Getting to know the people

I love playing stud, which is no secret. I have found a pure joy in the game, but last night I found a better reason to enjoy the game -- the people.

When you play poker these days, you know you are on a table with a bunch of douche bags, and that's just me being nice. There are a million people who want to tell you how to play, what to play, even what to wear. But last night I was playing $1-$5 stud with a few interesting people. Granted, I was the youngest person there by at least 40 years, but that doesn't change the way I feel about them.

Many of these players come out because they have no one. It's sad but it's true. Many of them are so old that they are the last of their family. However, some of them have sad stories as well about how close young relatives have passed away. The people at the stud table become their new family.

It's probably not much different from when you gave money to your kids anyway.

These men and women find comfort in each other knowing that others have gone through the same thing. Last night, as I talked to them I learned they just wanted someone to talk to.

I haven't had a hard life. I haven't gone through nearly the amount of heartache they have gone through. But I love playing with them.

It's not a serious game with them. They have been through serious with everything else in life. Stud is a time for fun and a time for mingling.

Maybe playing with them isn't going to improve my game, but I don't care. When I am sitting there, it's never about the game.