During our trip in Michigan, the subject of card games and the popularity of poker came up. Poker—very popular. Featured on TV shows, for cryin’ out loud.
I’ve never played. I downloaded DD Poker to see what this poker thing is all about.
Let’s just put it this way: I’m extremely glad I’m not an addictive personality, because if I were an addictive personality, I would be down at the local card club throwing away my children’s future. And this is someone who’s been to Vegas twice and has never gambled.
I play during off moments and down time. We’ve been having a lot of down time recently, because since we’ve come back we haven’t set up the TV, which means that we go to bed earlier. (Try it. A life without TiVo is not worth staying up for. Darin and I have never been so well-rested.) I play while cooking dinner. I play while I sit here talking to a friend.
I am thrilled when I get away with a massive bluff. I am crushed when I lose out on a round despite having great cards. I am on hold at the library for books on how to play Texas Hold ‘Em.
The only thing saving me from wondering whether I’ve totally lost my mind is knowing that periodically I get really, really, really into a topic—homeschooling, civic design, the process needed to pick up and move to Provence—before finally getting attracted to some other new and exciting idea and moving on. And I’ve been obsessed by games before (Civilization, Escape Velocity, World of Warcraft) and managed to walk away from them too.
Also: I’ve gotten much, much better at poker in the week or so I’ve been playing. I know I won’t continue improving at this rate, but seriously: I’m almost ready for the card clubs.
(Darin: I’m kidding. Seriously. Give me back the bankbook.)