For some reason, I get hooked by the World Series of Poker every year. An enormous waste of time. I dvr it, and fast-forward a lot.
The conversations at the tables aren't all that interesting; in fact, they're kind of inane. The players are usually anything but good looking. The ego and status displays are pretty basic low level animal kingdom behavior. The plethora of "Bracelets" seems bogus.
I think it's just the sheer size of the thing -- both the attendance and the prizes. Winning that kind of money for playing a game -- that anyone could win with a lot of luck and some skill.
You can imagine yourself laying down those cards, Edward G. Robinson style, with an all-knowing stare.
I don't watch poker the rest of the year; I'm not interested in playing myself.
In fact, for some reason, I have a gut disapproval of gambling. I think it leads to addiction and lost lives.
I read recently that people lose nine times more money gambling than they spend at the movies. I think our society made a mistake letting this genie out of the bottle.
It runs in my family -- I questioned my brothers and sisters, and they had a similar antipathy.
And yet I watch.
The conversations at the tables aren't all that interesting; in fact, they're kind of inane. The players are usually anything but good looking. The ego and status displays are pretty basic low level animal kingdom behavior. The plethora of "Bracelets" seems bogus.
I think it's just the sheer size of the thing -- both the attendance and the prizes. Winning that kind of money for playing a game -- that anyone could win with a lot of luck and some skill.
You can imagine yourself laying down those cards, Edward G. Robinson style, with an all-knowing stare.
I don't watch poker the rest of the year; I'm not interested in playing myself.
In fact, for some reason, I have a gut disapproval of gambling. I think it leads to addiction and lost lives.
I read recently that people lose nine times more money gambling than they spend at the movies. I think our society made a mistake letting this genie out of the bottle.
It runs in my family -- I questioned my brothers and sisters, and they had a similar antipathy.
And yet I watch.