I was cited for a "PWI" this past weekend in downtown Las Vegas, specifically at the legendary Golden Nugget Casino and Resort. PWI stands for Playing While Intoxicated, and is the most dangerous thing any poker player can possibly do. I drank a few beers. OK, I drank a few beers and had a shot. OK, I drank a few beers and had several shots and proceeded to play poker... I was "playing drunk!"
The interesting part was that about 75 percent of the poker patrons were drunk too. It was a goldmine for a sober player with even mediocre talent. I couldn't take advantage of that situation because I was one of the drunken idiots! I've preached to everyone over and over again about the stupidity of drinking while playing and there I was last Friday, among the fools I make fun of.
My dear friend and drinking buddy that evening, Clifford, expressed to me that is wasn't a wise idea to play. I didn't listen. I thought I was invincible but of course I wasn't, I just had that false sense of confidence that the devil's juice was designed for. Alcohol is not always bad; it's only bad when one becomes the alcohol. Get it?
That night I was not Jennifer, I was just a few beers and a couple of shots. I wasn't using Jennifer's judgment; I was listening to the alcohol's loud voice in my head that kept saying "you can do anything." What a charlatan! I ended up losing-giving away, actually-five hundred bucks.
What's worse than losing? Losing because you played like an idiot. Never again will I repeat what happened. Never again will I ever cheapen the sport of poker the way I did. It was disgraceful and grace means a great deal to me. I was ashamed of myself.
As I did the walk of shame back to Binion's, where I was staying, I said to myself, "F*** it; I'm going to gamble my last eighty dollars at the black jack table." I kid you not, in ten minutes I won all my money back. The best part was that I got up and left with my winnings. I could not bear feeling like a loser all over again so I tipped the dealer twenty-five and said, "Thanks, you don't know how much this means to me." Winning the money back eased the pain and shame I was feeling.
Don't tango with the devil for too long because he will chew you up and spit you out. It's best not to drink at all but if we do we should do it responsibly. Drinking responsibly means we should not drive, nor should we treat our friends, spouses, parents, and children poorly.
We should not treat strangers badly. We should not pick fights. We should not, we should not, we should not- you get what I mean-and last but not least, we should not EVER play poker! We all make mistakes; we even repeat the same mistakes sometimes but don't beat yourself up for something you cannot undue. Learn from it and move on. One of my finest and favorite preachers says, "No matter what happened yesterday, or even five minutes ago, God is waiting for you with open arms. Don't let the enemy condemn you and lie to you today. God is not mad at you. He loves you and longs to restore everything in your life. Allow Him to cleanse you today. Choose to forgive others so that you can receive God's forgiveness." And that my friend is what it's all about.
Until we meet again, begin where you are...
