I certainly didn't mean to imply that everyone who plays poker professionally or as a semi-pro is mean-spirited or a misfit. I have met a ton of people in the cardroom who are wonderful human beings. Not just kind and generous and good hearted and sociable, but also interesting and interested in what you have to say. Well-rounded, well-adjusted people.


But I was thinking a great deal about the abusive behavior I see, or at least notice, more and more in the casino and some of the descriptions in the review struck me as possible/probable explanations for this type of behavior. Here's what Mike Caro said about losing many years ago:


"I cope with losing very badly. I think I have a feeling of persecution. That the unknown is persecuting me. I tend to think about mistakes a lot less when I've had a big loss. In fact I think I try to justify big losses by not wanting to think I've made any mistkes. It's already too painful to think about without the addition of mistakes."


That pain that he talks about, I think, manifests itself in anger. Anger, after all, is the outward manifestation of pain. Rather than think about the mistakes, blame someone else. [And I don't mean Mike here, I don't know the man. I'm talking in general.]