Why I Love Poker

I love poker for so many reasons.

I believe poker is the best metaphor for life I’ve come across. You can probably relate in some regard. Just like in life, poker is full of opportunities to learn and grow and make money. It’s full of situations to exploit for your benefit, but in life, you can do it and also help someone else. The beauty of life is that it doesn’t have to be (nor should it be) a zero-sum game.

I love the poker community and think there are a lot of poker players out there, probably yourself included, that are also looking to make a difference in their own lives and possibly the lives of others. There’s a lot of self-development information out there, and there are even resources out there related to developing one’s mental strength for poker.

But I believe from the same place of poker being a metaphor for life that improving all areas of one’s life can also result in improving their game at the table. It’s hard for me to think that things like hydration, fitness, eating well, and so many other ways to work on one’s being could ever be separated from their ability to perform at peak levels at the tables in the first place.

Life and poker are both grinds. We should set ourselves up for success in the long run, and I believe a healthy overall lifestyle is key to sustained poker success. (Plus, even if it isn’t, there’s more to life than poker – no matter how much you play. If you are only playing poker to make money with no further aspirations beyond the game of poker, then what does it matter anyways?)