What does it feel like to play very high stakes poker?
This question originally appeared on Quora: The best answer to any question. Ask a question, get a great answer. Learn from experts and access insider knowledge. You can follow Quora on Twitter, Facebook, and Google+.
Answer by Michael Shinzaki, former professional poker player, now co-founding travel startup When in Roams
I think it's easy for top pros and experienced players to say, "Oh, you get used to it." And to some extent it is true. When you first start playing, you lose sleep over that five dollar pot you lost. You agonize over decisions in a twenty-dollar tournament. If you keep playing, you may find yourself playing pots with hundreds of dollars in the middle and not even be distracted by the money. In that regard, you "get used to it."
However, at some point in any ascending poker player's career, they may find themselves playing for an amount of money that far exceeds general cost of actual living. Essentially, playing for amounts that trump life expenditures by a landslide. I agree with [somebody] who talked about the darkness and lonely feeling of losing a huge pot that you were a favorite to win. It is a very off-putting feeling and can be very taxing on one's mental wherewithal. Of course, some of the skill in poker lies within this very facet. People who can manage their emotions and look past the short-term obstacles are usually the ones who keep a level head and win in the grand scheme. There are many players who are gifted at the actual card game but have erratic emotional palates that eventually interfere with decision making. And of course, in poker, there are just as many downs as there are ups.
More from Quora: What is it like to earn a living through poker? |
Having said all that, I think the rush is always available as you move up. Even if the money stops mattering, the competitive fire remains for many as they try to combat better and better competition in situations that involve higher and higher stakes, prizes, losses, everything. I never made it to the highest echelons of the industry, but I have had some big swings in both directions. I've lost a BMW in one session of online poker. I've won six-figures in one afternoon. I've won pots in live cash games at casinos where the mound of chips was almost something out of a cartoon, of which the contents could pay for a year of college, or cover basic life expenses for a year. There is a rush that comes with events like these. There is no preparation for times like these except for the actual experience you carry with you of playing the game. But aside from that, it's still just a game of cards. I think that is part of why the rush exists, of competition and triumph. Because, after all, it's still just a silly little game. You're like: It's... just... f***ing... cards...