A conceit of poker players.

At the table, poker players are ruthless people. Not suprising when the object of the game is to take all your opponents money. That is, not to prove you are better, stronger etc, but to completely crush your opponents into the ground, every time you play them.

But what may be suprising to non-poker players is the friendships that are made between poker players. There is a quiet, knowing smile shared between poker players who meet, because they all know what it is like to win big, lose big, bust and the many other possible scenarios.

I have made a few such friends through my own poker experience. I started playing on-line sometime in 2001, at Ultimatebet.com. There were about 400 regular players at that time. As you spend hours at the table names are repeated and remembered, and personalities emerge, at the end of a network cable. A 'group', What is the collective noun for poker players?, of us used to congregate around the .10-.25c NL tables. I feel we all learned to fold, fold, and then fold some more together. There are maybe ten players from those days I am still in contact with. One of those players, lets call him 'Jerry Lewis' springs to mind. It is unusual these days that I will sit with players, I know can play, for very long, but me and jerry were there recently. I had JJ in the hole and made a set on the flop, as there was only me and Jerry in the hand I announced my hand, and we checked it down. This is known as 'soft play' or 'cheating', and one other player at the table was a bit upset by our actions. Another player at the table had no objections to this 'deal'. I realize that this play is not in the spirit of the game, but I take no pleasure in taking money from a friend, and is it turned out, we both left the table soon afterwards.


Another good friend from those halcyon days, recently sent me a book all the way, from the United States, and it's not even a poker book! It is also this player that, during a particularly bleak spell, running bad, was there, to help me rebuild my confidence, and get back in the game.

During the 2002 WSOP, I made another friend from the other side of the software, who was working for UB at the time. We are now in regular contact thanks to the wonder of the internet. Also during that great trip, I met several US and British Pro players. It amazed me how generous they were with their time, to explain strategy tips or have a beer at the bar with me, a poker nobody amateur.

These are just a few of my poker buddy experiences, I hope you get the picture. In a world where every player believes he is the best in the world (except me, I know....) Away from the table, it is my experience, that these people are the opposite of their table images and the ruthlessness of their actions is replaced by kindness and generosity.