When you start playing poker, you’re hooked for life. It makes you fall in love, it interests you, and it toys with you. Year after year, the number of game lovers who have been enthralled by its enthusiasm grows at an astounding pace. Hundreds, millions of people play, watch the games, read volumes of theory, read guides with hints from seasoned players… all for Her Majesty the Game! All must face their opponents and put their bluffing skills to the test…
It was formerly known as “the game of cheats,” but it is no longer simply a game. It is a way of life, a way of thinking. Poker is a subculture. They make movies about it and write books about it. Poker, unlike any other gambling game, has become a large-scale cultural phenomenon with its own rules and customs. It has created its own lingo – the language of the game, frequently known only by the initiated. Words flung lightly throughout the game become winged. Beginners cite world-famous poker mastodons. Poker aficionados are quick to pick up movie phrases about the game and apply them in real life. And the famous players’ books are simply quoted! The explanation for this is apparent and straightforward, as it is for all geniuses: poker is a treasure mine of life insight.
