High On Poker

On Friday evening, at 3:30am, I received a call from my mother. My Grandma Roz had passed away. She suffered from crystallization of her lungs. She was in her 80s but never smoked. She was survived by my grandfather, now near 90 but still in excellent health, her two children (my father and uncle), and her 6 grandchildren.

I didn’t know how to write about it here or whether to write about it at all. This is, after all, a poker blog, and not my personal online diary. But in the end, I realized that there is a nexus between Jordan the poker player and Roz the grandmother.

See, Grandma Roz was many things. Among those things was a gambler. But she was never a problem gambler, at least not to my knowledge. Rather, she appreciated gambling for what it is: a form of entertainment that, in certain circumstances, could be a consistent money earner.

Through my Grandma Roz, I learned of distant great aunts or uncles or distant cousins who made their living playing poker in Las Vegas. I learned that gambling for those family members was not so much about the gamble or the rush, but about applying knowledge, earning money, and doing it on their own terms.

Grandma didn’t skimp on the bad stuff either. I vaguely recall stories of busto relatives. When I discussed gambling with her, which was one of our common interests and therefore a usual area of conversation, she would encourage me and celebrate my wins, but also keep me grounded. It didn’t take much. Rather than nag or guilt me into responsibility, she showed me through her own actions.

When we were kids, we’d travel to AC with the family, often with my Grandma Roz and Grandpa Jules joining. In fact, it was my Grandma Roz that first suggested to my mom to spend Thanksgiving in AC when my mom was feuding with her sisters. That helped me foster my love for AC, partly because AC meant family and a holiday. She would never gamble too much, and I cannot recall a single time when she was actually upset over losses.

As I got older, Grandma Roz taught me the basic winning strategy for blackjack, years before I was allowed to actually play. When I began playing poker more seriously, she would ask about how my game was going, and would celebrate the wins. Always the responsible gambler, her most recent love was the penny arcades in Florida, cheap slot parlors that awarded points that could be redeemed for giftcards. It was her way of responsible gambling, something passed on to me.

So, Grandma, you were many things to many people. Amongst those things, you were my gambling mentor, coach and biggest supporter. I thank you. I miss you. And I love you.

Until next time…