Rounders..

These days, I am really hooked to the game of poker.

Around six months back, Shaan gave us first glimpse of poker.. Obviously at that time, we didn't know anything abt it.. and we kept on loosing... but more you play or more you loose, then more you grasp the game.. and now.. we are not doing bad...

Qualcomm had a poker tournament last week, and all of us played there.. Around 200 people signed up.. and guess what... I survived in top 40 people. :) .. thats not bad considering only my 6 months poker experience.. Infact my buddies Dilip and Sarath were in top 10 players... that was simply unbelievable... I am sure, if Shaan would have been there, he would have been a champion :) !!

In AZ, I used to browse thru some poker games on TV, but I always felt that who the hell watches these things? what's so interesting in it? Or whoever watches these games, probably they don't have nothing better to do... but guess what.. my perspective is totally changed now.. Its not only the cards or money you are looking for, but its the psychology, with which these poker geniuses play, is worth to watch...

Poker is indeed one of the best psychological games of life.. probably like Chess...but in Chess, Strategy outplays the Psychological aspect.. In poker, I think, playing cards is just a backdrop.. Its the mentality of your opponent you are indeed dealing with... If you can judge your opponent.. Bingo.. you have earned yourself a "Big Pot"... But if you have mixed your emotions, grudges, vengeance in your play... then..Oh Boy.. you are in trouble.. Poker "Tilt" always "sucks" you in the game towards devastation... and I have experienced it closely...

If you haven't played poker yet, then you are indeed missing something in life... At-least start with Rounders and get inspired :) !!

Sometimes I feel that, God (??) is playing poker against us... against all of us... He not only knows his own cards, but he knows my cards also... so obviously he can not loose in the game.. He is already aware abt the outcome of the game, but its me who is fighting for my own survival.. and keep on trying to make a good judgment to find out the outcome of this play....

Somewhere I read abt an essay, where Author successfully compares the teachings of Aristotle with Poker.. "The correct approach, whether it's to poker or life, is to focus on making correct decisions rather than on favorable outcomes that may be dependent on other factors"

Indeed...... These days God (??) is playing heads-up with me... trying to put me in "Tilt", but.... any way.. Let's not get into details :) !!

Here is the video of last few rounds of championship in Qualcomm tourney.. Audio is intentionally disabled.. You can see me and Dilip standing behind the dealer.