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Anorak News | Let’s Ban Poker And Ballroom Dancing

Let’s Ban Poker And Ballroom Dancing

by | 29th, February 2008

I QUIT.

No. Not I the Poker Anorak, but blufDaddy on the forums. And why has he quit? Why does anyone stop playing poker?

Says he: “Never ever playing a single hand of poker ever again. Too fkin stressful.”

But the stress is addictive, is it not? The stress, or the thrill if you will, is the thing that keeps many of us playing poker.

Says stu in response: “See you next week…you know you’ll be back.”

Some would say that this is tantamount to addiction. Maybe there is a trace of that. But what is wrong being addicted to what you enjoy?

The prevailing mood is one of banstabation – tobacco, fat people and junk food. What next?

Say, you like ballroom dancing. And there is suddenly a spate of ballroom dancing-related injuries. The stricken are sent to hospital. And then the Government works out that ballroom dancers are expensive to treat. Their injuries are preventable.

You need special insurance to dance. A new rule is that the NHS will not treat ballroom injuries. You are a pariah.

You are to be cured of your addiction by therapists. You are to be weaned off your illness by a programme of measures, including a fun run, a TV show called “Help Me Quit” and health announcements at the end of soap operas: “If you have been affected by anything you’ve seen on tonight’s EastEnders and require a brochure on giving up, please call 0800 WALK TALL. Calls are treated in the strictest confidence.”

The last word is with BlufDaddy:

“I don’t play to make a bit of cash and pay my bills, I play because I honestly think it’s something I can be the best at. Look at Mr Silent, the guy is very arrogant and clearly makes a lot of cash but I’ll wager he plays for the same reason I do and for that reason, even though I’ve never met him, he’s actually one of my favourite players on here and it just seems that no matter what I do, how I play, that I’m destined to be a nearly man and I’d rather excel in some other field than be that.

“I don’t mind admitting that I genuinely haven’t blubbed like I just did since experiencing a personal loss 6 years ago and that’s just not right to get like that about something that ultimately is just a game.”

Passion. It’s how you know you’re alive…



Posted: 29th, February 2008 | In: Sports Comment (1) | TrackBack | Permalink