Sometimes It's All in How You Choose to Soften the Blow

This is an amusing story. I've mentioned before my M.O. at the poker table: full fledged "poker armor" consisting of a large hood, dark shades and most important, the iPod. I believe in listening to cerebral music when I play. This usually consists of classical music, but in particular the Bach Cello Suites performed by Pablo Casals. I can't really put into words how amazing this piece of music is. "Bach is the most ancient of the future's musicians" is a statement Casals once made. And no matter how many times you listen to the Suites, you'll always feel the genius in Casals' playing. It was well documented that Casals dedicated his life to this piece of music. Just trust me all of this comes across very well in the art. And to me, the unaccompanied cello: a little melancholy, a little brilliant, alone, determined...hey, kind of sounds like a poker player, right? Anyway one day I am playing $1/$2 at the Hard Rock Casino in Fort Lauderdale, FL (notorious for wild action) and I pick up QQ. I open to $12 with a pretty wild image. A real tight player, I mean squeeze-water-out-of-a-rock-119-years-old-playing-with-his-pension-tight, re-raised me from the big blind to $25. I had a good mind to just open fold. I mean, I was 90% sure he had KK or AA. But I decided to call. Since I was in position, with the right flop, for instance if the flop was A high, and he had KK, I was pretty sure I could get him off his hand. And if I was fortunate enough to flop a Q, well then I knew I could win his whole stack. The flop turns over: Qs10h9c. Bingo. He c-bets $30 and I value shove all in for $175. Then the old man tanked for a minute. RIGHT at that moment, I look down at my iPod. "Suite Nº5 Para Chelo En Do Menor Bwc 1011-Ii-Allemande-Molto Moderato - Pablo Casals" -MY FAVORITE MOVEMENT FROM MY FAVORITE SUITE... Now pause with me in this moment of time, if you will... I've heard that when a person is drowning, somewhere in the moments between complete panic and total unconsciousness, is a moment of absolute euphoria. Similarly, there are moments where The Suites encompass you so completely and aural texture washes over you to such an extent that you're literally drowning in sound. Then when the weight and sheer mass of music is about to crush you...it happens... The most comforting, wonderful sound washes over you, around you, and through you. Suddenly, you're floating... Not to mix metaphors too drastically, but if it were possible to climb inside a song, live with it, die with it and experience its rebirth, this would be the vehicle to take you on such a trip. In this unbelievable marriage of chaos and bliss, I've actually driven off the road, hypnotized in its melody...I find myself moved to tears. Old Man River calls all in and shows KK. The turn card: 2d The river: Js Charlie shows: three of a kind, Queens Old Man River shows: a straight, King high. So here I am felted after a ridiculous beat. And now I have a couple of tears revealing themselves from underneath my dark sunglasses to all the degenerates at the poker table. An acquaintance of mine named Willie said, "Wow Charlie, you're upset? I've seen you take way worse beats than that!" I admit that the irony of the situation is hilarious, but when Willie spoke to me, I just smiled to myself, knowing that no one could understand how swept away in beauty I was at that moment. Funny enough it had nothing to do at all with cards.

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