bridge, poker, and driving

Our weekly bridge night, which had been going on continuously for almost a year and a half, seems to have morphed into poker night.

I'm guessing it's because the learning curve has flattened out; we've all figured out the basic conventions, and a couple of more advanced ones, and it doesn't feel like we're improving as much anymore.

Poker, on the other hand, involves cash. There's always an adrenaline kick when there's money on the table.

However, I'm still not fully convinced that even Texas Hold'em is a skill game. There's just too much luck involved; if you're a sucky player and you get great cards you can do fine. In bridge, luck gets factored out because each pair gets compared against a whole bunch of other pairs who have played exactly the same boards. In poker, there's no such comparison.

Speaking of adrenaline, I was talking to someone the other day about getting sleepy while driving. In all the driver's ed classes they tell you when you get tired you're supposed to pull over and take a nap. In practice, most people keep driving, maybe a little more slowly. I have a different strategy, which I developed during my sleep-deprived high school days, when I commuted from Marin to San Francisco. I drive faster, and more aggressively.

Yes, it sounds like a dumb thing to do. But, what happens is, I get on an adrenaline high, and I become very, very alert and focused. When I get out of the car, my hands are usually shaking a little bit, and it takes me a good half hour to relax completely. I think this only works because I like driving, and I like finding paths through mild to moderate amounts of traffic. My trusty Impreza RS, although cheap (no trunk light, I'm not joking), is excellent at handling curves, has a surprising amount of pep for a 165 hp car, and is extremely responsive to both gas and brake. Anyway, I'm sure it sounds crazy, but don't knock it unless you've tried it.