The Rabbi Speaks
Mark Green’s Poker Lessons
(as told to Ashley Adams):
Fasting

BY: Mark Green

BY: Ashley Adams Contact at: (Asha34@aol.com) Author of Winning 7-Card Stud

We just finished observing the solemn holiday - the holiest of Jews holidays - Yom Kippur. This is the Day of Atonement, when we Jews complete a period of repentance and forgiveness, that began with Rosh Hashanah.

Yom Kippur is marked by, among other things, a sundown to sundown fast - lasting a full twenty five hours. No food or drink may be consumed. The Jew denies himself these things for many reasons - but primarily so he can focus his thoughts and activity on his task at hand - introspection, awareness, forgiveness, redemption, and repentance.

For some, the fast is difficult - accompanied by nausea, head aches and faintness. Many incorrectly conclude that the purpose of the fast is to make the Jew suffer - a kind of Jews hair shirt or self flagellation. This is not the purpose of the fast. It is rather an opportunity to focus on the rigorous duties of repentance without the distractions of the regular day.

I must confess that during this recently concluded Yom Kippur I found my mind wandering. It actually occurred to me that there is a connection between playing poker and this ritualistic fast we do on Yom Kippur. Was this thought sinful? Maybe. Even so, however, I'd like to share that connection with you here. If I have transgressed, well at least I'm going to be honest about it!

We poker players fast all the time. I'm not talking about refraining from food or drink. God knows we probably could use some fasting in that department judging by the bulging silhouettes I've noticed in the poker room lately. But I don't refer to that kind of fasting. I'm talking about fasting from poker - abstaining from playing.

As much as we like to play, nearly all of us spend much more time not playing. We go many hours, days, weeks and perhaps even months at a time out of action. That is the subject I'd like to focus on for a bit.

These fasts from poker can have a positive or a negative impact on our game. It's instructive to think about how they affect our play and our state of mind.

Consider the typical poker enthusiast. He has a life outside of poker that controls most of his time. He has a family; he has a job; or he's a student. Poker for him is a release, a luxurious escape from his regular duties and responsibilities. As much as he may love playing poker, his circumstances usually dictate that he refrain from playing.

And so, when he enters the card room or the home game he enters with great enthusiasm - with pent up eagerness, anticipation and excitement.

Many people end their fast on Yom Kippur with similar eagerness. After a day of fasting and praying they are hungry and thirsty. They are eager to feast at the break-fast. As much as they may have been pious, prayerful, and reflective during their fast, as it nears its end, some are consumed with hunger, eagerly awaiting the last prayer so they can quickly get to the important task of eating and drinking.

When I was 16 I learned a valuable lesson surrounding this moment that has stayed with me. I finished the service, raced home from synagogue, and quickly wolfed down a wonderful and large meal. In my haste to appease my hunger, I ate much, much too much - and ate it too quickly. Brisket, turkey, borscht, stuffed derma - all of it wolfed down along with glasses of wine, seltzer, cream soda - anything at hand.

You can imagine the rest of the story. Leave it to say that I spent much of the remainder of the night in the bathroom with a host of gastronomical ailments that I won't bother you with here. It was a lesson I never forgot.

Back to the poker table. I've found that after a long while away from the table, there is a desire to play that often trumps my better instincts and good judgment. So hungry am I for action after my long poker fast that I find I can't resist raising when I should call or calling when I should fold. I am poker famished - and respond without thinking. This is a recipe for disaster.

Keep in mind that the regulars - those who seem to live in the poker room - do not often suffer from this problem. They are there all the time. They don't fast. They have a steady diet of poker. And, if they're observant, they can see my hunger and eagerness when I sit down - setting traps and taking advantage of me accordingly.

How much better for the hungry, long fasting poker player, to take a book out of Rabbi Dick Israel's guide to Yom Kippur fasting. He recommends breaking the fast with not a heavy meal, but a moderate or even light one. Rather than the traditional break-fast that I engaged in - of large quantities of roast meats and the like - he recommends the alternative dairy break-fast or the break-fast of the Eastern Jews - the Sephardic Jews who eat a light combination of fresh fruit, fish, and a lemon flavored chicken soup known as avgolemono.

Similarly, when we casual players return to the felt, we can start slowly and thoughtfully, beginning our first few hands with a more cautious and more observant approach. We need not dive in aggressively at first - opting instead for a transitional period of observation, while we acclimate ourselves to playing for at least a brief while.

There's something else about the poker fast that we should consider. We casual poker players often envy the regular player - who sits hour after hour in the poker room - who returns day after day - and who never has to leave to go to work or attend to family responsibilities. We think about the huge advantage he has over us the vast universe of players who must fast in between sessions - often for weeks or months at a time. But the fast can be used advantageously by the thoughtful and intelligent player.

Return to the purpose of the ritualistic fast we Jews observe on Yom Kippur. While we are depriving ourselves of food and beverage, we are enhancing our ability to be reflective and self aware. We are, in a fashion, gloriously undistracted by the eating and drinking we normally do every four to six hours. This can sharpen our focus and enhance the clarity of our thought - removing ourselves as we do from our typical routine.

Similarly, we should view our poker deprivation as an opportunity for reflection and self-analysis. How much harder it is to critique our play while we are in the midst of a game. How much more difficult it is to gain perspective when we are playing.

Fasting, as we do, from poker, can be an opportunity for reflection, analysis, and growth. We can return to the table refreshed and reinvigorated by our absence, ready to reenter the fray with a rejuvenated perspective that the regular and habitual player often lacks. Fasting in this way can be embraced as a blessing - as it is for the Jews on Yom Kippur.

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