The Circuit
Okay, we all know what I mean when I refer to “the circuit,” right? It’s the tournament trail; the ongoing struggle and competition over the cash, the glory, the legacy; it is the way of the professional poker player. Many people strive to become a part of the circuit, and those who have made it their endeavor for continued or at least have some fleeting success. But, what does “the circuit” really mean to me? To anyone? Let’s look deeper at the word itself.
On the most literal surface, the circuit I speak of is the yearly cycle of poker tournaments that I find myself in the middle of. Every January –
This cycyle, repetitious at first glance, really only appears that way. Each one of us who plays on the poker circuit experiences the year in a different way: We each pick and choose which tournaments to play, places to travel, and people to interact with. The poker circuit becomes a unique shifting force for each of us.
Now, no offense to The Lion King, but I feel the “circle of life” is a little limiting. A circle implies an exclusive space, a force that repeats itself but is not necessarily an ever-changing force, and does not necessarily allow other “circles” to become a part of it. When I hear the word “circuit,” however, I hear a more appropriate description of the nature of all our existence — on the poker trail or not. A circuit implies electricity, and certainly the tournament trail I now follow is a truly exciting and electric environment to be in. Also, unlike a circle, a circuit implies that power can be added to the chain to create a more powerful circuit.
This is incredibly true. My first year on the tournament trail was amazing, interesting, and fresh. As I enter a new year on the circuit and a new year on Earth, 2008, I now see how my travels and experiences make each day a heightened level of living compared to the year before. Every idea and piece of knowledge has changed how I view the world — perhaps only slightly — but significantly enough to create a stronger charge for my personal circuit. At the same time, I see that although everyone has his own individual experience each year, all of our energy and thoughts and dreams inevitably create one large circuit that connects us all. The poker world is so closely knit that it would be hard to argue against how connected all of our paths really are, and how much our decisions affect the collective circuit.
Of course, poker is just a small slice of life… and zooming out we would see that the poker circuit is just a small piece that lends its energy to the biggest circuit that connects everyone in the world. If only we all understood how connected we really are, there would be far less tragedy in the world. Less war, crime, hate. But many people cannot see past their own private circuit. In the end, these people fizzle out and, as they seem to have wanted all along, they end up contributing nothing to the combined circuit of humankind.
On a smaller level, poker should not be about greed; selfish motives… this does not mean it is not about competition and creating a legacy for each of us; it simply means that those who have the entire circuit in perspective will in the end have experienced and contributed a significant and infinitely existing force into the CIRCUIT.
Does death mean that we fizzle out? It is the opposite. When we go, we finally solidify our charge. We lend ourselves completely to the greater cycle. Our charge can even grow in strength if we have touched people and made an impact in this life that can not be forgotten and must be celebrated. It is clear that Chip Reese was one of these people. A man about whom no one could say a single negative thing. He will continue on. Somewhere there is a kid learning to play poker for the first time. He looks up to Reese as his hero. The circuit continues.
