Poker: Practice with People

At about seventeen I stumbled upon the game of poker. I had always been a fan of card games but Texas Holdem was a different animal. The strategy differed so much from any game that I had seen or played. It was also fascinating to watch on TV. I remember playing it for the first time and not having a clue what to do. It took a while but I got better. Even though I play for money in casinos there is the people element of the game that is still very important to me.

My Dad and I go up to Rockingham Park every other weekend or so and play in the tournaments up there. He buys me in and any money that we win is split. I don't know who realized it first but poker for me has become a way for me to understand and gauge people better. It is sort of tough to put into words. Not only am I around and socializing with people but in trying to figure out how they play the game I learn to what some of their signals mean. Some people do something when they bluff or have a good hand. If I can translate this into everyday situations (i.e. know what certain mannerisms of that person mean) then I can better get a feel for those around me. Poker, for me, acts as practice with people.

You would think that since people with AS are notoriously challenged with reading body language that I would be a sitting duck. That was the case at the beginning. Every time someone would ‘act tough’ my brain would take that as a fight or flight reaction and I would panic and fold my hand. I mean I knew about bluffing but the defense systems in my brain would override my knowledge of the game. By playing more poker I have decreased the anxiety I feel in that particular setting. I don't have a lot of people anxiety anymore, other than around women, but the money element of the game adds a little pressure.

When I got to Foxwoods I tend to play a limit Omaha 8 or Better game and then No limit Holdem. After playing Omaha for a few hours I was nervous at the beginning of the holdem game. It took me a couple hours to really get comfortable. Now I am more in tune and comfortable with what is going on and I feel much calmer. This may have been because I switched from a limit game, where you can only bet some of your chips, to a no limit game, where you can bet it all at anytime. The limits may have affected how I played at first but I can't be certain. Either way I am far comfortable at both games now.

Over the hours you tend to chat a little with the others at the table. The Omaha game I play in is ripe with an older crowd who don't mind calling even when they have a low percentage of winning and can also be bluffed at certain times. There is much more variability at the holdem game. I have to read people better and catalog there tendencies much better. When your whole stack is at stake you tend to make better choices. One thing playing poker has done for me is tempered my brain a little (if there is such a thing).

Normally at parties I am interacting and reading so many peoples body language that I have to take a break every so often. With poker I can go much longer with needing a break. The level of mental tiredness is felt less when at the poker table. I tend to play, both games combined, about 17 hours with about an hour break total for lunch and dinner. Dad does not mind staking me (supplying money) for this because he knows it will ultimately help me. I usually go to Foxwoods with $300 and play in the Omaha game and build up the bankroll before Holdem. This warms up my brain for the kind of thinking that will be done. I am assuming that as I get more accustomed to it I will be able to play holdem right off the bat. Then again I didn't drive two hours to go broke in twenty minutes.

This weekend I will be going to Foxwoods. I don't have any plans for Valentines Day (typical) so I will be taking a drive down by myself. I plan for it to be a lost weekend. Time will move on but I will cease to notice. I tried to get a room but they were all booked except for the expensive rooms. Even the motels nearby were booked/pricey. I'll only get a room if I win big. I'm going down on Friday and plan on staying to late Saturday early Sunday if things go well. I'll take a nap somewhere if I have to. You’d be surprised what your body can do when you need it to.

There are a few goals when I go on these trips alone. Self reflection/thinking about the book I'm writing, winning money and, of course, the adventure. I've met some characters there and had some fun experiences. On the way down I do not have the radio on and I can work through some of my problems on the way there and on the drive back. All the events are going to make for a fun chapter. Wish me luck!