To put yourself into a situation where a mistake cannot necessarily be recouped, where the life you lose may be your own, clears the head wonderfully. It puts domestic problems back into proportion and adds an element of seriousness to your drab, routine life. Perhaps this is one reason why climbing has become increasingly hard as society has become increasingly, disproportionately, coddling.

I'm good at reading people.

The point is that it looks like gambling because the language of the game is money.

It is easy to smile at an insult and pretend it's funny when the person insulting you is hosing you with money.

Hold'em is a game of calculated aggression. If your cards are good enough for you to call a bet, they are good enough to raise with.

I absolutely don't believe in anything. Full stop. Including luck.

Now, if, as I think, writing should be, it's a kind of risky trade.