Poker as a Mirror for My Growth

There’s something quietly beautiful about today’s session.

I was sitting 5th out of 5 on a final table, 13 bigs deep, with Ace-Jack offsuit. I shoved. The small blind called with nines, and I lost the flip.

Was it a mistake? Maybe. But if it was, it was barely one. And the fact that I can see that — feel it in my gut before reviewing it — shows me just how far I’ve come.

Even the fact that I can draw the line where the mistake likely lies — just outside Ace-Jack off — tells me I’m refining my edges. That’s not about ego. It’s not even about profit. It’s about presence. Precision. Patience.

And here’s the realisation that hit me:
Even my so-called mistakes are sharpening my sword.

I’m probably the least experienced player at the table on paper. But my patience, my emotional regulation, and my focus turn variance into noise. This isn’t about one session. It’s about showing up well, over and over, until the results catch up.

And I’ve stopped fearing what poker might become. For years, I’ve worried:

• What if the game gets banned?
• What if AI solves it?
• What if regulation or variance takes it all away?

But those fears have never materialised. I’ve had them for 15 years. They come and go like weather, but I’m still here. Still playing. Still improving.

Yes, AI will replace many jobs. That’s obvious now. But poker has an edge most jobs don’t:

People play for reasons that go beyond logic.

They chase glory. Ego. Escape. That’ll never vanish. Which means — if I keep refining my game and myself — I might just be doing one of the most future-proof things out there.

And even if it isn’t, I’ll still walk away with something far greater:

Self-trust.

That’s what I’m really building. Not just a bankroll, but an internal compass. One that says: you don’t need to be perfect to be powerful. You just need to stay present.

And that… I can carry into anything.