there are those that are “media”, and there are those that are “staff.” In my travels, I seem to get along with the “old school” and the “staff” more than I do anyone else.
The people I associate with most might be due to my playing style or maybe just my general personality. I just don’t like the general attitude of many NL players. Many take “confidence” and turn it into bravado and come across as stuck up. Others have attitude that just turn me off. Also, I get really tired of the explosive outbursts over a bad beat or getting sucked out on at the river. It happens. Learn to deal with it in a calmer fashion is my opinion.
Anyway, it seems that whenever I go to events, I wind up hanging with the same types of people. Some seek me out, some I just know from other events. I was in the Limit Event and the Stimulus Event and about a dozen different floor staff and dealers came by to talk to me. Everyone at the table just looked at me like “who is this guy that everyone is talking to.” I’m a friend. That’s who I am. These guys and girls that run the poker game only do this for a job. They are people that have lives outside of poker and they like for people to treat them with respect.
I am also amazed at how many dealers remember me. Some I can remember, but I have had people in the middle of nowhere (such as Shakopee MN) come up to me and ask how I’ve been etc. They then tell me how they dealt to me at this or that place. Sometimes I am honest about not knowing who they are but other times I act like I do with the 200 or so kids that I see every year that I can’t possibly remember. I act like I remember them perfectly and they go away happy.
In my “normal” life at home, many of my friends tend to be younger than me. That’s just the crowd I seem to attract. Most of it revolves around the fact I do not act my age or even look it. However, most of my “poker” friends that play are anywhere from 10 to 50 years older than me. It’s odd how that works out.
The great thing about playing poker is that you normally know someone almost everywhere you go. While many people think that poker is a lonely game, what they don’t realize is that if you play enough, you wind up with friends and acquaintances everywhere you go. They aren’t the same as those that you see in your everyday life, but it does help to create and keep a sense of camaraderie that you don’t see in many other facets of life.
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