Poker Emotion

[Rushmore]

In response to my Platitude thread (elsewhere on this forum), Kurn responded:

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A while back a poster asked how you know when you finally "get it." I think you finally get it when nothing that happens at the poker table bothers you to the point that you reveal your emotions to your opponents.

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This got me to thinking about why I am sometimes unable to not become upset at all, much less exhibit it.

From the bad film The American President:

Aide: "It's important not to look as if we're panicking, Mr. President."

President: "See, now I thought it was more important actually NOT TO BE panicking."

This is all well and good, and certainly worth considering.

However, I have come to the conclusion that the reason that I become upset at times while playing poker, is--and follow me here-- because I actually want to be able to enjoy playing poker.

See, I don't think you can justify negating one emotion and not its opposite. If I cannot allow myself to become upset when I'm playing well and things are bad, then I also cannot allow myself to properly enjoy the game when I play well and it goes well.

I'm not saying I need to weep, rend garb, and gnash teeth when it's going bad, just as I don't need to turn a cartwheel or do my very special "made my flush" interpretive dance when it's going well (actually, I have a restraining order prohibiting my performance of said dance in four states, but that's another matter entirely).

I do not wish to become an automaton. Poker, while excellent in many ways, is certainly not worth THAT.