Winners and Losers

It's time for the annual winter poker game. What was once a weekly occurence twenty years ago now happens twice a year, thanks to the exponential increases in career demands and family obligations.

Maybe that's the way it's supposed to be. Two things remain the same, though: mercy is non-existent and the insults are plentiful. What a relief it is to see some things stay the same in this ever-changing world.

Here's an inside glimpse into how this finely-oiled machine operates:



A game is called and cards are dealt. Most are poker variations, but many are simple luck games. With names like Guts and Bullshit and Screw Your Neighbor, the pots can grow quickly and empires can be made and destroyed within minutes.




The bluffing goes full-scale as the bets and calls inflate the pot.

After all bets have ended and the cards are laid on the table,

one man will revel in the thrill of victory
and the other will suffer the agony of defeat.