Being a fiercely competitive person at heart, my Spinal Muscular Atrophy often feels like a barrier, keeping me from indulging in sports or even most video games. But amidst these restrictions, I found a game that not only quenches my competitive thirst but also offers an equal playing field: poker.
When you live with SMA, every day can feel like a complex puzzle, a challenge that demands strategy, patience, and perseverance. That’s what drew me to poker in the first place. The game, in all its intricacies, mirrors life’s challenges. It’s a realm where your hand isn’t always perfect, where odds are often stacked against you, and where your mind becomes your greatest weapon. Like SMA, poker taught me that it’s not always about the hand you’re dealt, but how you play it.
I first stumbled upon poker in the vast world of online gaming. Digital platforms offered an arena where my physical limitations didn’t define me. Instead, it was my mental prowess, my intuition, and my ability to read and anticipate my opponents that took center stage. The virtual felt of the poker table became a battleground where my mind was at the forefront. Here, I’m not the guy with a disability; I’m a formidable opponent, ready to go to battle.
The beauty of poker lies in its layers. On the surface, it might appear to be a game of pure luck, a dance of chance. But delve deeper, and you discover a world where every decision counts, where psychology intertwines with strategy, and where even the smallest misstep can have consequences. It’s this intricate balance between chance and skill that fascinates me.
Most importantly, though, poker represents the great equalizer. At the poker table, everyone starts with an equal chance, defined not by physical prowess but by mental agility and strategic acumen. As someone who has faced physical limitations for all of my life, this equality is liberating. In the world of poker, my disability takes a backseat, allowing my mental prowess, strategy, bluffs, and calls to shine and define my game.
While many associate poker with cold calculation, for me, it’s always been an emotional journey. Every hand dealt, every bet made, and every decision taken has been a testament to my life’s philosophy: to play the cards life has handed me to the best of my abilities. The highs of a well-played game, the lows of a bad beat, the anticipation of fading the river — they all echo the rollercoaster of emotions I have experienced throughout my life.
Many times I have been asked how I fell so deeply in love with poker. The answer is simple. For me, it has never been just a game. Instead, it’s been a mirror to my life, reflecting both its challenges and its triumphs. It’s been a teacher, educating me about strategy, patience, and the art of reading people. But most importantly, poker has been a friend, offering both solace and excitement, and a world where I am defined not by my physical limitations but by my passion, my skill, and my drive to compete.
I’d like to make this blog a bit more interactive, so I’ve created a Google Form that lets anyone send in questions or topics they would like me to explore. You can even submit anonymously, if you wish.
Tell me what you want me to write about. Nothing is off-limits, but I don’t guarantee I will create a post based on your input.