It's a Poker Party in My Head, Gather 'Round & Ante Up !

Every blue moon, I play poker. Just for fun. I learned my first poker game, 7 card stud, in third grade. Although, I just play for fun, usually money is involved....pennies, nickels & dimes and of course, the occasional quarter. It's not about the money, it's more like score keeping...measured with loose change instead of a paper & pen, as is the case in say, gin rummy.

In My World, I usually win...even if it simply means that I have only traded my pennies up for dimes or loose change for human connection across the table. I don't always show a net profit monetarily, but usually I, do & almost always I feel like I won, in one way or another.
A lot of folks say it is the 'luck of the draw.'
I say it's Kenny Rogers.
You know him, he sings the song that says 'You got to know when to hold 'em, know when to fold 'em, know when to walk away, know when to run. You never count your money, when you're sittin' at the table. They'll be time 'nough for countin' when the dealin's done.'
I think he's right.
I don't bluff. A lot of folks do & almost all of them assume that I do, too. But, I don't bluff. If my hand is weak & yours looks strong, I fold. If mine looks strong & yours does, too, then I take a gamble. If my hand seems strong & yours looks weak, I don't gouge the pot...meaning, I don't up my bets. My bets are slow & steady...strong hand or not.
My Mother always said to me ....'A smart girl knows when to play dumb.'
And at times, I have taken heed to the words.
At the poker table, I don't have to. More often than not, the other players do that for me. They assume that I bluff.
Why? Because they do.
Sometimes life is like a good old fashioned poker game.
It's filled with wagers and risks, bluffs and raises, ante ups and folds.
We never know what the next card may hold for us or how we will play it
Nor can we predict the next day & how we will handle that days change.
Like the loose change in my pocket, life is very real and should be well spent.
Well spent ... on the things that gives us nourishment, bettering our worlds, not to be gambled completely away.
Winning, sometimes, in My World just means breaking even, even if not in a monetary sense. Sometimes its simply trading out those pennies, nickels & dimes for a few hours of company & laughter.