Melting Pot

In this election year there is a great divide.  Often the discussions revolve around immigration, income inequality, gender and race bias, and taxes.  We are a country that is a giant melting pot (though describing it as a salad bowl may be more accurate) and a land of opportunity which has driven most immigration, whether it be for freedom or economic opportunity. I woke up this morning thinking about the many people I have met around the poker table.  If ever there was a microcosm of America, surely the poker table is a great example.  First of all, there is the economic oppportunity of sitting down with little and leaving with a lot.  But, it depends on many things, including skill, knowledge, and often luck.  There is also the opportunity to go broke, just like in our economy.  Sometimes you just cannot catch a break no matter how smart you are, no matter what skills you have, you are just in the wrong place at the wrong time.  However, just like in America, you have the opportunity to dust yourself off and come back to try again.  We call it a re-buy, but in our economy it can be a bankruptcy or a billion dollar business loss.

The people I have played poker with represent an amazing cross section of the country.  I have played with recent immigrants (legal and not) from many countries.  I have played with christians, jews, muslims, hindus, and probably many other religions.  It is not a topic that is often discussed.  My opinion is that there are no atheists playing poker because I often see people praying for a card.  And, unlike some prayers in church, you always mean it at the poker table!!!

I have played poker with doctors, lawyers, dentists, construction workers (lots of these guys), business owners, consultants, bookkeepers (for you Dewey), school teachers, migrant workers, drug dealers, felons, cops, farmers, chemists (Mike), jewelry designers (Dave), pot growers, bartenders, gays, lesbians, fishermen, car salesmen, students, millionaires and multi-millionaires, military and retired military, blacks, whites, browns, and any color you care to mention.  Retirees, plant workers, poker dealers, poker pros, corporate vp's and presidents have sat at my table.  We all get along and accept the other players because we realize that they are people just like us, sharing a common goal (get the other guy's money, and keep him from getting ours).  Sure, there are disagreements, sometimes kind of nasty, but not violent, and there is always the next day for paybacks!!  I don't like or respect every player at my table, but can be civil to them.  On the other hand, I have formed many lasting friendships around our common interest.

In conclusion, there is really no reason we cannot come together in this country if we share common goals.  Do I want to "spread the wealth" or inject some economic "fairness" in the poker game.  Hell no!!!  What I do want is to not play in a fixed game which favors some over others, or have the house take too much of my earnings (think taxes).  I just want the opportunity to play the game fairly, in a friendly atmosphere, and hopefully profitably.  My end result will always be in question, but at the end of the day "it is not whether you win or lose but how you play the game".