I’ve become more straightforward and have started to take control of my life. This “middle stage” of the game, where the action finally starts, is where my life is now. You see people bluffing (betting with nothing much) and raising insane amounts of money just to try to scare off other players. That’s how my life seemed before I sat down at a makeshift poker table in my friend’s basement.Īs the game progresses, the players begin to play more hands. They let a playable hand come to them, rather than looking for one. There’s usually not much betting players just sit back and watch their opponents. The first few hands of a poker game are always slow. With every hand dealt, I found myself comparing my life to this “game.” After countless nights with old friends and new opponents, I began to realize that poker is not just a game. And then along came the game of chance, the game of luck. I’d sit back and pray things happened as I wanted.

I wouldn’t assert myself or take any risks.

my big risk had paid off.īefore I started playing poker with friends, I was very shy. Three aces and two jacks, a full house beat both my opponent’s hands. I was holding an ace of hearts and jack of spades. My eyes lit up as I flipped over my cards. One had three aces, the other had a flush. I went all-in and both my opponents called. The fifth and final card (called the river) was then dealt: ace of spades. One of them probably had a flush (five cards of the same suit), but I still couldn’t resist the chance to win and I called. The fourth card, called the turn, was dealt: jack of clubs. The first three community cards (known as the flop) were dealt: ace of diamonds, seven of clubs, king of clubs. I already had the chip lead, and I couldn’t pass up the chance to win $25. Shifting my attention to the two remaining players at the table, who at any other event would be my closest friends, I decided to play the hand. Glancing down, I lifted the corners of the two cards and looked at them.

Poker table ace of spades