All-In for the Win

I love playing poker, all its variations, but I really fell in love with Texas Hold 'Em. My father taught me everything I need to know about the game. From all the possible hands a player can get, the technicalities of betting and ante to the more complex bluffing and reading required to knockout players and get to the heads-up, my father taught me everything as we played for countless hours with his friends and my siblings. Of course we don't play for money, just chocolate chips (the ones that look like pirates' gold) and good old fun. Sigh, those were the days.

The game became the avenue where we bonded as me and my father grew closer. You can learn a lot about people by watching them play and how they react in different situations of the game. I saw loud-mouthed and arrogant players fold under pressure and I saw some quiet and reserved guys rake in the biggest hauls. I also watched some people who are usually shy and timid in real life but make aggro plays once sitting in the table that baffles even the most seasoned players. Bluffing is my favorite element of the game and I confidently believe that no one can read my poker face except of course my father. When I have something big, he simply folds and he calls my bluffs every single time. Oh well, I can read him also and so it's a tie.

I am attending university now and I miss how we always play poker in the evening in our family room after dinner. I miss the laughter and jeers when a bluffer is caught and the loud hoots and claps when someone pulled in the big one. Now when I am not to busy writing essays and other requirement for schools, I play online poker or sometimes I visit fraternity houses which host mini poker tournament. And I get them everytime. Thanks, Dad, for all the tips and strategies. But now I play for money; no more choco chips for me!