What is this game?

Clicking buttons for a living [Part 6/n]

Link to Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4 and Part 5

It’s an ode to the beautiful complexity of this game that six parts and three years into this journey and I am still not sure what poker really is. There are lots of lies buried in this world, but one definite truth has been correctly oft repeated – “It might take a few minutes to learn this game, but it takes a lifetime to master it”.

Starting out when I used to play poker with my college mates, I used to think poker is mostly a combination of psychology and math interspersed with elements of chance. While it would be tough to argue against this definition, by no means does it do justice to the game.

Serendipity led me to playing this game full-time, and as I devoted more and more hours honing my technical skills, I started believing with greater conviction that this game is less about math and more about ‘balance’. Are my 3-bet raises balanced? Is my opponent approaching equilibrium in a post-flop spot? Surely I must bluff this spot as I am way below in my range to check this back? Countless nights I spent wondering the answers to these questions, while my days were filled with fast depleting profits.

After some serious soul searching and introspection of who I am as a person, my definition of the game graduated again. In this phase, poker was not about balance but about ‘awareness’. My focus changed more and more towards awareness, thinking deeply about every factor impacting the game – both on and off the table. Not only are the technical parameters constantly changing in tournament poker, it is wondrous how many other aspects about the game are ignored by professional players. Diet, ego, nature, relationships are some of the top ones that come to mind. The consequence of this phase was I gave up on a lot of stuff I said yes to earlier, became generally happier in life, and yes, success eventually followed, although not linearly.

In an interview, Gary Linekar said that scoring goals in football is not about being at the right place at the right time, it’s about being at the right place all the time! Poker is similar. There are going to be several tournaments where you show up, give it your best but the results don’t follow. But there are also going to be moments where you can truly make an impact and demonstrate your craft honed over years of hard-work. And in that moment, it’s important to seize the opportunity to showcase your skill.