Big Hearts, Big Wallets

When I first started gambling professionally, some 40 years ago, it was not a socially acceptable occupation. Over the years, that has changed. Star poker players now can make enormous amounts of money and achieve celebrity status with TV appearances. It still surprises me when I go out somewhere with a bunch of gamblers and someone asks for autographs. Even though playing poker is now widely accepted, I find that many people I meet, especially those who are liberal or radical, still think poorly of poker players. Recently, a woman from an animal-rights organization called me to solicit a contribution for her organization. Her call woke me up, and I guess I was a little sharp with her. I told her that I had been up late playing poker, and asked her to mail me the information, but never to call again. In the course of this conversation, I mentioned that I was a professional poker player. At that point, she launched into a long dissertation on the evils of gambling and the predatory nature of poker playing.

In a way, this criticism of poker playing is warranted. Poker players try to be predators, and prey on weaker players. It probably is not a socially redeeming occupation, like teaching or working in the Peace Corps. (I was about to include
working as a doctor, when it dawned on me that a lot of doctors these days are just as predatory as poker players. They try to help only those who can pay for extremely costly, and frequently unnecessary, treatments.) I like to think that the poker
industry is part of the entertainment industry. We give people a chance to exercise their minds in a social setting. I am not looking to take a few dollars from the poor, the way that the lotteries do. I’m looking to find someone wealthy who wants to pass a few pleasurable hours, and doesn’t care if it ends up costing him as much as a fancy dinner and a Broadway show.

Poker players, especially those in the midst of big winning streaks, have always been generous. They help family and friends. They also try to help a variety of causes. In recent years, charities have come to realize that poker is a great vehicle for raising money. Poker players with pet charities have organized events to raise money for those charities. Howard and Suzie Lederer, Jennifer Harman, Barry Greenstein, Phil Gordon, Annie Duke, and many, many others have organized events for a variety of causes. In the past year, I have played in events such as Ante Up for Africa and Put a Bad Beat on Cancer. Local Las Vegas events have raised significant amounts of money for the Nevada Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals and Opportunity Village. Online, I have made contributions or played in tournaments to provide aid to earthquake victims in Haiti and a variety of other causes. Joe Sebok recently ran a small event to raise money for a Vietnamese poker pro who has been diagnosed with cancer. I recently played in a tournament to benefit the families of New York City policemen and firemen. I watched a great documentary called The Devil’s Miner, about children working in Bolivian silver mines, and immediately sent off a check. I also contribute to a number of organizations that are dedicated to animals and the environment. There are also some museums and theaters that I help. I am not listing all of my charitable contributions to show how wonderful I am. I know that there are lots of players who do more, in terms of both time and dollars. I am trying to emphasize the fact that poker players do their part in trying to help society and make this a better world.

It also should be noted that your philanthropic urges should not carry over to your treatment of opponents at the poker table. Your job is to win their money, and, if possible, make it a pleasant experience for them at the same time. Away from the table, feel free to give it back to them when they’re broke, or contribute it to the charity of your choice, but show them no mercy while you’re playing.

In my next column, I’ll get back to more discussion of strategies that will help you do this.

Steve “Zee” Zolotow, aka The Bald Eagle, is a successful games player. He currently devotes most of his time to poker. He can be found at many major tournaments and playing on Full Tilt, as one of its pros. When escaping from poker, he hangs out in his New York City bars near Houston on Avenue A — Nice Guy Eddie’s and The Library.